Dyed in Vermont Tie-Dyes

Why tie-dyeing has not made me rich.

A while back I had someone ask me why I charge such “high prices” for my tie-dyes. I’ve thought about that a lot, and I just want to say that tie-dyeing has certainly not made me rich.

Tie-dyeing is a very labor intensive enterprise. I know of many tie-dyers who have quit and gone to work at regular jobs. As one of my friends told me, “I really love it, but it is just too much labor. I wish I could charge twice as much and keep doing it, but I can’t.”

I’ve always refused to compromise quality, and quality takes time. It takes checking, and constant vigilance. You would not believe how many ways dye can get on the wrong spot. When I’m dyeing, I spend half my dyeing time checking to make sure the right amount of dye is in the right place.  Not to

I experiment constantly—I look at every shirt that I make to see what I can improve next time. Experimentation and observation have become a way of life for me. But, again, this takes time, and time costs money.

Consistency takes more time. If you’re in business selling tie-dyes you can’t necessarily sell whatever comes out of the washer, although eBay will show you that many try. So it is a matter of survival to develop consistency if you’re in business, and especially if you want to sell to more than just your local area.

Ok, that’s my rant for today.

I am going to blog about the ways I’ve changed my business to increase efficiency and make it work in spite of the above difficulties. And I’m seriously thinking of publishing a book on How to Run a Craft Business and Survive.

Welcome

Welcome to the Dyed in Vermont blog.  You can get anywhere on the site from the right side bar. I would like this blog to be a two way conversation so comments are welcome. 

May Day Sale--20% Off At Bazaar and Tapestry Gallery May 1st to May 8th ONLY
Coupon Code BAZAAR

We are currently having a sale at the Tie-dye Bazaar and the Tapestry Gallery.  As of May 1st we had 805 individual items.  But they are selling fast, and once they are gone, they're gone!  They are mostly one-of-a-kind items so shop early to get your pick.

Diabetes

This is my first post about Diabetes. I've been a type 2 diabetic for 3 years, and I was married to a type 1 diabetic for over ten years.  I helped her with her insulin shots and blood testing so I got to know about diabetes from the inside.

First, I'd like to point out that I do not say someone "has diabetes", because it is a condition and not a disease.  We are diabetics, or have become diabetic, but we do not have diabetes.  There is no diabetes germ--it is absolutely not contagious. 

The two types of Diabetes are quite different so I'll start with a quick description of each.

Type 1 Diabetes is caused by a persons immune system destroying the insulin manufacturing organs.  This is like an amputation and no amount of change in life style or wishful thinking will make it go away.  The Type 1 Diabetic is dependent on injected insulin, and must balance her food intake with her insulin intake to regulate her blood sugar.  Many type 1 diabetics start at a fairly young age.

Type 2 Diabetes is caused by insulin resistance which is caused by, at least from the bodies point of view, the excess intake of carbohydrates.

When someone eats a carbohydrate like sugar his blood sugar goes up as the sugar is digested.  Insulin helps the sugar go from the blood into the cells where it can be used, and thereby lowers blood sugar.   Of course this happens over and over whenever we eat carbohydrates.  It's thought that the cells eventually start to resist what to them must be a glut of sugar, and are said to become insulin resistant. 

Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes can often be improved or even reversed with life style changes.  This is especially true when diabetes is associated with obesity because in this case weight loss can have a profound effect.

All type 2 diabetics can benefit from reduced carbohydrate intake, and I have personally found that a very low carb diet (along with medication and blood testing) can be very effective for controlling blood sugar.

I plan to write a lot more about my personal experiences with diabetes in future posts, but I think this is enough to chew on for now, and anyway I'm tired.