to sell or not to sell…
So I’ve been debating a lot lately about what I can do to bring in some extra cash. There must be a way I can use a bit of my creativity and design sense to make a bit of cash. And with the popularity of Etsy there is actually an easy avenue available to sell some of the products of my creativity.
So I am polling my 12 readers as to whether I should venture to sell a few things on Etsy. The two things I am debating selling are my baby quilts and the diaper bags. I created both of the designs and patterns and make both entirely. It would cost about $30 each to make new items to sell. If I get positive feedback that they are items worth purchasing I’ll make some new versions and post them in my Etsy store and see if they sell. If they do and there seems to be demand I’ll continue to make more.
So to help with the decision here are photos of each:
Quilt
Sorry for the wonky angle, the smallest child was obviously taking a nap on said quilt which prevented me from getting a better shot. Smallest child is still sleeping on said quilt which is allowing me to blog.
So if I had to describe it I’d say it is a 30″ square baby quilt made of 100% cotton top, polyester batting and a soft minky back. The tree is hand pieced and sewn. It is machine washable and dryer safe (which why make baby products that aren’t?).
Diaper Bag
Front
Back
Inside Front
Inside Back
The diaper back is made of 100% heavyweight cotton. It measures 15″ high, 18″ wide and 3″ deep. There are two pockets on the front and a large pocket on the back perfect for a changing mat. There 6 pockets on the inside including a cell phone pocket, a large zippered pocket and two bottle/sippy cup pockets. The strap allows you to attach it to a stroller, shorten it to handbag length or wear at full messenger bag length. It is also machine washable and dryer safe.
Let me know your thoughts!
-Megan
December 6, 2008 at 4:03 am
I think you should go for it Megan. Both are awesome products!
December 6, 2008 at 9:00 am
Umm… Both of these are kick ass and make me wish I had a hot wife and new kid so that I could have/use them. I think you should go for it.
December 7, 2008 at 4:46 am
Hey Megan! I think you should totally go for it. I would pay $40 for the quilt. It’s nice. Will you email me your mailing address? Your labels are in and I want to mail them to you.
December 8, 2008 at 4:31 am
Go for it girl.
December 8, 2008 at 5:36 pm
1. I agree with Abby.
2. Jonny’s comment concerns me.
3. They’re worth way more than $40 and only a fool would sell hand-made products for that cheap.
In this market, I say sell, sell, sell.
December 8, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Yes, yes, yes! Definitely sell! Gosh, I don’t even have kids and I would still consider buying them.
December 8, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hey Friend,
Those products are amazing. I love the bag. And yes that quilt is worth more then that for sure. Don’t sell yourself short. They are awesome. If only I was having a baby so I could buy the bag. I will keep it in mind 10 years from now.
December 10, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Absolutely. I especially love the quilt–completely orignal and beautiful. And I agree–anyone that values handmade pieces should be willing to pay accordingly.
December 11, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Heck yes! That quilt is rad! Does the sweet baby come with it?
December 12, 2008 at 7:17 am
Megan, I vote a definite YES! I love your quilt design, color choices and hand crafting. The baby bag is stylish and cute enough that someone would probably buy it as a super organizeable (if that’s a word) purse, too. Just a bit of indirect connection with the selling of quilts…my sister (the married one, with 5 kids) makes quilts to sell too, and, temporarily, she did decent business. But, adopting two kids, moving, and the business of stay-at-home, home-school-mom life – along with not enough marketing- has caused her to put a temporary moratorium on her business. So, consider those parts of your equations too. My other sister- Karina- just told me that she thinks you can put a copyright on quilt patterns, which you might also do if selling and marketing online. One last thing…I don’t know if you have seen those “baby slings” with the adjustable legths, etc, that come in cool, super stylish designs and patterns, but I saw one the other day- not shopping for one or anything- no need, anyway- just happened to notice one- but they go for around $70-$85 each (handcrafted and all of that). And, trendy moms and um… granola moms
out there, really go for those things. I highly doubt that they take that much time, or effort, or precision stitching, to make – especially compared to your awesome diaper bag! Hope these comments and thought make sense, are helpful, and thought provoking! 
P.S. your kids are super cute!
December 20, 2008 at 5:57 pm
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April 17, 2009 at 1:06 am
Megan your work is beautiful! We should get together sometime and go fabric shopping or something
You would hate my sewing room though. It is total chaos. Not even of the organized kind….and I have tons of projects in the works, but I don’t finish them nearly as often or quick as I should.