An order of 9

A total of 9 zipper pouches is what a friend ordered last month.  I remember my first order of more than one zipper pouch just over a year ago, I was so excited.  Now 5, 8, or even sometimes 12 has become the norm. 

Wow, I never dreamed I would sell these little zipper pouches the way I do.  I simply started making unique gifts for family, friends, teachers and even acquaintances.  Fabric is really endless and when you find a perfect fabric for someone, you just want to make them something.  A simple little zipper pouch seemed just like the perfect thing and before I knew it, a fun hobby turned into a side business.   I've truly lost count of just how many zipper pouches I have made, but I am confident it's more than 500 in the last 18-20 months.  Who would have thought!

I've had a lot of people ask me about why I do this and how I manage.  I do it because I love the creative process and I secretly and openly LOVE fabric.  I simply love making useful unique things for people.  More than 85% of the items in my store were a gift I made for someone initially.  The reward comes later when someone I don't even know thinks it's the perfect gift for a loved one and makes a purchase with their hard earned money.   If you really look at all my bags, they are the same, I am not reinventing the wheel for each pouch, only the fabric and charms are different.  It's amazing how a little simple but unique zipper bag in the 'perfect' fabric with name personalization can become a treasured item for the recipient.

I have a demanding fulltime job that requires me to work way beyond 8 to 5.  I mostly do my sewing at night as a way to wind down, it's kinda like therapy.  Yup, I am crazy that way.

I've just finished a busy season of Mother's Day, Teacher Appreciation and Graduation orders.  Yes, I lost some sleep getting orders out the door and some of the requests were a little out of the ordinary and hard to fulfill but at the end of the day I really feel touched that customers picked ME to make a little zippered pouch for their mother, grandmother, teacher or graduate.

Here's the order of 9 I just made for a friend.  These are all for graduating seniors girls going off to the following colleges: New York University, University of Kansas, University of North Texas, University of Texas, Texas Tech University, Stephen F Austin State University and the University of Tulsa.  I wish all these girls well and I hope the little simple pouch I made reminds them that someone opted for a thoughtful handmade item to celebrate the beginning of the college chapter of their lives.