Can You Make...?

People ask me all the time, “Theresa, can you make _____ for me?” I thought it would be fun in this blogpost to reflect on some of those requests!

The iconic Tea Wallet

Over the years I have tried to be all things to all customers. It was fun for a while but eventually I decided that it’s not the best use of my time. It often takes me at least 2 tries to get a pattern right and if I only need to produce one item in the end, I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting that one item. On the other hand, some of my best-selling products have come about because someone asked me if I would make something for them.

So. Many. Lip Balm Cozies.

My favorite example is the Lip Balm Cozy. My friend Megan makes fantastic all-natural lip balms. They are SO wonderful! One day she asked me if I would make a cozy to hold a lip balm. Maybe she sent me a picture of what she was thinking of. Maybe I searched Pinterest. When I saw what it was I had 2 thoughts: 1. Is there anything as “First World” as a lip balm cozy??? Who needs this??? and 2. Sure, I can make that. Perhaps to keep me humble, the Mighty Lip Balm Cozy has been one of my best selling products ever. I have had more than one craft show where the lip balm cozy was by far my best seller. It’s also the most inexpensive item I sell, but that doesn’t diminish its might. True confessions: I do not personally use a lip balm cozy. But I do use Megan’s lip balms!

Amy! I have a picture of the original pouches!

Another example of a customer request that became a big seller is the Essential Oils Travel Pouch. A friend asked me if I could make a pouch to carry a few bottles of essential oils. She tested my design. I refined it and since then I have sold quite a few Essential Oils Travel Pouches. I have a repeat customer at one show who comes to see me every year to buy more pouches for her friends and family. I also do not use this product! But then again, I don’t travel with essential oils…

Besides the Lip Balm Cozy I also have a friend to thank for introducing me to zipper pouches. Ironically, this friend is Amy and she’s Megan’s sister! Ha! Amy was getting married a few years ago and wanted to give zipper pouches to her bridesmaids. Her bridesmaid who had offered to make the pouches became overwhelmed with life and asked me if I would make them. They ended up being super cute and it’s still the design I use today (and variations) for all the pouches I make. And how could I forget the Tea Wallet?? This was another request I needed to Google because I had no idea what it was. But it’s been wildly popular over the years, especially at Christmas time. Perhaps one lesson to learned from these request that have turned into favorite products is that people are drawn to items designed to carry specific items. How interesting.

I wonder if I owe commissions to these friends…

Snack Sacks. Aren’t they adorable?!

Other requests have been more limited or even “one-offs”. I have made a number of super hero capes for kids and have one friend who orders one every time they add a new child to their own family as well as for other friends and family. Sometimes the products are too specific in size to warrant making in large quantities. The best example of this is a phone pouch. A crossbody phone pouch is a very handy thing—I used one at my previous job because I didn’t always have pockets to carry around my phone. I also needed to carry keys and a walkie talkie so this pouch served multiple purposes! But since everyone has a different size phone these days I’ve only made these as custom orders where customers provide me with their phone’s measurements.

Travel Document Wallet holds your boarding passes, passport, credit cards, money and coins!

Capes taught me never again to sew with sequins.

I’m more inclined to say “yes” to requests from family. My sister-in-law has requested cloth snack bags for her kids. Picture a paper lunch bag, with the top rolled down, but made out of fabric. She picks out the fun fabrics and after they are made she sends them off to be embroidered with her kids’ names. I’ve even made reusable snack bags, to take the place of a plastic snack bag. I did my research and found some food grade waterproof fabric that I used for the lining fabric. I haven’t used them myself either, but I feel like I should. My sister has given me her fair share of requests over the years. Hers usually involve travel because that’s what she does when not engaged in a worldwide pandemic. My proudest is a travel document wallet which I admit is pretty clever.

Arguably the strangest request I received (and made!) is fleece cage liners for guinea pigs. Did you know that you can line a guinea pig cage with fleece instead of wood shavings? It’s much less messy and you just wash the fleece when it’s soiled. I read up on that too. I don’t have a guinea pig.

Burlap stocking that inspired me to make linen stockings for my family. They are now my favorite Christmas decoration.

Speaking of pets, people can go crazy when it comes to animals. Presumably because 1. I sew and 2. I have chickens I am the recipient of many suggestions of things to make related to chickens. Most often the suggestion is a variation on an apron to use to collect eggs. I’m suspecting that most people have never seen an egg in all it’s “natural” glory when it’s collected on a muddy day. That’s not an item I want to tuck away in the pocket of my pretty apron. It’s something I carry into the house in a bowl and scrub it under water until it’s clean! I believe this was in jest but I’ve even been given the suggestion to make chicken diapers. If I have no need for a lip balm cozy, you’d better believe I have no need for a chicken diaper!

I’ve made many strange and not so strange things over the years. I made burlap Christmas stockings for a family that then inspired me to make linen stockings for my own family. I’ve made aprons, a weighted blanket, a coupon organizer, a pouch to carry a retainer case, a tote bag out of a sweatshirt, and a diaper changing pad/wipes case. As fun as it’s been to accommodate some of these requests, I do need to be selective in the special projects I take on. I appreciate the suggestions, just don’t be offended if I decline your request! How about you—what is that one thing that you’d love to see someone make for you??