An Indie Biz: Renegade Prep Party

It’s the end of summer and there’s so much to celebrate!

The farmer’s markets are in full bounty, the temperatures still sweet, and Renegade is just a couple of weeks away – so why not throw a party?!

It has become famed Pierogi Picnic tradition to throw a casual crafting event in preparation for the fall fair. And with the added joy of this year’s collaboration with Caitlin Peters of Wanderlustings – I could barely contain my excitement for this year’s soiree.

Caitlin had the fantastic suggestion of making the meetup a brunch affair. This meant cooking a variety of yummy vegetarian breakfast foods while still indulging in the focus of the mid-day brain. We served up delish bagels and shmear from Beans and Bagels, yummy dishes with ingredients from the market and garden like asparagus goat cheese mini quiches and watermelon mint salad, and organic oj and iced coffee. Continue reading

Events: Renegade Craft Fair 2011

 

Mark your calendars – the Renegade Craft Fair is just a few weeks away!

I will be there in full force hawking my latest and greatest designs. This year is extra special as I will be sharing my booth with the lovely Caitlin Peters of Wanderlustings. More details to come soon – save the date today!

What: Renegade Craft Fair Chicago

When: Saturday, September 10th & Sunday, September 11th from 11am-7pm

Where: Wicker Park off Division

An Indie Biz: Taking Count

In preparation for this fall’s festivals and shopper spike I spent part of the day doing inventory. This seemingly arduous task not only helps me prepare for fairs like Renegade, it also forces me to look back and see how my designs have evolved over the months. Sharp geometric cuts and draping fabrics have given way to more feminine shapes and lots of lace and print. My designs have also become more practical by showing less skin and embellishing  more on the details.  Continue reading

Eco Etsy: Handmade for Earth Day Auction

I have the great honor and privilege to be part of Etsy’s most dynamic and earth-centric street team: Eco Etsy. This group provides sellers with a community where we exchange thoughts, troubleshoot, inspire and collaborate. Shoppers can also benefit – when on Etsy simply type “ecoetsy” into the search field with your other criteria – the result is a page of sustainable shops helping your hunt.

Each year the Eco Etsy team members join forces to curate an Earth Day auction where you can place a bid for a fantastic basket of goodies from our team’s artisans. I’ve also donated one of my favorite designs: the “On an Apple Tree” upcycled dress.

The auctions commenced last week and run until Sunday, April 24th. This year all of the proceeds are going to Habitat for Humanity for Japan. Visit this link to see what goodies are available in each set – and place your bid today!

All is full of Love

Being a lover of hearts, red, and…well….love, I always find joy in this time of year when everything erupts in these themes. I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t condone consumerism or gluttonous chocolate binging – but there is something to celebrating the people and things for which you have affections.

So in the spirit of the season I bestow you with a Pierogi Picnic valentine!

Planning 2011: Goals, dreams, and putting things to paper

The key to making any indie business flourish is to have 4 Awesome Ps: Product, Presentation, Passion and a Plan. Without any of these you’ll find yourself stuck upside a wall and wondering why on earth your super cool crafted owl/octopus/fox screenprinted t-shirts aren’t selling. And since we’re still in the midst of celebrating the New Year – there’s no better time than the present to thing about P number 4: Plan.

I’ve been giving considerable thought to my New Year’s resolutions for Pierogi Picnic. Last year I came up with one specific goal and a flurry of hopes that I had considered early on. Some of those included scoring a wholesale account, building the PP website, getting more press, and hitting 300 sales on Etsy. While I have yet to get that account I was hoping for – I did make my other dreams come true. So now it’s time for me to ponder what is going to make 2011 stand out for my small biz. Will it be more craft fair participation, higher sales volumes, new creative endeavors, or getting into brick and mortars.

Before I sit down to pen these things out I have a list of questions that help guide my thought process: Continue reading