Showroom Display Sample Sale!

To all those people who asked in shops or at craft shows, and were told, "The samples are not for sale"....

 

 

I take it all back.  I've hidden away all the samples that are not for sale (or left them hanging in the stairwell of the studio) so that ONLY samples that are for sale are on show in the showroom.  I won't have space for them all when I move from here and I need to cull.

 

There are hats and caps and berets for men, women, kids and babies.  

 

There are dresses and skirts for kids and women, and there are bags and purses of all descriptions. 

 

We're open Thurs (tomorrow) and Friday 10am-4pm
and Saturday (28th Sept) 10am-12pm. 
3/99 Helen St Northcote

 

Please don't all arrive at 10am, though... As anyone who has been here can tell you, we can only fit about half a dozen people in the showroom at a time, and you might find yourselves waiting on the stairwell or in the lane outside if too many try to get in at once. We'd like to stagger it, if possible.

In with the New and a Clearance Sale with the Old...

I'm tired and mono-syllabic.  Briefly, this is the latest...

 

I've been making Flat Caps in winter wool fabric.

 

 

(Flat Cap pattern available here.)

 

I also made a few Zip-Away Shopping Bags.

 



Today passed in a flurry of organisation and hardware-packaging.  Pre-stocktake, I thought it would be a good idea to clear away anything that isn't going to be an ongoing product line for wholesale or workshops. 

 

 

WE'RE HAVING A SALE

In-store only, for 1 week

Details of how to find us and our opening hours are HERE.

Discontinued hardware is 40% off marked price. 

That includes flex frames and these gorgeous large round purse feet.

 

I've added lots of odds and ends to the bargain basket - up to 50% off there.

 

I'm also discounting a few items that we have lots of, including some of the wire-formed and flat o-rings, like these 38mm rings. 25% off.

 

I'm throwing in a few special bargains - in limited quantities - like 5-packs of magnetic snaps...

 

..and grommets.

 

There are also discontinued patterns for $5 and current patterns with soon-to-be-updated covers at 20% off.

 

And to make it totally worth the trip in to see us, I'm discounting woven interfacings by 10%.

 

So... Shall we see you in Northcote...?

 

 

Discontinued stock sale ....and Oh, I finished the socks!

The studio showroom was a-buzz and a-rustle today, as stock was rearranged and red stickers were stuck.... 

I want my shelf space back, so we're going to have a serious clearance of all the left-over online shop stock.

That's a 40% off everything with a red sticker sort of serious. 

It includes Clover brand bias tape makers (tutorial HERE), fabric markers and yo-yo-makers (video tutorial below, by yours-truly).

The sale also includes self-cover buttons (school fete coming up, anyone?... hair-ties needed?), zipper pulls, rajah cloths and bag handles.  We're also putting out whatever patterns we have in OLD PACKAGING (old branding) at 40% off, including purse kits and there are some large wire-formed o-rings.

We'll be continuing the sale until next Thursday (6th September) so you'll have time to make arrangements to get in to Northcote.  It's in-store only (you'll find us HERE).

In other news, I finished the socks I've been knitting (for what feels like three years)....

...and they're too big for me.  Rather serendipitously, I was planning to visit my Dad for Father's Day and hadn't otherwise organised a present....  

How thoughtful.... hand-knitted socks.

Grand Sale! Grand Sale!

IN-STORE ONLY... (sorry).  No mail-order.

Since we closed the online shop last year, we haven't managed to organise The Great Clearance Sale that was planned.  There always seems to be about a million things more pressing. 

Anyhoo - we still have things like bulk packs of self-cover buttons, yo-yo makers and other gadgets and lots of zips, rings and discontinued hardware hanging about the place with nowhere in particular to go. 

 And we have loads of the BEST interfacings....

 And since we launched the new-look YOU SEW GIRL patterns, we haven't quite got around to clearing the older-packaging ones or the discontinued styles.

So... starting tomorrow (Weds 20th June), we'll have a week of 20% off all stock except the very spanking-new patterns (like the ones in the photo above).  These will be available at RRP.

The 20%-off sale includes stuff already in the bargain baskets and the super-cheap zipper bundles.  There are also discontinued patterns for $10 and I'll also be looking through the garage and throwing some crafty stuff in a "free to a good home" box.

YOU SEW GIRL (the one with a temporary sign outside, since the original was stolen...)
3/99 Helen St, Northcote
Shop open  - 10am and 5pm Monday day to Friday

We're between Northcote railway station and the High St/Separation St tram stop, and very close to a car park. MAP HERE (...And yes - it does look like a block of townhouse apartments, but walk up the bluestone laneway and you'll see that it's all businesses.  Ring the bell and someone will run downstairs to let you in!)

How to get the best deal and a few bargains

I wish we could offer free shipping.... Postage is going up all the time, and the rates for different regions, parcel sizes and values mean that it's impossible to flat-rate or reduce our postage charges.

So, I have a few tips for you on getting the BEST VALUE....
I pay three lovely ladies to work on each order individually - giving you the attention you'd get if you just walked into your local sewing supplies store. They spend a lot of time packing, weighing, invoicing your order, and then emailing you to personally to make sure you're happy with it, and organising payment. They're happy to discuss your order via email or on the phone and give advice on the products. We also ship things out as soon as payment is received.

We believe that this service makes us unique in the online shopping world - and it saves you the hassle of getting out to the shops (including saving on parking, petrol and hassles with small kids in fabric stores...) but the $3 packaging and handling fee we charge barely covers the cost to me. However, I'm aware that it can be a substantial add-on cost to a small order (say, for one pattern).

Have you thought about getting together with a friend or two - your craft group, perhaps? - and putting in a group order? You will only be charged for one handling fee and your portion of the postage will more than likely be cheaper than to pay for a small parcel.

Or think about what else you might need to complete the project you're working on and make one order rather than two. If you scroll down to the bottom of each age in the shopping cart, there is a tab called "related products"...take a look!

If your parcel is under 5kg and you're within Australia, the cheapest shipping is often via courier flat-rate 1kg, 3kg or 5kg satchel. These days, we're finding courier more reliable than the postal service and insurance is included in the price of the satchel (unlike the infinitely variable add-on insurance with the postal service). It can save you a substantial amount in shipping charges to have your parcel delivered by courier.

To request Courier delivery, make sure you give us a delivery address where somebody can receive the parcel during business hours... perhaps your work address. (You can update your address as you place your order). Then, when you choose your delivery method, choose "COURIER".

While we're on the subject of saving money, we have a few specials on at the moment... like this lovely medium-weight interfacing... I accidentally ordered the wrong code, and what we received is slightly lighter than our usual medium-heavy interfacing. Same-same but different....
The swatch on the left hand side is our usual Medium-Heavy and the one on the right is the new one. The new one is a little lighter, a little more gauze-like (you can see more green cutting board through it in the photo, above).

It fuses beautifully and gives almost the same support as the Medium-Heavy, but it's not what we usually supply. For the sake of consistency in our stock, I'd like to clear this roll at a discount price. We'll deduct 33% from the usual price (making it $7.37 plus GST, per metre).

To order it, just order the usual medium-heavy (HERE), but leave a comment in the comment box with your order to specify that you want the DISCOUNT INTERFACING.

We also received a ridiculously large proportion of grey zips in our last delivery of mixed zips. They are all sorts of lengths but all the same colour - a sort of mid-grey that reminds me of school uniforms. I'm happy to see them go at $4 per bundle of 15 ($3.64 if you live outside Australia). At that price, they are not the least bit precious and could be used for toiles (muslins) or for practising your zipper-insertion techniques. Goodness, you might even sew lots of grey fabric....

You can order them HERE. I've added a "grey only" option in the shopping cart, which will give you the correct discount price.

In these lean times, a few savings here and there add up. I hope these tips help you out....

Last-minute bargain!

We have a couple of spots to fill in the Bags for Beginners course, starting this Thursday evening. I'll be very happy to fill them and am offering a 25% discount to anyone who books in before Thursday.

These classes are lots of fun. Not only do you get oodles of hands-on help, where you can pick my brains to your little hearts content.... but you have lots of room and a lovely "make yourself at home" atmosphere. We play music, eat snacks and have a huge range of hot or cold drinks.... all very "help yourself, whenever you feel like it.." You'll also be in a super-small group with people with the same level of sewing experience. It's supportive and caring... very warm and fuzzy. I've had great feedback about my classes.... So, if you need a bit of help to get started with sewing beyond the absolute basics, this course is a huge confidence and skills-booster. You can book here. Just make a note on your booking that you saw the discount on my blog.

More Purse Frame Bargains

Oh for goodness sake.... At least I think that's what I said, when the last two boxes of 150mm frames we have in stock turned out to be seconds.

We're expecting a shipment of frames soon, but the order didn't include 150mm frames because, well... we had two boxes full of them.

Purse frame bargain, anyone.....? 5 frames for $5.50. We also have more zipper bundles and long zips, if you're in the mood for some stash-enhancing bargains.

****

PLEASE NOTE: Until we can order and wait for a shipment of these to arrive, we won't be able to offer our usual 20% discount on bulk orders of 150mm frames.

Much cheapness.... and a bit of a clear-out.

What's wrong with this picture...? I mean, besides the dodgey lighting...?
I'm afraid you'll have to look a little closer. See that rough patch on the clasp? (Fingertip for scale reference in bottom right corner)
And can you see....? Some have little scratches in the shiny-shiny nickel plating.Since we quality-check our frames very carefully before we pack and sell them at full price, we're left with a box of seconds.

We can't sell these at full price - and don't suggest that you make purses with them to sell - but they may be a good way for you to practise making framed purses, and would be good enough for everyday use by anyone in your OFM-sphere*.

A bundle of 5 is $5.50 or 20 for $16.50 (that's $5 or $15 if you're not in Australia).

We also have a random assortment of long zips - 60-90cm - with chunky nylon and metal teeth and a variety of colours (but mostly black). These are great for clothing, upholstery and large bag projects and are clearing for $5 for 5 zips.

And we bought in more zips for our 15-for-$5.50 zipper bundles, too. These are bag, purse, dress zip sizes.
While I'm in the mood for bargains.... I'm quite keen to fill the last place on the Better Bags course, which begins next Monday. If you'd like to jump on board, you'll get a free bag pattern (that means 2 free patterns, if you include the freebie one that comes with the class fee already).

***

*OFM = Only For Me.... and can extend to OFMK (Only For My Kid), OFMS (Only For My Sister).... and anyone else who will forgive a few minor flaws.

Super Duper Holiday Workshop Special

In following other people's advice and scheduling classes during school holidays, I've found myself with classes that haven't booked out-with-a-waiting-list, as they usually do. I'd like to have a few more bottoms-on-seats to make it worth my effort to come back early from my own holidays.


To fill the gaps, I'm offering a 25% discount to anyone who books into the Beginners Classes in January*. You just need to use the code JANCLASS when you book in. You won't receive and invoice or have to pay until we're back in the office on Jan 10th, but book in as soon as you can! Places are limited to 6 participants per class.

*Please note: a few other classes and patterns seem to come up on this link. Ignore anything that isn't a Beginners class in January!!

The classes can be attended individually or as an intensive course. They are suitable for beginners of all ages (12 and upwards), and could be a good way to entertain the teenagers hanging about the house before school goes back, or to kick-start a New Years resolution to learn something new.

You can bring your own machine or use one of mine. (You might even get to play with the fancy-schmantzy machine!!!)

Get in while you can....and I'll look forward to teaching you how to use a machine, read patterns and set you on a path to sewing with a professional finish.

Testimonials from previous class participants HERE.....

In with the new...

We thought that the silver ones were so cute, we now have Teeny Tiny swivel hooks in Antique Brass colour.

I'm yet to have a play with them, but we also have these snap-together plastic grommets coming soon. Stay tuned for more news and a shop update with these, folks....

And out with the old..... I cleared out my box of purse frame samples (from the manufacturer)...

...and seconds (slightly scratched, mostly) purse frames. I've bundled them up and bargain-priced them. They're all highly usable for OFM (Only For Me) purses or for test-runs if you're new to purse frame purse-making. The faults are mostly VERY slight - and you can examine before you buy.

Unfortunately it's not worth going to the effort to individually photograph and price them for the website, so I'm just letting you local gals know..... COME IN AND HAVE A LOOK through the bargain basket!!!!

We also have 5 samples of these 200mm Chunky frames WITH LOOPS at $9 each. Just email your order for these (or add it as a comment at the bottom of the shopping cart order).

I'm currently looking into the possibility of making these a permanent supply. If I get these, I may have to discontinue the plain 200mm Chunky frames......What do you think?

Interfacing secrets revealed!

As anyone who uses lots of interfacings knows, the only way to fully understand interfacings is to try them out on different fabrics and for different purposes. Eventually, you'll start to understand what the likely outcome will be.

We have a few sample packs left over from the Stitches and Craft Show. Each pack contains a random assortment of interfacings and support materials - all labelled so that you know what they are. Most pieces are large enough to test on a bag base or small purse.

If you're feeling a bit lost when it comes to choosing the appropriate support for your bag and purse projects, this could be for you. For $7.50 you can take a great leap forward in your ability to make the right choice.

Packs are limited, and limited to one per customer, and they are available HERE!

Special Clearance

We have a finite quantity of these lovely 50mm "antique brass" o-rings in stock, so we're running them out at 20% off the usual price. See them HERE.

They're made with sturdy 4mm wire and are versatile rings for all sizes of bag. Get in quick before they're gone!

Spreading the joy.... sharing the love...

This time, it's all about bias tape makers. I love them. I think everyone should have one.


They help you to make super-cute hats with coordinating binding and ribbon.


I also think the Tulip Dress looks super-cute with a Kids Hat.

And self-cover buttons look adorable on the Tulip Dress too.

I've worked out that a bit of a discount is encouragement for people to try something new.....

So for the next two weeks I've added some special combinations of these products to the shop. When you buy a bundle you get 20% off the normal price.

I think that's a good deal... don't you?