Crafting Skill

How much skill is necessary? This question came up in my dialogue with Beth about finding time for crafting and balance between your art and other responsibilities.

Beth’s sister-in-law has been thinking of doing some sewing and has a clever product idea; but she isn't an experienced sewer. Beth told her that the sewing wasn't the hard part and that what she was thinking of doing wasn't at all difficult.

I concur completely.

When I started selling sewn items, my sewing skills were very rusty (after lying dormant for 30 years).

While my sewing machine wasn’t rusty, it too was 30 years out of date!

My first sewn products were laboriously done because I needed to be so careful with the technique. But as they say, practice makes perfect – or at least better.

However after a while I decided that sewing tote bags all day wasn’t the way I wanted to use my talent. In fact, frankly I’m not a talented seamstress.

If you have a unique craft product idea and a good business head (or are willing to take advice from someone who does), you have the two most important prerequisites for a successful craft-for-profit business.

Noted craft entrepreneur and author, Barbara Brabec, expands on this subject in her article, No Market Exists for Handmade Products Made from Kits.

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