# I make shirts! (Title Edt 'cause the thread evolved)



## Lane (Feb 18, 2008)

Inspired by all the neat stuff Tabitha makes.....Just wondering what everyone does to stay creative??

I make shirts and finger paint!! I have been thinking about listing this type of stuff on my etsy...but I just don't know...Soap has takin over my home AND time...
*"Backless" shirts...They take FOREVER to make...but I think they are so adorable!*










Finger painting.


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## Tabitha (Feb 18, 2008)

LANE! You could sell the SH!T  out of those backless shirts on etsy! I am serious. They are VERY etsy!!!


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## Lane (Feb 18, 2008)

Haha! They just take SOOOOOOOO long to make! Like REALLY REALLY long. And they are made with safety pins, Heaven forbid someone stabs themselves in the back...

I suppose I could stitch them...but That would make them take even longer!!


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## Lane (Feb 19, 2008)

I started an Etsy for them and Started stitching one today, already about six hours into it...

www.SloppyStitches.etsy.com


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## Tabitha (Feb 19, 2008)

Those shirts are a real unique item. There are 300 soap shops but NO one is making shirts like those! The market would be cornered. Just sayin...


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## Lane (Feb 19, 2008)

So I developed my Etsy, and I just about have my first shirt done. I have a few I don't wear anymore, thinking I'll sell them as "Sloppy Seconds". Fits with the name and all.  

QUESTIONS! How do you figure out how much to sell something like this for? I searched the internet, and yeah, they are hard to find. Plus they average ten hours to make. I did not relise how long hand stitching takes!!!  :shock: 

On a hand designed, hand stitched, original piece of "art" that took ten hours to make, how much would YOU spend? Plus I am going to number them all and NEVER duplicate the same color patterns....It's allll in the details...


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## dragonfly princess (Feb 19, 2008)

I would start at around $20 and only go up from there!


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## Tabitha (Feb 19, 2008)

Heck, I think I would list them at $120.00, maybe $149.00. I hope that is not offensive. I know that is only $10.00 an hour. How about $169.69? Just to be clever? You would only have to move a few a month to feel the economic benefits. It's the type of item that could get featured on the home page. I would list it & then hit the relist button each day (between 5-10pm) to get it to go through the time machine daily.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2008)

I agree with Tabitha !!!  You need to charge a whole lot more.  

Those are very sexy as well and will apeal to many age groups as well.   

They may be time consuming but just think what you can accomplish if you multi-task.  Heck you can sew as you watch the news!   

And yes people really do pay high $$$$ for stuff like that, and they just look so freaking awesome as well.

Remind your buyers how cool they are to wear on a hot summer day as well.  

And remember spring and summer are just around the corner when people are looking for new clothes !!!!  Gotta target the right audience !!!


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## Tabitha (Feb 19, 2008)

What does the front look like? Is it solid black? I am picturing a retro concert T-Shirt on the front. Skinny Puppy, Depech Mode, Violent Fems, Prince & the Revolution 8) !


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## Lane (Feb 19, 2008)

You guys have me so excited!! I was thinking like 50.00, it is just a plain shirt.... but I am going to push for more. The biggest pain is the darn stitching! At first I was like yeah, i can do it while I watch TV or movies...And then it hit me. I DON'T WATCH TV! Haha! And I watched a movie last night, but it had sub titles. Had to keep my eyes on it constantly... BUt I am watching my brothers little girl this week and all she ever wants to do it lay on my lap. So I will have a week with no possibility of soaping! Crossing my fingers to get atleast three done...

The one I am wearing in the picture is a Skinny Puppy shirt!!! You can't tell, but thats what it is!   

The one I am working on now is just a gray shirt with black/red/burgundy stitching. Keeping it simple since I havent made them in FOREVER. I could kick myself in the bum because a couple weeks ago, Hot Topic had band Tees on clearance for only $3.00!!!!! *Crys*

DOES anyone sell Natural/ Organic/ Chemical free Laundry Soap? I have to wash the shirts once to start the curl, before I can sell them, and I thought it would be really cool to use another Etsy sellers product! Has anyone ever bought a good one they can recomend?


OH! I was also thinking of offering a custom service that the buyer sends me their shirt and I do their shirt for them! How cool would it be if you were going to a concert and you had your favorite band shirt altered?? That's what most of mine are, Band shirts that I wanted to look neat at concerts...


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2008)

Yeah I think you should push for more than $50 they are awesome and they take a lot of work to make.   When you list them make sure you state how many hours it takes to make and that there is a lot of hand sewing involved.  You don't need to say how it's made but give the buyer a sense that it's a high quality handmade OOAK item !!!   So they know it's well worth the money!!!


I know others make a laundry soap and it's quite simple. I haven't sold much of it but I have gotten great raves from those that did.   It's my *secret* soap along with borax and washing soda with the directions that I formulated.    So how come your not making your own laundry soap yet ????


EDITED TO ADD :  I think your idea of doing custom with with the buyers favorite shirt is an awesome idea.  Then your also not out any time for that listing until it's bought and paid for and the customer sends you their shirt.  But I would *require* the buyer use the green delivery confirmation labels from the PO so the package is scanned at their local PO and email you the number that is on the package.  Just to cover your butts from scammers.


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## Tabitha (Feb 19, 2008)

So I guessed it was a Skinny Puppy T huh? Ido that sort of thig quite a bt, freaks the family out :wink: .

As for custom T's, can you ruin the shirt? I have wanted things  dyed & people won't touch it w/ a 10 foot pole. They say if they screw it up & it was an item w/ sentimental value it would be bad.


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## Lane (Feb 19, 2008)

Oh I could very very much screw it up. But that's the beauty of it. The best shirts I ever made BY FAR were the ones I messed up on and had to improvise. I'm still trying to figure the customization thing out. BUT I DID figure out my guarantee!

********GUARANTEE********
Hows this for a REAL "Life Time Guarantee"...Shirt over stretched cause you wore it everyday for six months? Torn from the giant mosh pit you were in last night? Didn't give it enough love and threw it in the wash with five pairs of jeans? Put it on wrong? Anything. Anytime. Anywhere. I will fix your shirt for free. Of course, depending on the damage, it may have to be further altered, but that's only gonna make it cooler. Yeah. Free. Forever. Life time guarantee.

I think if ANYONE ever spends more than $100 on a shirt, it better come with a guarantee like this... :wink:


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## pepperi27 (Feb 19, 2008)

Lane that shirt would sell like crazy in the goth shops! Seriously. A few of my friends have worn stuff like that and pay $100.00


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## Lane (Feb 20, 2008)

Goth shops! That is an excellent idea!!


I had a friend e-mail me today asking if I could make a "Fat Girl Friendly" one... I hate the wording she used, but I know what she is talking about... I am going to make the spine in the back more narrow so it doesn't wrap around to the stomach and make it hour glass shaped instead of a rectangle so it makes curves look curvier!   AND I am going to add the "spine" design to the front too! Right above the "chest" area. 

I, personally, am a heavier type of person... Very short and curvy....I don't want my shirts to give the idea that you have to *only* be thin and tall to wear them!! I make mine now with less back showing to hide my stretch marks...

These shirt look different on EVERY type of body. They have a way of making your back side look lean and sexy...

QUESTION: How in the world do I convay that you dont have to be a model to wear this style?? *Without* saying "Fat Girl Friendly"?  Because if I looking to buy one, that would be the first thing I would want to know....


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## Tabitha (Feb 20, 2008)

Show photos of HOT big girls wearing them...

There is a HUGE plus size following at etsy.  There are 100's of threads about why are there no plus size clothng makers at etsy. You are going to do so good!

Try to use fun *fat* terms to name each shirt like "Beautiful Big Girls" or  "Plus Size Princess" or "no skinny chicks"... not so corny, but you know what I mean. Each shirt can have it's own name pertaining to a body size or shape maybe. Find a website where men have fat girl fetishes & see what terms of endearment they use... Not that I know a dang thing about assorted fetishes  ...


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## Lane (Feb 20, 2008)

I am naming and numbering each one of my shirts! I am trying to find a "Tag Maker" on Etsy that is VERY flexible with there tag making style.

Looking into the fetish thing for name ideas would be GREAT for research!! I imagine there are some really good terms of endearment. I am just soooo afriad of crossing a line the offends people... But If I went to a clothing site and it said "Made for the Fat Chick in all of us" I'd die laughing and buy what ever in the world they were selling...


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## Lane (Feb 21, 2008)

@ Tab! I have the most BEAUTIFUL group of girls (Plus size) who want to model the shirts!!! We have a photo shoot set up in three weeks!!

@ Faithy- Sadly no, I do not know how to make Laundry soap, nor do I think I have the time!


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## Tabitha (Feb 21, 2008)

I bought soap here:http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9398239 to use as thank you gifts in some of my outgoing boxes. I used a pack & a little does go a long way. I was hoping some fragrabce would remain onthe fabric but it does not. It does clean well/average.


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## Chay (Feb 22, 2008)

Lane, here are some words from a Thesaurus you might be able to work with.
Main Entry:   buxom 
Synonyms:   ample, built, busty, chubby, comely, curvaceous, curvy, full-bosomed, full-figured, healthy, hearty, lusty, plump, robust, shapely, stacked*, voluptuous, well-made, well-proportioned, well-rounded, winsome, zaftig*


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## earthygirl (Feb 22, 2008)

I had a friend that used to call me Rubenesque


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## dragonfly princess (Feb 22, 2008)

Chay said:
			
		

> Lane, here are some words from a Thesaurus you might be able to work with.
> Main Entry:   buxom
> Synonyms:   ample, built, busty, chubby, comely, curvaceous, curvy, full-bosomed, full-figured, healthy, hearty, lusty, plump, robust, shapely, stacked*, voluptuous, well-made, well-proportioned, well-rounded, winsome, zaftig*




HAHAHAHAH I wish I was full-bosomed   So I guess I am not "well-made" or "well-rounded" either!!  I love that!


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## Lane (Feb 22, 2008)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> I bought soap here:http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9398239 to use as thank you gifts in some of my outgoing boxes. I used a pack & a little does go a long way. I was hoping some fragrabce would remain onthe fabric but it does not. It does clean well/average.


 This is the same product I was thinking about getting! Thanks for the feedback!


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## Lane (Feb 22, 2008)

Thanks for the help with the words everyone! I LOVE Buxom & Runenesque! But do people even know what these words mean??    I'll ask my "girls" what they like best!


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## gbtreasures (Feb 28, 2008)

I absolutely LOVE the shirts!  Especially the color black.....
Why not brainstorm a clever saying, something like  "Brings out the sexiness in any body type" or "One size does not fit all, but all can wear".  or  "Warning - extemely sexxy clothing alert". These are just off the top my head examples, but with more thought, I think you can come up with something to get the message across to your intended customers.  


Me thinks you will do very well!


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## Mandy (Apr 10, 2008)

LOVE the shirts. Very creative.


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