I love, love, love the part of running a quilting business that requires buying fabric, playing with fabric, designing quilts, sewing, and even cutting and pressing fabric. I like, like, like the business part of running a quilting business that is the challenge of strategic planning, marketing, and even accounting.
I have to admit there's not really anything about this business that I don't like. Oh, except my limited bank account, but, oh well.
Today's work, though, was tedious and annoying because it took me away from sewing for a few hours. It was, however, quite necessary. You see, after receiving several overseas orders, and potentially losing others, I had become unhappy with the cost of shipping. It's very expensive to ship out of North America!
I spoke at length with representatives from both UPS and Fedex and completely ruled them out as carriers. Fabric is HEAVY and it would cost much, much more to send via those carriers vs. USPS flat rate priority mail. I went back to USPS and tried to figure out the best/least expensive way to package fabric.
My new friend Simone was very helpful in sharing with me her experiences in buying fabric from sellers in the U.S. She inspired the following experiment in squeezing fabric into flat rate packaging:
One very flat, flat rate envelope. Eight yards of cotton designer fabrics. Not flat, lol.
Enter one 3-gallon waste basket bag. Whenever I ship fabric I enclose it in plastic first so there isn't any chance of it getting wet.
Here's the fabric, sealed into the bag after pretty nearly all the air was squished out of it.
Just barely stuffed into a flat-rate envelope, sealed according to postal regulations, and, ta-da! Cheaper shipping for all of you! Oh, I will most certainly add some packing tape to real orders. This one was just pretend, so I didn't.
Now, doesn't that make you want to run over to my etsy shop and order eight yards of fabric? C'mon, now, wouldn't you like to get one of those packages in the mail?
Thank you Simone for all your help. We all appreciate it!
Sue
Wow, you definitely did some wonderful folding there to get all those yards into a flat rate envelope (O:
Posted by: Simone | 10/22/2009 at 02:57 AM
Great job on getting it all in there - I bet it explodes on opening, lol!!!!!! Is the flat rate envelope still one rate when you ship overseas? I was at the PO one day, and two girls were shipping a box to Germany - they thought it would be a flat rate and almost choked when the clerk told them it was over $50. The rate only applied domestically.
Posted by: Allie | 10/22/2009 at 05:31 PM
Hi,
My sister, Brenda Rota, just told me about your blog! I have to find someone around here to see how the long arm quilting machine works. Love to see one in operation.
Love all your fabrics! I can understand how you just like to look at them, fold them, etc.
Happy Quilting!
Posted by: Laurie | 10/23/2009 at 09:28 AM
Oh my, would I ever love to get one of those packages in the mail! I'm just going to wait for your email telling me that I won your giveaway! So glad I found your website...I'm going to become a follower.
MGM
Posted by: Mary Grace McNamara | 10/24/2009 at 04:30 PM
Great STUFF....LOL
I use this way of shipping ALOT! Since USPS even gives us the envelopes/boxes for free - it's becoming cost-effective to use them more.
Sewing hugs and blessings...always.
Posted by: Cindy | 10/24/2009 at 05:32 PM
It seems someone in marketing over at the USPS decided to change the rules on how much you can stuff a flat rate envelopes with an announcement in their "retail digest" weekly memo (don't worry, the "rule change" was revoked by higher-ups once the word got around that marketing was making up their own rules.)
The comedy is, that when the United States Post Office needed a picture of a well-stuffed envelope for their memo, they stole one of yours.
Check it out:
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww292/ionltd/flatrateenvelopereject.jpg
I'm told that this was sent to all 36,000 retail locations... If it were my photo, I'd be sending the USPS a bill.
Posted by: Jimmy | 01/18/2011 at 03:14 AM
Ha! They DID use my photo!
According to the postmaster in my town in Maryland, this particular package met their rules which is that "it fits" and I was able to completely seal the envelope using their adhesive strip.
Last week I was in line at a post office in another state and a customer had four books to mail. The clerk stuffed them into a Flat Rate Envelope, which would not seal (I mean, there were FOUR books!) and proceeded to wrap the package in tape for the customer. I was flabbergasted! They didn't even fit! And it was a postal clerk! I should have used my camera phone, hehe.
So how much do you think I should charge them?
Posted by: Sue | 01/28/2011 at 02:13 PM