Maybe you have a sewn product idea but aren't sure whether people would buy it. Maybe you're already selling sewn products but spending far too many hours for what you're earning. Or maybe you're trying to figure out what you could sew and sell that would actually be worth your time.
That's what Cut, Sew, Grow is about.
Not just how to sew something.
How to decide whether it makes sense to sell it.
Sewing Something Is One Thing. Building a Business Around It Is Another.
I'm Shannon, founder of Fairface Washcloths.
I started Fairface in 2011 with one simple sewn product idea and eventually turned it into a real product-based business.
Over the years, I've sold thousands upon thousands of washcloths through Etsy, my own website, and other sales channels.
I've also experienced firsthand how different running a sewing business is from simply enjoying sewing.
I've cut enormous stacks of fabric, sewn products myself, hired contract seamstresses, sourced fabrics and supplies, researched manufacturing, managed inventory, packaged orders, shipped thousands of products, raised prices, changed products, and tried to figure out how to make the numbers actually work.
And I've learned something important:
Some products can sell and still not be a very good business, and some products can sell and become a very good business.
A handmade item might be popular but some might take too long to produce.
Another sewn product might look profitable until you calculate fabric, supplies, packaging, selling fees, shipping materials, and your time.
Or it might be a perfectly good product — but only at a price customers aren't accustomed to seeing for handmade goods.
Those are the questions I want to explore with you through Cut, Sew, Grow.
What Is Cut, Sew, Grow?
Cut, Sew, Grow is practical sewing-business guidance for people who want to make better decisions about what they sew and sell.
We look at questions like:
What sewn products are people actually buying?
How much could a product realistically sell for?
How long does it take to make?
What do the materials cost?
Can production be streamlined?
Can you batch-cut or batch-sew it?
Could someone else eventually help produce it?
How much money is left after expenses?
Are you paying yourself for your time?
Is the product worth testing — or would another idea make more sense?
Because the goal isn't simply to make more things.
The goal is to build something that makes sense as a business and makes you money.
Realistic Sewn Product Evaluations
One of the main things I'll be creating through Cut, Sew, Grow is a growing library of Sewn Product Evaluations.
Each evaluation takes a common sewn-product idea and looks at it through a business lens.
That may include things like:
Typical selling prices
Fabric and supply requirements
Approximate production time
Ways to simplify or batch production
Competition and differentiation
Potential customers
Selling considerations
Pricing challenges
Estimated profit potential
Questions to consider before making inventory
The goal isn't to tell you that a product will or won't succeed.
It's to give you enough information to decide whether you think it's worth testing.
Because Your Time Counts Too
This is something I wish more sewing-business advice talked about.
When you sew a product yourself, it's easy to look at the fabric cost and think:
"I only have $5 in materials, so if I sell it for $20 I'm making $15."
But you're not.
Your time matters.
Your packaging matters.
Selling fees matter.
Mistakes matter.
Equipment matters.
The hour you spend cutting, sewing, photographing, listing, answering messages, packing, and shipping matters too.
If a business only works because your labor is essentially free, that's something you deserve to know.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't make the product.
It simply means you can make that decision with your eyes open.
What You'll Find Here
Through Cut, Sew, Grow, I'll be sharing practical information about:
Sewn products people sell online
Product profitability
Pricing handmade products
Small-batch sewing production
Batch cutting and sewing
Fabric and supply costs
Etsy and online selling
Product development
Outsourcing and contract sewing
Manufacturing considerations
Packaging and fulfillment
Ways to make a sewing business more efficient
And the lessons I've learned from running Fairface Washcloths since 2011
I'll also share what hasn't worked for me, because sometimes those lessons are even more useful.
Want to Build a Smarter Sewing Business?
If you're interested in turning sewing into income — without assuming you should work for pennies to do it — I'd love to have you join me.
I'll be sharing new sewn-product evaluations, realistic business breakdowns, resources, and lessons from more than a decade of running a sewing-based product business.
Join the Cut, Sew, Grow email list to get new resources and sewing-business ideas as they're published.
Whether you're trying to choose your first product or wondering whether your current product is actually profitable, I hope Cut, Sew, Grow helps you answer one very important question:
What would it take to turn my sewn product into a profitable business?
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