Why would you pay $30 for a set of pillow covers when you can get a complete set of pillows for roughly $20 to $25 dollars at Wal-Mart? The answer is quality craftsmanship. In this post, I am going to lay out the steps from picking the fabric to posting on Etsy, to show just how much money, time, and effort go into creating a one of a kind handmade product.

When you visit Sarah Lyall Home, you see a listing photo much like this one:

It all begins with a trip to a local fabric store or a visit to one of my favorite online suppliers. I have to look around for the best deals and scope out coupons. I cannot pass along a great deal on home decor if I don’t get a good deal myself. Sometimes, this part of the process can take hours. The process is quicker if I can find what I need online, if I have to go to a fabric store I can be half a day or more in obtaining supplies. Next, I have to figure out what to do with a large amount of fabric like this:

I have a small cutting area, so it is difficult sometimes to figure out how to cut down large amounts of home decor fabric. The next step is to cut out the pieces to make a pillow. This process doesn’t take a terribly long time, but when you have several to do it can constitute an evenings work:

 

When you have your pieces cut out, you then need to check and make sure they match up:

Once you have matched up your pieces, you have to hem your edges, which requires ironing, pinning, and sewing:

 

Once the seems are sewn then the pillow is laid out and all pieces are checked for accuracy before moving on to the next step, which is sewing around the outside edges. Finally, the pillow cover is put on a form to check for fit.

So you see, when a handmade artist has to charge a little more than Wal-Mart might for their art, they aren’t trying to cheat you, they are just trying to make a living doing what they love.

On another note, I just released my new line today. I am hoping to have all these new designs in the store soon: