As you may, or may not know, I started my sewing/pattern business based on a pattern for leather soft-sole shoes. I started making my own shoes for Will, who weighed 10.7 pounds at birth and didn't develop ankles until he was over the age of 2.
Side fact: Will was so LARGE that the doctor that performed the c-section wrote across my tummy with a permanent marker "Big Will". I guess I should be thankful she didn't add, "was here".
Regardless, Will was unable to wear any shoes I could find for him. I finally saw a pair of Robeez at a playdate and ended up making him a pair. He wore nothing but those shoes for 2 years and even now; half of his shoes are still made from the same pattern. We were constantly being asked where he got his shoes and on a lark I tried markerting the pattern on craigslist . . . the rest is history.
Well, I've added other styles and they all sell well enough. But I came up with an idea of adding elaborate appliques to the shoes to make the actual shoe an animal -- not just so it had an applique of an animal on it. Before you knew it, I had 31 different designs drawn out and ready to test. If it was just one pattern, I would make it up myself. But every one of these designs is different. I need photos taken after each step and photos of the finished shoes. And having photos of different sizes would be nice too. Then, I need someone to try out the instructions and pattern pieces to make sure they are understandable.
For those of you with no clue, one pair of these shoes can take an adequate seamstress 3-5 hours to make. Depending on her skill level, familiarity sewing with leather, and the design she is working on.
So there was no way I was going to have that time, nor the need for 31 pairs of shoes for Will -- some of which are definite "girl" designs. :)
My first stop was to contact the women of my yahoo group, but through them I only got 13 designs out to be tested. The wonderful thing about using these women, is that they are familiar with the basic pattern and will use their own leather. I just email them the files and they send me photos back . . . so the dance began.
The next thing I did was post looking for women to do the sewing for me. I offered patterns, leather, even my extra serger as enticement. I got responses, that required responses, that may or not may have responded back. About a week after the post, a woman and I agreed to meet in Round Rock to drop off the leather and patterns she would complete for the serger. I was spending a girls weekend with my friend and when we were locked inside for our scrapbooking marathon, I called the lady twice and she never came. She never emailed or called me again. The dance continued . . .
That weekend, another woman emailed me about doing the swap for the serger and I arranged to meet her and drop every thing off. When she started working on them, I got 5 emails one night. They were to much cutting out to do. Dip. They were taking longer than she expected. Spin. She wasn't sure she could finish them. One, Two, One. We finally agreed she would do all the detail work and I would take them back and finish them up. And the dance goes on . .
I still had over 10 designs left. So this time I posted in the baby section that I would supply all the leather, patterns, and email support they needed to complete the shoes in the colors, designs, and sizes of their choice. Two women from about 40 miles north of where I live wanted to do 2 pair each. I tried for over a week to get them both organized to meet at once. As these women were going to make their shoes to keep, I had to email them files to select which design they wanted then redo the pattern pieces to fit their needs. Dose Doe. I also had to supply the standard pattern, and all the leather needed to make the shoes. Which is very time consuming. I agreed to meet the women half-way to cut down on all our expenses. But one woman fell through, so I drove that distance to drop off two shoes for testing. Skip-to-my-Lou . . .
Another woman has called or emailed me about 20 times and she had trouble understanding how to pick out which styles. Was never available for pick up. Actually had me sitting inside a Burger King for 1-1/2 hours while she sit outside. And still I have her prepared patterns and leather in a little bag. It dangled from my door handle all day because she was going to come by the pick it up and never did. Bow to your neighbor . . .
And sadly, that is the tip of the iceberg. I've been trying to explain, detail, and set up meetings with women like crazy and I still have 8 designs left to test. One woman just contacted me again, the no-show from Round Rock, and she is willing to do 8 sets. One, Two, One. But when I emailed her back and told her I would not drive that far up north again, she never emailed back. Spin!
Some designs I sent out to my yahoo group over 3 weeks ago, I still haven't seen completed and they were suppose to complete them in a week. Oh, they have excuses . . . I was in the hospital, I broke a hip, yada, yada, yada. Dip . . .
The thought keeps circulating in my head to just make them myself! But, while I can run around all over town during the day with Will, I can't sew while he's awake. And he's always awake. The only time he is asleep, I'm writing. So I will continue my Texas Shoe-Step in the hope that I manage to get them all tested during this month and they are ready for me to tackle next month when my book is finished. Bow to your partner . . .
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