So, wishlist season is upon us.

Every year my husband and I exchange Amazon or Pinterest-board wishlists with each other (I'm the one that likes to use Pinterest - for some reason I tend to remember to 'pin' things there rather than search for it on Amazon and then add it to my wishlist there. Plus my Amazon wishlist is always a bunch of stuff for the house (case in point: first 5 items currently on it are electrical outlet and switch related. I kid you not.))

With the (hopefully!) nearing completion of my basement sewing studio renovation, I could think of some fun things I might like or need in my new space. And what's more fun than adding a splash of color to your machines, tools and notions, I thought?

So I started adding a bunch of stuff to my wishlist board when I realized that a lot of it was pink (to which I chuckled to myself at my husband having to buy so many pink things (or I hope he's going to be buying off of my list (HUNNY if you're reading this (which I know you do) PLEASE buy off of my list, it's safer that way...)) and then smiled at how bright and fun the quilting and sewing world has become!)

Then I thought ooh. This would look good in a collage (HUNNY - see? I made a collage! I put a lot of work into my list, Hunny. Just sayin'...)

I'm here to share with you a few cool and fun pink gadgets from Amazon* that this sewist and quilter loves or wants (HINT HUNNY) from her wishlist:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

For a long time I've been meaning to write a series of posts on how I manage to fund my fabric and thread stash as a stay-at-home mom and as a single income family. I decided to put it all into one big whopping post. Stick with me - it's worth the read. Note that I've included affiliate and referral links for your reference and convenience.

And now, I have the dream of owning my own longarm quilting machine. I keep entering to win one, but alas, nothing yet. And I'm pretty sure longarm companies don't just give them away [although, if you know of one who'd like to sponsor a super awesome blogger like myself, let me know (hee hee hee)]. So, let the saving begin.

As my fellow quilters and crafters out there know, this is not a cheap hobby to have - so I've had to think outside the box a bit on how to fund my addiction I mean, favorite pass time.

I've been asked quite a bit about how I manage to afford to buy the fabrics and threads and notions I do - and here's how. These are my tips and tricks to keeping my hobby alive without working outside the home.

These tips apply to anyone who would like to make a little extra cash on the side to fund whatever your heart desires!

Tips are listed below in descending order for what I've found my earning potential to be. i.e.: I make the most money, top to bottom, at the below listed tips.









If you have something that you make really well, sell it. Open a little online shop (I use Etsy) and just start! Obviously, you'll have to weigh the cost-benefit of having said store, because, at the end of the day you need it to be self-sustaining and then some in order to have some extra coin in your pocket, but, for me, it's been worth it.

By selling on Etsy, I've managed to make enough to buy a newer, bigger, better sewing machine, periodically buy the fat quarter bundles I want, purchase the Aurifil I want (because I use it in my products!) and more.

It costs nothing to open a store on Etsy; they have a system where you spend $0.20USD to list an item for 3 months, and you pay a small flat fee if your item sells. You can choose to accept PayPal and/or Direct Checkout (credit cards), with funds you earn being deposited into your PayPal and/or bank account, respectively.

There's a learning curve to it, but they make it really easy. Maybe I'll write another post soon on what I've learned while being a seller on Etsy.

Plus, it's a tax write-off at the end of the year, which will save/earn you money as well.

Curious about what my store looks like? I'm SewatHomeMummy on Etsy.


This is a big one, and where I make a really big chunk of my extra funds. I estimate that annually I make up to $1,000USD in cash and gift cards by answering online surveys, shopping through affiliate links and watching suggested videos.

I've used a lot of online survey companies, and the best one I've come across, with the highest payouts, least amount of limitations, best customer service and most diverse gift card options has been SwagBucks.com.

Basically, this is how it works:

Generate an account at Swagbucks.com. On their site, they have several ways in which you can earn what they call "Swag Bucks" - which are basically points you earn towards redemption on hundreds of different gift card options for a ton of different companies (like Amazon, eBay, Target, Walmart, Visa, PayPal, Home Depot, and more!). What I love is that, unlike with other survey companies:

1. each gift card company has multiple options for denominations which you can cash in on - all the way from $5 cards up to $100+.
2. You can cash in anytime - and there are no limits or caps on how many times you can cash your points in in a period - because, there are no periods.
3. Want cash, and not gift cards? Easy. Cash in on a PayPal gift card which is automatically deposited to your PayPal account, then transfer the money to your bank account attached to your PayPal. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
4. They have multiple ways you can earn points, it's not just through doing surveys. You can: (*fastest way to earn points)
1. *answer surveys
2. search the web through their site and earn points
3. *shop at major retailers by using their "Shop and Earn" links - for instance, want to shop at Old Navy this Black Friday? Go to your swagbucks account page first, click shop and earn, find Old Navy on their site and earn 8SB/$1 spent at Old Navy. Booking a trip or vacation? click through to Priceline via your Swagbucks account and earn 8SB/$1 spent. Making a purchase on Amazon? click through from Swagbucks and earn 4SB/$1 spent...and so on...
4. watch videos and advertisements - if I'm sewing or cooking, I have the videos on in the background, earning points while I do other things.
5. play games/download apps/special offers/and more!

Now, I don't make a ton of money monetizing my blog, but it'll buy me a few bundles and some thread every year. There are two ways to monetize your blog: to sell advertising space and to use affiliate advertising. Here I'll cover the affiliate advertising option.

Personally, I use shareasale.com* on my blog. They are one of the biggest affiliate companies out there, their interface is easy to use, and they deal with craft companies I know, have used, and I trust.

Taking on affiliate advertising* is easy to do, but requires a bit of...finesse. You don't want to risk alienating your readership with a bombardment of advertising, both in posts and on your sidebar, but at the same time, everyone has to make a living, right?

Some things to note/my suggestions on the subject:

• take on advertising from affiliates that you know and trust - and that you've actually used. The ones you see in my sidebar (Craftsy*, Amazon*, etc.) I personally own or use on a regular basis and have products or services that are applicable to my readership.
• make sure that you follow the legal disclosure guidelines for your country when advertising affiliates and their sales/products (for example, in the US, you must by law disclose when there are affiliate links on your blog or in a post - note my disclosure at the bottom of this post, at the bottom of this blog, and, in the sidebar affiliate advertising is separately denoted by the heading "affiliates")

Here's where social media can really be your friend. When you make something fabulous, post it on all of your social media accounts - share it with all of your friends and family. Let everyone who follows you know that you make spectacular things, and your items are for sale. 

Also, let people know that you will create custom orders or items for people which are in your scope of practice - or offer your services out to friends and family who may also sew or quilt if they need help with projects they're doing. 


As a side note - if you do start up an Etsy shop, make sure to promote the items you make on all of your social media accounts - it's free advertising!

*Please note: Links marked with an * are affiliate links to Amazon.com for your reference and convenience.

the Oliso TG1600 image courtesy of Oliso.com

Extra large fill tank image courtesy of Oliso.com

steam holes on plate image courtesy of Oliso.com

For me, not a deal breaker but if you're sensitive to noise, it's not a silent mechanism.

Sporadic leaking:
Twice over the last year, something weird has happened with the iron and in both instances the same set of circumstances led to the iron dumping its' entire reservoir on my ironing board.

In both situations, I had decided I was done sewing for the day, shut my iron off, and then realized I still had more to do. I added water to the tank, turned it back on, and on heat up, the iron dumped the entirety of the tank onto my board.

This has only happened twice, and, I did contact Oliso support about it. They were very quick to respond (they phoned within 1 hr of my initial email to them) and walked me through some trouble shooting. They also recommended I send the iron into them to have it serviced. Because I don't have a backup iron, and they couldn't guarantee a fast turnaround, I decided not to send it in.

Worn Symbols:
The embossed symbol on the iron's steam button are starting to fade, showing their wear already, which I'm surprised about and a little disappointed in. Not something that would make or break the deal for me, and I haven't bothered to email Oliso about it since I highly doubt there's anything they would do about it. Still, at $200, I would expect the embossing to be more colorfast.

Emptying the water reservoir:
According to the manufacturer's instructions, at the end of each use you're supposed to let the iron cool fully and then empty the water reservoir. This is a difficult task to say the very least. It's next to impossible to remove all of the water from the chamber, no matter which way you tip, tilt or turn it. To be honest I've gotten pretty good at only putting as much water in the chamber as I think I'll need for my sewing session. It's too much of a pain in the butt to overshoot on this, better to underestimate and save fighting with it.

Color:
I really wish that the limited edition pink version in another model # came in this model number. I love pink. And who doesn't love supporting breast cancer awareness? The yellow is catchy, I'll give you that. This is a minor point. Not a deal breaker.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this iron is a good fit for me. It most definitely helps with my shoulder injury, and more than that, it's a great iron. The steam is fantastic on it, as is the heat. I've used fellow quilter's and sewist's lower priced, major brand irons and the heat is comparable, but I feel the steam on this iron is exceptional.

Ultimately, in my opinion, with the higher price point on this iron you're paying for superior steam, the convenience of the iTouch technology, larger water reservoir, and the 30 minute shut off time.

I like it. If the iron proves to have extensive staying power, and if in several years I have finally driven it into the ground, I'll replace it with the same. Without a doubt.

I recommend this iron for those whom are concerned about repetitive strain type injuries or those who have arm and shoulder pain aggravated by repetitive motions and who do a lot of pressing, or who partake in long periods of pressing. This may be the iron for you.

If you're the type of quilter who wants the latest and greatest gadget, this again, is probably the iron for you. It's pretty freaking cool.

If you happen to have the Oliso® Pro™ Smart Iron with iTouch® Technology TG1600*, I'd love to hear about your experiences, so leave a comment below! And if you're thinking of purchasing one and have any questions about the iron, let me know. I might be able to answer them.

*Please do note that this post does contain an affiliate link to Amazon - but my opinions are 100% genuine and 150% candid.

Well, as per usual, the summer has been busy for me.

My mum was here visiting from Vancouver for almost a month, and as such, I've found it difficult to keep up with my Quilterly and Bloggerly duties (yes, I just made up two words) whilst busy with my Daughterly and Motherly ones.

C'est la vie, mes amies!


I've been busy, though, planning and organizing a Cotton + Steel swap - by designer, in separate rounds - so you can participate in as many or as little as you like - with of course a separate round for their Basics line. We're in the midst of the Melody Miller round, but sign ups for the next round will be coming up soon (see below). Hang tight. Also working on a schedule for you all so that you know when to sign up for which Designers. (and we're swapping charms OR fat eighths, two separate sign ups for each Designer, your choice which [or both!] you'd like to sign up for). Next sign up starts Monday, August 4 at 0700am CST for Rashida Coleman-Hale's MOONLIT fabrics. This swap (in its entirety) is open to International residents - to save on postage you're encouraged to ship your orders to me, and I'll cut them for you. I'm nice like that.

Boo-ya!! My cut is a little wavy on the straights, but it was my first time using a jig. YIPPEE for ME! I'm no longer a jig-virgin. WOOT!

If you've been following along for the last month on Instagram, you know that I've been up to all sorts of craziness - among other things, I have a 'new' 1937 Singer 201-2, for which I 'hacked' a Craigslist-find Ikea dining room table... yes. That's right. I cut a hole in it. Myself. And I'm gonna write a tut on how to do it since so many of you were interested about it! More on that, soon. I swear. When I get 30 minutes to write.

Anywho!

On to the stash share for this week!

1. Oliso Pro itouch Iron

just LOOK at that sexy iron! (yes. I said 'sexy'. yes. an iron can be sexy. hehehe)

 Now, in case you think I'm some rich Diva quilter sitting around whippin' up quilts all day, spending lots of moola on super-fantastical irons, boy, am I not.

I spent every penny I've made in my Etsy shop this year on this iron. (insert awkward grin here). I'm still hoping it's a tax write-off.

Let's just say I had some 'splainin' to do, Lucy, when I opened the box and my husband saw it.

"Wait. Isn't that the iron from that show you watch? The quilting show? Fons and something?"

"Ya! Isn't it great?!"

"Doesn't it have some sort of computer in it?"

"Ya, isn't it great?!"

"Uh, isn't anything with a computer in it really expensive? Like, too expensive?"

"Ya! Isn't it great?!"

>>holy mother of irons Erin, think fast!!<<

Once I explained that it was 'company' money that purchased the iron, and how my old one wouldn't even press a yard without dying, he was a little more conducive to the new-iron notion. But what truly impressed me was that

a) he knew the name of the show I watch (close enough)
b) he actually was paying attention to the show whilst supposedly 'reading' a book - enough to notice the 'iron with a computer in it'.

I digress! Back to the iron.

Holy frickadoodles Batman. I love it.

I'm going to write a review on it at some point, hopefully before Massdrop ends up running another drop on it so that if you're thinking of buying one, maybe I can help you out if you have any questions, etc. I really want to use the iron for at least a month, though, before writing the (unsolicited!) review.

So far, so good. I really like it. It was kind of tough to get used to not having to flip it up, but it only took one sewing session to get it down pat.

Totally worth the $119 Massdrop was selling it for (normally runs anywhere from $169-$210). I'll try and keep you posted on when they're dropping the next Oliso, if they do. Fingers crossed.

Oh, and I am a (bit of a) Diva, just not a rich one. And I wish I could quilt all day. Too busy changing bumbums and singing "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!" though. (which I wouldn't change for the world. I sure do love my kiddies!)

2. Lulu Magnolia by the Quilted Fish for RBD
A little while ago, I was lucky enough to win 4th place in the Blogger's Quilt Festival through Amy's Creative Side for my pixelated sewing machine quilt ("my first {pixelated}"). My gorgeous, gorgeous prize was a full FQB of Lulu Magnolia by the Quilted Fish! I received this line from the designer herself (Amanda, you rock!) before it was even in stores. How awesome is that??!!

What I love most about it is the pairing of navy and orange. I first saw this color combo on the cover of HGTV mag in the winter, and loved it. And the line just makes me want to be on vacation somewhere. It's really quite gorgeous.

3. Bobbin Thread
You'll also notice in the pic to the right a spool of thread. That would be Superior Threads® - The Bottom Line Polyester Thread #655 Off White 1,420 Yds.It's meant for bobbin, applique and quilting work. Mostly, I just want to try it for the bobbin. I'm really intrigued to see how much less often I will have to change my bobbin when quilting with this stuff. I had heard some good things about it, so I thought I'd throw one in the cart the last time we had to place an Amazon order. I'll also write a review on this, as well. I've heard poly can be a bit more slippery, and conducive to opened stitches at seam ends when piecing... we will see.

Okay. That's all I have to share for this week. That's enough, me thinks!

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, and by FTC regulatory laws I must disclose this. If you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking my link I'll make a small commission on the sale, if it qualifies in their affiliate program. And by small, I mean, a few pennies :)