So what inspires us?.....often if we want to paint our house we look at other houses for colour schemes, if we want to decorate a cake we browse cook books or the internet for ideas on cake decorating....or if we want to sew something new we look for fabrics or sewing patterns.......

But for the Winnie&Clem Winter 2012 Collection I was inspired...truly inspired. I browsed the internet for pictures, of anything really...but pictures that caught my eye and pictures that I loved.....and then I went on a mission to find fabrics to match.

And so my inspirations have transpired into my collection....I do hope you like them xx

What's in a Price?

With the Winnie&Clem Winter Launch fast approaching I am madly sewing and designing, amongst managing kids through school holidays....ahhh what was I thinking?

Anyway, as I have introduced new fabrics and some new designs I am needing to reassess my prices. Now I must say I find this the hardest part of my business.

So often people enquire about my products with much enthusiasm and then the dreaded question....how much will this be? I announce my price and all goes quiet!

I completely understand the pressure of budgeting and costs of living and raising a family these days, so I understand if something is beyond your budget. But from a business perspective it can be very hard to meet that happy price level.

So how do I go about setting my prices.

1. Firstly I make a product, and take note of how long it takes to make, the difficulty level, and the final appearance of the product. I do NOT take short cuts, I make sure everything is made and finished in the best possible way for the appearance, use and longevity of the product. For example a bucket hat could be made much more quickly if I did not topstitch all of the seams.....but would the hat be finished as nicely, would it last as long, how would it be if it was washed, would the seams all curl up on the inside???

2. Secondly I work out the costs of my materials - fabrics, interfacing, buttons, brooches, finishings, threads, labels etc. Because I like to offer a large range of fabrics I do not seek out sales of materials to be able to reduce my prices or make a greater profit...from a business perspective I offer what I know is really available and that I can obtain at a regular price on a regular basis.

3. Finally I do my market research. Now if I was to compare oranges to apples (for example a commercially produced bucket hat to my handmade bucket hat) then I simply could not compete. My materials could not even compete with a commercially produced hat let alone adding in my time. So I compare apples to apples. I do compare my products with other handmade hats. How are they priced, what is the point of difference? quality of workmanship, quality of materials, finishing etc. I then set my prices based on the general market. If my prices are set higher it is because I believe my quality is superior. Again the bucket hat example, I see many bucket hats for around the $25- $28 mark. However they are not topstitched on each seam, they are not even around the brim, and the hats may not even be sewn or cut straight. So after having made and sold over 300 bucket hats I am confident that my price of $32 is a reasonable and a fair market price.

But from a business perspective, and I am sure many handmade business owners will agree....is it that simple. Is it as back and white as materials and time?

This is such a struggle for me, as I not only make all the products myself, I also design them, draft my patterns, photograph my products, edit my photos, do my invoicing, accounting, emails, marketing etc......and so should this "work" be factored into my prices, as it is for commercially produced products that consumers buy every day?

So what is fair for me.....and what is fair for the customer? At the end of the day my business would be nothing without my customers.

So here I stand, still pondering....I would love your feedback, your opinions, advice, experiences and anything you can share on this topic.......please?

xx

Decisions Decisions!!

With our youngest 10 months old and the looming question of returning to work it was time for tough decisions. But it wasn't as straight forward as making one definitive decision. Instead we opted for a "cover all bases" plan.

Our little man had been a very difficult baby; severe reflux, daily vomiting, waking ever hour at night, weight loss etc. So the idea of returning to work, travelling up to 7 hours in a day and then having to manage a sick child at night was beyond terrifying. We also were on a medical merry go round that was very time consuming. So the first decision was made, extend my maternity leave on medical grounds. What we went through in the following six months proved this was a very wise decision.

But I was anxious about the future in general and how could I return to my job with so much travel from home with two children, especially if one would have ongoing health issues. So we made another decision!

(Having written that so simply almost feels dismissive of the turmoil I felt and experienced in making these decisions, as I am sure many mothers or parents could identify.)

The second decision was to pursue my handmade business and to test the waters before having to make a final decision about returning to my job from which I was on maternity leave.

Oh my goodness where to begin, even now looking back I cannot recall a clear and logical path to this process - business name, logo, where to sell, how to sell, what to sell, how to price and the list goes on. In no way would I claim to be an expert in how to start a business, but at the end of the day I survived this process however I went about it and I learnt a lot along the way and that is just the beginning of the Winnie&Clem journey.

And the Winner Is.......

And the WINNER is...........



CONGRATULATIONS - Rebecca Payne!!


You have won a $100 Winnie&Clem Gift Voucher. Thank you so much for your wonderful photo to which the tagline  "should've Gone to Winnie&Clem" could certainly be applied.

And "adorabella" you have also won a $10 Winnie&Clem Gift voucher for being the 45th comment on the photos in the competition - CONGRATULATIONS!

A BIG thank you to everyone who submitted photos, did shout outs, voted and generally shared in the spirit of the competition

Anita xx

Winners can contact me via email - winnieandclem@y7mail.com to claim your prize

Competition Extension....Again!!

I am so sorry to do this...but I do think it is the only fair way.
Over the past couple of days people have messaged me to say they could not comment on the blog. Today I finally found the source of the problem and have now solved it.

To be completely fair I believe I need to extend the competition (yet again) to allow everyone a chance to catch up and encourage their friends etc to vote for their photo, now that they all can!

So the competition will be extended with a winner being announced at 8pm Friday 16th March. The rules will remain that the winner is the person with the highest number of comments (votes) on their photo.

A $10 voucher will also be given to the person who makes the 45th comment.

Thank you all for your understanding.

Anita x

Competition Extension and BONUS prize.

Aren't there some great entries in the "Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem" competition?

However, it has been a slow start on the voting front. For this reason I am extending the closing time and date to 8pm Tues 13th March.

To vote you must COMMENT underneath the photo of your choice. The photo with the most comments at 8pm on Tuesday 13th March will win.

Entrants please encourage your friends to come and vote for you. Or if you are passing by please share in the spirit and comment on your favourite photo.

A BONUS prize of a $10 Winnie&Clem gift voucher will be given to the person who makes the 45th comment on the blog (chosen from the list of comments on the blogger platform).

Good luck everyone!

Competition Entry No.17 - Gardenia Pepworth

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem

Competition Entry No.16 - Kerrie Baldwin

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.15 - Larissa Patton

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.14 - Rebecca Payne

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.13 - Justine Capell

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.12 - Jane Pipke

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.11 - Sophia Wever

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.10 - Vanessa Nicholias

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.9 - Krystal Gordon

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.8 - Jamie Hendle

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.7 - Bec Goodwin

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.5 - Quinta Smith

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.2 - Sarah Tickell

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.4 - Georgie McInerney

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.3 - Toni Slattery

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.1 - Allison Owen

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Competition Entry No.6 - Tanya Fletcher

Should've Gone to Winnie&Clem !

Should Have Gone to Winnie&Clem

OK so I am going to digress from the story of Winnie&Clem for a little bit and have some FUN!

So who would like to WIN a $100 gift voucher to spend at Winnie&Clem?

All you need to do is email (winnieandclem@y7mail.com) me a photo that the following tagline would best describe:

"Should have gone to Winnie&Clem"

All photos will need to be received by COB Friday 2nd of March. Photos will then be posted on the blog. The photo that receives the most votes by 8pm Sunday 11th March will be the winner!

Have some fun and be creative...I love a good giggle!!

You don't know what you don't know!

Last Friday I made a very tough decision to close Winnie&Clem temporarily. For at least the past three months we have struggled with our little man (almost 3 years) not staying in his bed at bedtime and then up and down during the night. It has, to say the least, been exhausting, stressful and emotional. Last week things peaked with Mr 3 at his worst and Miss 5 starting school. By Thursday night there were a LOT of tears, and not just the kids. I was feeling completely overwhelmed and just could not see a way clear. We had tried several approaches - reward systems, punishments, confiscated toys, naughty corners, timeouts...etc etc....but nothing was working. I had even considered that my child may have a behavioural disorder and that our only option was to jump on the Dr referral merry go round.


So why am I telling you this, what does this have to do with the Winnie&Clem story? Well honestly I think my approach to dealing with the past week of no sleep, behavioural issues and a child starting school possibly sums up my approach to many things, including Winnie&Clem.


I do not proclaim to know everything or be an expert in anything, in fact I am the complete opposite. I seek out information and answers as much as I can. I need my brain to be fed with ideas, solutions, options and possibilities. So after hubby and I got to sleep at 1am on sunday morning and I endured 5 hours of nightmares and screaming out I decided the past week had taken too much of a toll and it was time to find some help. 


I turned to my trusty old friend - Google! The information available for toddler sleep issues was overwhelming, but a I read and read and read. With about 6 pages open on my browser I flicked between websites and blogs until there was one page I kept coming back to. Not because it was the most recommended, not because it was the most eye catching or glamourous, not because it offered the most miracles, but because my gut told me it was right for my child. I have started to use the method described on the website and in just 2 days my little man has learnt to stay in his bed. Last night he slept for a straight nine hours.

Whenever there is something I am unsure of how to do or how to handle I seek out answers, different opinions and I follow the one that sits most comfortably with my. 


With the introduction of my new bag range I have researched and read so much about bag making, I have learnt techniques, I have trialled so many patterns (all made by myself) until I have produced a pattern, a technique and a bag that I was comfortable with. 


In everything I do I follow the motto :

"You don't know what you don't know"

so my advice is take the time to learn..........the rewards are well worth it.

Past Lives

Everyone has a story about past lives, don't you? Well it's hard to say where somethings begin and other things end. But for me I made a very definitive change in my life when I left Sydney to move to the country and live on a farm with my hubby to be. I must say this was an incredibly daunting change in my life. I had studied and worked my way up in my career and was feeling at a peak when these changes came along. I did continue my career but with a work from home arrangement.  I also traveled back and forth to Sydney at least once a week, 3hours each way. On these days I would be up at 3.30am, out the door by 4.30am and in the office by 8am. At the time, pre-kids, these seemed like ridiculous hours, but in hindsight possibly just prepared me for the years to come! I had many friends suggest to me that I should start a handmade business so I did not have to travel. I knew realistically there would be a big difference in income from a corporate role to a small handmade business just starting out. We were in the middle of the worst drought in our lifetime, some say possibly the worst drought in history. With so much uncertainty I needed to work my corporate job. I dreamt of my handmade business, of making bags, I even made a few and showed people at this stage.


But anyone who has lived through drought will know the uncertainty is blinding. I really don't know how my husband would get up everyday and go out fighting to keep stock alive, hand feeding them day in and day out, only to find at the end on sale day their value was minuscule. To constantly watch the weather forecast and be heart broken when the forecasted rain passed you by. In this photo hubby and I watched as storms brewed, the wind blew and not a drop fell...it is truly heart breaking and I don't think I can relate it to any other feeling I have ever felt or experienced in my life. I still get a glimpse of those feelings if we do not get the rain that is forecast, even when we don't need it.

So needless to say at this point in my life my dream of Winnie&Clem felt just that, a dream, and not ever to be a reality.

Rough Seas and Icebergs

Upside Down - Inside Out! 

Have you ever felt that you are turning yourself inside out or upside down trying to achieve something that is new to you. Perhaps when you first became a parent, perhaps when you started a new job, perhaps when you returned to work after having kids, or perhaps just making a new meal. Well for me embarking on the journey of a handmade business, working from home, with kids, in a rural area has presented many many challenges!

I am not qualified in design, dressmaking, the arts, marketing or any other related field to my new found venture. In fact I hold a Biomedical Science degree, specialising in nutritional science and my entire working life has been in the pharmaceutical industry.  I feel like a duck out of water, or one riding very rough seas. But as the quote above would indicate it is through these difficult waters that we learn our best skills. I can see this to be the case in how far I have come and what I have learnt in just the past two years of running Winnie&Clem . But what you see on the surface of a handmade business is very much like an iceberg in these waters, there is always more to a story and somethings are just not a story to tell but a journey to travel, to live and learn.

I invite you to share this journey with me!