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Tools of the Trade
Okay, now on to the fun stuff! This is where you need to get honest with yourself. Are you really going to do this for a business? Are you going to stick with it?
Your tools define your workspace and how you feel about the work you do. This is no place to skimp on money, but if you aren’t going to stick it out, then you don’t want to be stuck with expensive machinery and yards upon yards of fabric.
This page will give you some food for thought about your business tools and what you need to invest in. We have compiled information about sewing machines, sergers, embroidery machines, machine accessories and embroidery designs, needles, elastic, thread and other notions, snap presses and snaps, hook and loop and other closures, scissors, fabric, home office supplies and how to organize all this mess! If you are a strictly retail business you can probably skip right down to the home office supplies!
Diaper Business Start up Guide
So you want to start your own cloth diaper business? Not sure where to start? Diaper Decisions exclusively offers the definitive start up guide, appropriately titled So you want to start your own cloth diaper Business?: A Start-up Guide. The guide includes information that will help you decide if you want to become a manufacturer or a retailer, which diapers offer wholesale options and which diapers offer cottage licenses. You learn about copyrights, trademarks and patents and what that means in the cloth diaper business. You will also find information about what the IRS and your state wants from you! The guide is 50 pages and bound with a plastic comb. Visit the Diaper Decisions store to purchase your guide.
Sewing Machines, Sergers and Embroidery Machines
Sewing machines, sergers, and embroidery machines are of the biggest and most expensive tools in our tool chest. You will need to do a little research to decide what features you need and which sewing machine, serger and embroidery machine are right for you. There are many different places to buy machines. Many times if you buy your machine locally from a specialized store, free lessons will be included in your purchase. However, sometimes you can find better prices online. You will have to decide which will be a better deal for you.
Where to buy machines online:
Once you have your machine, you will need to know how to protect your investment and use it properly. Preventative maintenance is the best thing you can do to prolong the useful life of your machine! Sewing machine and embroidery machine maintenance and serger maintenance are similar but have some differences. These procedures should be outlined in your owners manual. Your manual will also have diagrams to show you how to thread your machine, offer some troubleshooting tips. Sometimes, our kids or pets “eat” the manual, or you find a great deal on a used machine that is lacking a manual. Find singer manuals here and other manuals here.
Machine Accessories and Embroidery Designs
Having the right machine accessory can make your project much easier and go faster! We all know that time is money! How do you know which foot is the right foot for your project? Even more confusing can be figuring out which size shank your new foot needs! Your local sewing machine retailer should have all the accessories you need and help you find the right one if you are confused, but sometimes you can find better prices online. You will have to decide which will be the better deal for you.
Embroidery can be a lot of fun! The possibilities are endless it seems. This article gives a few basic guidelines to remember as you embroider. We have listed a few places to buy embroidery designs or to find them free.
Embroidery Library
Ann the Gran
http://www.freeembroiderystuff.com/
http://www.advanced-embroidery-designs.com/freedesign.html
Notions
Needles:
Needles seem like they would be so simple. But when you go to buy new needles there are many different types to choose from! What does ball point mean? And what size is right for which project? It almost seems like a needle knowledge class should be a pre requisite to buying a sewing machine! Needles can be purchased at your local sewing machine retailer but we have provided some online resources for you.
Thread:
Thread is one of the most important notions you will have. Your choice of thread can make or break your project, literally! Is there really a difference in more expensive threads? Can’t I just shop in the 5 for a buck bin? There are so many types and thicknesses of threads available. How do I know which one is right for my project? Can I use sewing machine thread in my serger?
There are many high quality thread out there. We have listed a few:
Gutermann
Jeanstitch
Success
Woolly Nylon
YLI Embroidery Threads
Quality thread can be very expensive! We have a few retail links listed, but encourage you to buy wholesale or to take advantage of cooperative buying groups. We will list a few co-ops farther down this page.
Cutting Tools:
Good cutting tools are a necessity! Sharp cutting tools will help you cut out your pieces uniformly which in turn helps you sew a more uniform product. There are so many different cutting tools. What are the differences?
Elastic:
There are many types of elastic. Which type is best for making diapers? We recommend that you purchase elastic wholesale or through a co-op, however, here are a few retail links for you:
Diaper Closures:
Everybody has their own preferences for diaper closures. We have listed the most popular, and a few retail links to purchase them. Closures can be very expensive if purchased retail so we recommend that you purchase closures wholesale or by taking advantage of co-ops.
Snap Presses:
Snap Press FAQ
Snap Presses and snaps can be purchased here:
Hook and Loop closures:
Aplix FAQ
Touchtape
Fabric
Fabric is by far our favorite thing to buy! We have listed some links to provide you with information about different types of fabric as they pertain to diapers. We recommend that you buy fabric wholesale or through the fabric co-ops we have listed below. We have also listed some retail links for when you need that fabric fast!
Cooperative Buying Groups:
Co-ops can be a great place to buy all sorts of things, from fabric and elastic to thread, needles and scissors. Co-ops are groups of people that join together to buy a product in a large enough quantity to qualify for a wholesale or bulk discount. Please click here to download your free Co-op log. This log will help you keep track of which co-ops are offering which items, what you order, how much you pay and when it arrives.
While the majority of groups are run by wonderful reputable women, there have been co-op groups run by unscrupulous people only out to take your money. Below you will find a list of co-op groups that we have participated in. Co-op groups do change hands occasionally, and we are not necessarily endorsing any of the groups below. Please participate at your own risk.
Cloth Diaper Supplies
Comfy Creations
Cutie Bunz Co-ops
sasfabricco-ops/?yguid=187581617" target=_blank>Lisa’s Fabric Co-ops
Sewing Supply Co-op
Stork Preorders
The Joy of Sewing
Don’t see a co-op you love? Please email us and let us know!
Office Supplies:
Some of the many office supplies you will need include printer ink, mailing envelopes, labels, digital camera, photo software, postage scale, postage and fax services. Ebay can be a great place to find some of these supplies. We have included ebay and other links below to help you find the supplies you need.
Organization
Now that we have all these supplies, how do we make room to actually sew?? When you are designing your sewing area, there are a few different things to consider. This article helps you decide which features you will want in your sewing area. Already have a sewing area? Does it need a little lift? HGTV has some tips for you! Need some basic sewing room organization tips? How should you organize your stash of fabric? Your thread? Your patterns? What about all those scraps?