Small Strokes Big Oaks

Most of you all have been around here for a while, so you already know about my side business and venture to provide a yearly, $1,000 scholarship for a girl in need at the school where I teach. But I wanted to pop in today to talk a little bit more about that venture, and give everyone an update.

Simply put, Sew-fragettes aims to offer unique, handmade accessories for women, particularly those interested in the betterment of women’s lives. Not only are the themes of the accessories woman-centered, but all profits go to provide a scholarship to one graduating female senior enrolled in college the next year.

Around 75% of the students at my school live below the poverty line. For them, education is a way to better their lives, but many of them have difficulties affording college. I am trying to help one girl each year who is passionate about women’s rights by giving her a scholarship of $1,000. Applicants will have to be enrolled in a 4-year university, and will have to write a short essay about how they have bettered the lives of women in their school or community. Every penny over the cost of what it takes to produce the items in this shop will contribute to the scholarship fund. I am not making any money off of this shop.

This year, I was not able to make it to my $1,000 goal. The people in charge of district scholarships at my school needed to know how much money I had in order to develop the scholarship program in time, and I needed to take a break after a personally hectic holiday season. However, I was able to raise $500 in less than 6 months, so I am really happy with this first year, and it is my mission to reach my $1,000 goal for next school year.

The idea for this was born when I saw that Spoonflower – an upscale fabric company that custom prints fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap –  had some users upload some awesome, feminist designs. I decided to get some two-toned infinity scarves printed, sew them up, and sell them to friends with the proceeds going to Planned Parenthood. I was able to raise over $80 for Planned Parenthood. So, when I was looking for a way to raise money for a scholarship, I thought that starting up an Etsy shop to sell these things might be the way to go. I decided to offer pouches and tote bags with some of the same designs as either matching bundles or separates.

Almost every time I listed a product, it sold out. I couldn’t keep up, so I decided to start doing custom work. This worked well because it allowed me to collect money upfront and not go into any debt with the shop. It also allowed me to give my customers exactly what they wanted.

As you might imagine, these were popular items for gifts over the holidays, so I was incredibly busy. I also didn’t really have a budget or a business plan in place, so I was just shooting some things in the dark and seeing what stuck. After that chaos, and some other personal stuff, I needed to take some time off to regroup.

Moving forward, I’ve spent some time working on my brand. I have a new Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for you to follow to get the latest news and styles. (I’ve got an email newsletter, too, if that’s more your thing.) I’ve ordered new business cards and tags. I’ve been testing out new fabrics like the gorgeous chiffon pictured above. I’ve also found that one of everyone’s favorite designs was the Ruth Bader Ginsberg fabric, which I actually designed myself! So I’ve been trying my hand at creating more custom fabric (pictured below) and would love to do some collaborations with independent artists (so if you know any, send them my way!)

I can’t wait to see where this venture takes me. I hope it becomes a sustainable option for  I’m almost ready to list some awesome new items in my shop, and I’ll be participating in a local feminist craft/art show in May. I have a plan for listing new items every month, and I plan to keep up the custom orders, as well.

So, drop in. Follow this journey. Shop for some stuff. Do some good!