Bre-Aly Threads

Poll Closed

2009-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who took time to cast their vote in my poll regarding the yardage of my hand-dyed thread. While I was running the poll, I added more 150-yard balls to my Etsy shop. While the poll showed more interest in 300-yard balls, the 150-yard balls of thread were a big hit in my shop. I also received very good advice via a comment on here to offer both yardages. So...between the results of the poll, and the results in my Etsy shop the past 6 weeks, I am going to continue to offer both 300 & 150-yard balls in my Shop.

I am also going to continue to watch the trend of sales and base future offerings on that. Right now, I usually wind up the more of the larger balls, but if I see that the smaller balls are selling better then I will begin offering more of those and fewer of the larger balls. I guess like anything, you have to keep an eye on the supply/demand and be flexible in what you offer to meet the buyers wants.

On that note, if you happen to see a colorway in my shop that is currently only offered as a 300-yard ball, send me a note. I am happy to wind it into a 150-yard ball for you and do a special listing reserved for you for the smaller ball. As I dye up new batches of thread, I will always try to offer both yardages, so more colorways will be available in both on a regular basis.

I have quite a bit of thread to dye, I just need to find the time to do it. If I could make a living dyeing thread, I would, as it is so much more fun than my real job. If there are any color combinations you would like to see, send me a note. I have an Etsy Mini below to show some of the current offerings in my shop, and below that I have a slide show showcasing all the colorways I have ever done. I am always open to new color combinations, and I have a list of new combos I want to do as well. So much I want to do, not enough time...ARGH! LOL

FaceBook Fan Page

2009-08-20T03:57:00.000-07:00

I have created a Bre-Aly Fan Page in FaceBook:

Bre-Aly Fan Page

Hope to see you there!

New Poll

2009-07-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to take my poll over in the left column. I am trying to determine if it would more beneficial to offer smaller balls of thread on a regular basis instead of 300-yard balls, and what most crocheters/knitters would find most convenient.

I have recently started offering 150-yard balls of thread in my Etsy store and they have been well received.

Would you buy more if you got lesser yardage per ball, but could buy more balls because you could get more colors for your money? Is 300 yards too much, but 150 not enough? What would you prefer?

Let me know...Thanks!

Clearance Sale

2009-06-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of going through my inventory, and I am putting any threads I dyed in 2008 on clearance. You can find them in my Etsy shop in my Clearance section and they are marked with Sale balloons in the Main shop.

These are not "discontinued" or "seconds", nothing is wrong with them...they have just been sitting around for too long, and I am ready for them to move on out and find crafty homes to go to.

This is a great chance to try out my hand-dyed thread at a great bargain! Stop by and take a look around!

Odds n' Ends bags

2009-06-04T03:26:00.001-07:00

I have just listed some Odds n' Ends bags in my Etsy store. These are great for small doilies or edgings for blankets and such. They are a great way to get some different colors without having to buy a larger ball of thread.

Also, I am now offering 150 yard balls in addition to the regular 300 yard balls.

Stop by my Etsy store, take a look around...it's free to look and there are a lot of great things to find on Etsy...from bath/body products (check out The Bath Cream Shop...she has wonderful products!), clothing, and homemade goodies.

Don't have an Etsy account yet? You don't need to sign up to just look around, but if you would like to register, it's free! Click here to get started

Hope to see you there...drop me a note if you stop in!

May Preview

2009-05-27T03:08:00.000-07:00

I was only able to get 4 done over the past weekend...but here they are. See my Etsy store (there is a quick view below) for a complete listing of all the colorways I currently have available. I also have a few listings in my new Artfire store, also a quick view below.

Thread Sale on ArtFire

2009-05-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

I have my thread on sale in my ArtFire Store for 15% off through May 15th. Discount is already applied to items.

How to get my hand-dyed thread at a discount...

2009-04-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to try something out for my next batch of thread I do. I don't know how well it will go over, or how effeciently it will work out, but I would still like to try it out...

If you are interested in my thread, and would like to purchase it directly from me, rather than off of Etsy or eBay, I am offering the chance to do so during my "Preview" time, which is essentially a week, the time it takes for the thread to dry and for me to wind it before I list it in my Etsy store or on eBay.

Here is how I am seeing this work in theory anyway, it may need some adjusting after the first run...

1) Email me your email address to brealy_threads@yahoo.com

2) When I put up a preview on this blog, I will email you to let you know I have a new post showing the new threads which are going to be available soon, as well as how many balls of each colorway will be available.

3) Check out the Preview (who doesn't love looking at yummy, colorful thread eye-candy?)

4) If you like to purchase any of the colorways shown in the preview, post a comment to the Preview blog on here, stating how many of each colorway you would like. Orders will be filled based on the order the comments are received. I have taken off the "approval" of comments, so they should post immediately (again, in theory).

5) Orders placed directly will be invoiced via PayPal for $7/ball instead of $8/ball that they are sold for on Etsy or eBay, and the shipping will still be a flat $2 regardless of the order size. Other payment options are available (money order, bank check, etc.) and can be worked out as needed. You will not be invoiced until the threads are ready (dry and wound) to be sent. Thread will be shipped once cleared payment is received.

Here are the restrictions
- Order must be placed prior to the thread being listed on Etsy or eBay. I will put an "order by mm/dd" date on the Preview to be eligiable for the discounted rate. Once they are listed, they are at regular price of $8/ball.

- Check the comments to make sure someone else hasn't already placed an order for the colors you want. I will try to update the blog with the quantities available as well. (This part may be the tricky part and may not work...we will have to see.) I will confirm your order once I verify the comments. Remember, orders will be filled in the order comments are received. Orders placed via email will be filled only if they do not overlap the Comment orders.

- Orders placed through the blog must be paid for in a timely manner, either via PayPal or alternate payment method. Orders not paid for within 5 business days of placing the order will be cancelled.

That's it...as I said, I don't know how it will work, or if it will work, but I would like to try this out. If you are interested, please email me so I can create an email list to those that would like to take advantage of this offer.

I anticipate my next batch of thread to be dyed in late April. I am in the process of ordering more of the base thread to dye, so there is some time to get in on the first list. I don't really know what the response will be, or if there will be a response, but thought I would give it a try.

If a color you like sells out before you are able to get it, let me know and I will put it in the next dye-run I do. I will email you when it is ready and give you an opportunity to buy it before I include it in the preview. Also, I have a slide show of all of the colorways I have done, if you see a colorway in there that you like, same thing, email me and let me know, and I will give you the first opportunity to purchase it before I put it in with the previews. (No obligation here, it will sell one way or another, you just get first "dibs" on it if you want it.)

Thanks!

Brenda
Bre-Aly Threads

Preview of all 15 new colorways...

2009-03-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

These will be able to be listed in my Etsy store beginning April 4th...

2009-03-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Here are six of the colorways I dyed this weekend. I didn't have great lighting today as it is cloudy, so the pictures aren't as clear or the colors as accurate as they should be. I will take better pictures once I have some sunlight...

I have 9 other colorways to add to this once they are done rinsing (and I have better lighting).

Edited to add pictures of all the colorways on the drying rack...

I made it into a Treasury on Etsy!

2009-02-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

My first one ever that I have been in...I am so excited!

Ah...See...it doesn't take much to make me happy!

More Dyeing

2009-02-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

I was able to not only prep some thread this past weekend...which used to be such a chore before I bought my new thread winder...but I was also able to dye some as well. I was able to do some size 10 thread as well as some 4-ply cotton yarn (typically used for dishcloths/washcloths). These will be ready to put in my Etsy store by this weekend if all goes well!

Here is a preview:

100 Sales Mark

2009-02-04T04:29:00.000-08:00

I reached my 100 Sales Mark yesterday on Etsy! Woot! I am so excited! It started off so slow when I first listed on there, and now I get at least 2-3 orders a week. Nothing I can't handle, and it pays for supplies and helps with gas and extras on the weeks between paychecks.

Just had to toot my own horn for a moment! LOL

Next Batch Listed

2009-01-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have listed Igon, Valentine, Sage Rose, Sherbert, Prunella and Gia in my Etsy store. (See below for direct links to my Etsy store.)

These will be the last new listings for a while, as I need to put in an order for more of the thread to dye.

A few more done...

2009-01-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

I got a few more colorways done this weekend. I quickly sold out of my Igon and Valentine colorway, so did some more of that, then did a few more that I have not done for a while. These should be ready to be listed in my Etsy store by next weekend (Jan. 30-Feb. 1st)

Arriving Soon

2009-01-13T04:43:00.000-08:00

I am hoping to have these in my Etsy store by this weekend...Enjoy!

eBay Store Closed

2008-11-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

I made the "executive" decision today to close my eBay store. I was going to wait until December, but decided why pay for another month when there is no advantage to it. I will still have both fixed priced and auctions on there, just without a storefront. From the ramblings on the message boards on there Stores are on the way out anyway.

I will more than likely carry more inventory in my Etsy store going forward. It is less cost to sell there and the listings last for 4 months. I will use my newsletter to direct folks to my Etsy store, which I have been doing for a few months anyway.

Time to update my pre-printed thread labels!

Colorways Listed

2008-11-04T06:24:00.000-08:00

Most of the colorways are listed now. There are still a couple that I ran into some problems with while winding, so need to sort those out, so there will still be a couple of additions later in the week. The selection is pretty much the same for both stores, so if you have a preference of one over the other, hopefully I have covered everyone. eBay has some auctions going, Etsy has some older color selections still left for sale in there.

Thanks for looking and drop me a note if you stop by either store!

Preview of New Colorways

2008-10-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the colorways I got done over the weekend. They will be arriving in my stores later in the week or over the weekend (depending on how long they take to dry).

New Toy

2008-10-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

I received my new multi-skeiner on Thursday and was so excited because I had taken Friday off to use up some of my vacation time before the end of the year. I was planning on a 3-day weekend to do a bunch of dyeing. I started getting a chest cold late Thursday afternoon, and by Friday morning I was miserable. How come it seems to work out that way? So...Friday was not as productive as I would have liked. I finally decided that I had enough sleep, and sniffles and congestion be damned...I was putting together my new skeiner.

It was a bit more challenging than I thought, or I was just befuddled by cold medicine, but I finally got it assembled.

It doesn't look like much, and after a getting used to it, I did get all 12 cones of my patiently waiting thread skeined up on Saturday. If I would have felt better, it would not have taken me all day, but I figure all told, it took about 3 hours to do all 12. It would usually take me the whole weekend to do them one at a time on my swift. So I am very excited.

I split the cones up, so I ended up with 24 skeins. I also had 2 left over from my last dye run to do. I made up my list of 26 colorways to do, doing some I had not done since I first started dyeing. I was a little over ambitious, as it takes a little while to get the process going, and I had some extra help, so we had to get our routine down. I also had a special order of some size 50 to do (was waiting on some more thread to come in since I tangled the first one so badly that I did have), so in all, I got 7 dyed. I have some soaking, with the intention of dyeing a couple each night this week. Not bad, considering it would usually be next weekend before I could be doing any dyeing. Maybe not as productive as I would have liked, but still productive.

So...I am pleased, and the next post will have some previews of the colorways I will be putting up on Etsy and possibly eBay in the next week or so after they dry.

I'm so excited!

2008-10-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

So...I finally broke down and bought a motorized skeiner. A multi-skeiner at that. I justified the cost by the time it will save me. What used to take me an entire weekend (if not longer) to do, will be cut down to maybe a half day...Woot! It is due to arrive tomorrow, and I have a box of thread just waiting for it. I plan on doing a BUNCH of dyeing this weekend. The skeining is the most dreaded part of the process for me. I put it off and put it off, which accounts for the long periods between dyeing. I am hoping this will improve my production and have a better offering of my thread. I will post a picture of my new toy after I assemble it.

New Colors

2008-08-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

I spent all day yesterday dyeing. It has been way overdue! Going on vacation the first part of August made the month go by so fast, and before I knew it, it has almost been 2 months! The vacation was a much needed break though.

Name of colorway shown in ( )

Bright Green / Gold / Red (Oriana)
Forest Green / Gold / Brown / Rust Orange (Autumn)
Brilliant Orange / White / Yellow (Candy Corn)
Rust Orange / Black / some white (Spooky)
Charcoal Gray / Baby Pink (Pink Charcoal)
Eggplant / Lt. Brown / Forest Green (Prunella)
Ash Rose / Dark Brown / Aquamarine (Zerlina)
Lavender / Sage / Dark Brown (Thalia)
Baby Blue / Dark Brown / Ivory / Seafoam (Bethesda)

And I did some colorways that were popular in the past...

Cobalt Blue / Violet / Black (Finn)
Baby Pink / White / Brown (Ice Cream)
Kelly Green / Gold / Violet (Golden Lilac)
Lavender / Seafoam / Lt. Brown (Acacia)

I will be posting these on both Etsy and eBay over the next week, however this will be the last run that will be offered in my store on eBay. As of Sept. 15th, I will be closing down my eBay store, but will still do auction blitzes and clearance auctions every now and then.

I am also thinking of starting a website to sell my threads. I am in a trial period, seeing how it works and if it is something that is cost effective. I figure it would cost me about the same to have my own website as it does to have a store on eBay, but I haven't done all the calculations yet.

Lots-O-Dyeing

2008-07-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

I got 11 colorways dyed up over the weekend. I had 4 days off, and I was thinking "4 days...plenty of time!" Not so much. I finally got it all rinsed and it is drying as I type this. I would have liked to set it outside to dry, but since I had to go back to work, I don't want it just sitting outside without me being there, in case it starts to rain or something.

I will take pictures and put up previews in the next day or two. This is all size 10 that I did this past weekend, and I still don't have the tatting thread I did a month ago ready for sale. I simply ran out of time.

I did 4 colorways in 2700-yard hanks, and 7 colorways in approx. 1750-yard hanks. By popular demand, there will be 7 or 8 300-yard balls of Igon. This has been a very popular colorway, so I did a larger amount of that.

Other colorways:
Sage Rose (sage, ivory, dusty pink)
Pink/Yellow (this one may be spoken for already, waiting to hear back)
Reddish Purple/Yellow
Meadow (lavender mist, island blue, kelly green, dusty pink)
Summer (island blue, yellow, chocolate milk)
Flame (red, yellow, orange)
Southwest (turquoise, peach, chocolate milk, lavender mist, dusty pink)
Watermelon (kelly green, ivory, watermelon w/specks of black) (looks cute in hank form, not too sure how this will look once it is wound up, but I was feeling creative)
un-named (yellow, turquoise, dusty pink, lime green)
Golden Lilac (kelly green, lilac, golden yellow)

Pictures will be added soon!

These will probably be ready for listing later this week, but no later than Saturday 7/12.

Where does the time go?

2008-07-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

Obviously June was not a productive dyeing month for me. For one reason or another, whenever I had plans to dye, other unexpected events came up and got in the way. Not to mention, my swifts are being stubborn and don't seem to want to stay attached, so in the middle of prepping thread into hanks to dye, it falls off, creating a lovely tangled mess. The fact that this is probably the worst part of the whole process, with this little snafu on top of it makes it very un-fun to deal with. I think I have fixed the problem by purchasing some vices, and some new twine...oh yeah, did I mention, the original connecting twine decided to break in the middle of this too, and while not as disaterous as the whole thing falling off, it is quite irritating.

So...having said that and making enough excuses...I am spending this week trying to do the dreaded prep work, so I can have many hanks of size 10 thread to just dye up to my hearts content.

I have a striping station I bought all the materials to build. I need to assemble that. I am hoping to see how well self-striping dishcloth cotton goes over. If it doesn't do so well, I didn't spend a lot and will have plenty of 18" PVC pipe at my disposal in the event an emergency arises where such materials are needed. *sigh* The thing is, (and ladies, you know what I mean here) I have to find a time to build this when no male is around. Because of course they can do it better and will want to tell me how to do it. A woman certainly cannot have the where-with-all to handle a plumbing saw, measuring tape and pipe. And there are instructions involved. Need I say more?

I still have finer thread to skein up too (from my blog a month ago!). I keep forgetting about it actually. I put it in one of my totes, and I think about it when I am not at home, then forget later. I write down a to-do list, and lose the list. Not very helpful.

I haven't given up on dyeing, I just need to quit procrastinating. I enjoy doing it so much, but I let the little things get to me and discourage me.

Keep an eye out...new thread WILL be coming soon, along with some previous colorways that were in hot demand!

Preview

2008-05-25T17:06:00.001-07:00

I finally got some finer thread dyed! Here is a preview:

Meadow (left) and Summer (right). I did sizes 20, 30, 50, 80 and 100. It was all a lot finer than I thought, and my packaging idea went out the window. So I will probably have to go with the same idea that I see frequently for these sizes/yardage, and do small skeins.

I am going to see how these finer threads go before I dye a whole lot more. I still have sizes 20, 30 and 50, so I will do more a couple more of those sizes, but woooo-eeee...80 and 100 is like working with cornsilk!

Here are the size 10 threads...

I am busy prepping these to sell, and will list them as they are all set to go.

Stripes

2008-05-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

As if I don't have enough things I want to dye, I am thinking about trying self-striping 4-ply (dishcloth) cotton. I have used some of the Lily Stripes for projects and I really like it, but the colors are so limited. Just another thing on my ever growing list. Not so sure striping is practical for thread, so probably won't go that route. If that thing called a "job" didn't get in the way, I'd have so much more time to dye!

I was not able to get anything done last night. We had some pretty severe thunderstorms in my area and the power was out for about an hour. It is kind of hard to see what I am doing in the dark or by candlelight. So frustrating. I have intentions of getting so much done in the evenings after I get home, and something always seems to come up.

I have to remind myself that this is supposed to be a hobby, and an outlet for stress relief, so I shouldn't put so much pressure on myself, otherwise I will make it un-fun for myself, and that is counter-productive.

OH MY!!!

2008-05-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Three of my four orders I placed were waiting for me when I finally made it home last night! It was like Christmas opening the boxes to oogle my purchases. There were even some extra unexpected goodies sent by the suppliers that made it even more fun! I am still waiting on one order, but that is for the dye and chemicals, which were mainly just to restock, so no urgency there. I can finally get started!

The fine threads are so...well...fine! I was amazed at how small they get. I haven't worked anything that is that tiny before. I may have to give it a go in the very near future.

Since I got home so late last night, I didn't get a chance to start prepping it for dyeing, but I hope to get started tonight. I think everyone was relieved I got home so late, and they have all informed me that they have plans the rest of the week (jokingly...I think). They just don't get my excitement over thread and yarn.

I only have my blog set to display one post at a time, so be sure to check out my previous post (The Best Laid Plans...) to see the colorways that I dyed over the past weekend if you are interested. I have added pictures, and can't wait to start winding it. Those may actually hit my stores before the weekend. So little time...so much thread! Sleep is overated right? And housework, ha! Maybe I can throw it out there to the other members of my household that they can help prep thread, or do chores, their choice. Hey...a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

I am really (really) hoping to get some of these dyed over the course of the week and have them ready to sell by this weekend. I have already picked out colorways I want to do for each size, but since I tend to change my mind as I am dyeing, I don't want to post them on here until they are set. Plus, some of these dyes have a mind of their own, and I haven't tried them all yet, so I may get unexpected suprises.

Hopefully I will have some colorful updates very soon!

Best laid plans...

2008-05-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

None of my thread orders arrived as anticipated, which was a bummer. According to the tracking, they will be here today. So guess what I am doing after work each night? Prepping thread, and dyeing it as I go, instead of in a big ole batch.

I did have 3 hanks I had prepped from the last of my supply, so I did get 3 done. I think they turned out just beautiful.

I dyed a popular colorway I have done in the past called "Igon" which is an aquamarine/violet/blue that is very vibrant.

I also did two new colorways. One is peach/tan/sage, and for lack of a better name, is called "Peachy"...

and the other is dark sage/lavender/blue. I was not feeling very creative in the name department, so it has been dubbed "Dream".

These are all a size 10, as I have yet to get my smaller sizes in. I am very pleased with the results, and hope you will be too!

I plan on listing the new colorways over the weekend (May 24-25), maybe sooner if they dry fast with the warmer weather, on both venues, so keep an eye out! As I dye each batch, I will try to post preview pictures for those that are interested.

Order Placed!

2008-05-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have placed the orders for all my thread sizes (10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100), as well as some 4-ply cotton yarn. I placed the order for the 30-100 last Friday, so I am hoping it will arrive before this Friday, so I can start prepping it for dyeing.

To me, that is the worst part, prepping the thread. Oh sure...you can recruit helpers...but after they do it once, they scatter when they see the next box of thread arrive. Hello...lo...lo? Where did everyone go...go...go..? ECHO...Echo...echo...

I am excited to get some dyeing done. I had ordered some new dyes after my last dye adventure, and have been "dyeing" (hahahahaha...I crack myself up) to use some of my new colors. Of course, I think I still have some that I ordered waaaaay before my most recent order that have yet to be used. Every time I place an order I tell myself I think I have every color I could possibly need. Until I dye. Then I think how nice it would be to have (insert color I don't have), and put it on the list for the next order. I have that problem with thread and yarn too. I was very proud of myself when I went to order the non-fun supplies like synthrapol and soda ash, that I only purchased 1 dye color. (Yes...I had to have it.) They even had new colors to tempt me, and I was tempted. Oh so tempted. Must...not...buy...more...dye. Whew...so only one color that I thought I had, but must have changed my mind on the last order, and didn't have, so I got it.

I will put up pictures when the little pretties are drying. I am hoping for nice weather to be able to put them outside to dry. It takes for-ever inside.

I am off to recruit some unsuspecting ~~victims~~ helpers to help me prep some thread!

Dyeing Update

2008-05-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

I have a shopping/order list put together for various size of thread/yarn:

4-ply cotton yarn (dishcloth cotton)
Size 10 thread
Size 20 thread
Size 30 thread
Size 50 thread
Size 80 thread
Size 100 thread

I was planning on ordering this last week, but a little unexpected bump with the stimulus check threw me off. As soon as it arrives, hopefully in the next week, I have my orders planned out and ready to go. For those of you that I have given an estimated timeline as to when the finer threads for tatting will be ready, it is a little delayed, and I apologize.

The sizes I am planning on buying were common sizes I have seen offered for tatting. I will see which sizes seem to be popular, and from there I will order more of those for future dyeing. The first offerings will be minimal, but as I figure this out, more lots of each colorway will be available. Any feedback from tatters on prefered thread size is appreciated, since, as I have mentioned before, I am not a tatter myself.

Another thing I am not sure of is how the finished product should be sold. I have seen small hanks, but for some reason this freaks me out, because I know I would make a tangled mess out of that if I didn't have my ball winder and swift. I know not everyone has these items. What is the preference...hanks or balls? Diane has said she prefers balls. I have done some research, and I think I would be able to wind these onto cardboard cores, but I don't want to do that if that is not what is preferred? If you are a tatter...let me know what your preference is.

So...that is where I am in dyeing. I wish I had more time to dye! I keep saying that if I win the lottery that I will quit my job and dye and crochet/knit to my hearts content. My daughter points out that I need to actually PLAY the lottery to win. She does have a point.

Keep an eye out here to see updates and when the new product will be ready! I will try to post the progress for those that are interested!

Blogging for Thread

2008-05-06T09:27:00.001-07:00

I decided I didn't want people to feel like they were being sold to whenever they checked out my Sanity page, so I have created a blog just for my hand-dyed thread. I will show the various venues where my thread can be purchased, as well as give updates on my dyeing adventures.

I have had a lot of interest from tatters who are interested in my thread. I have every intention of dyeing thread in size 20, 30, 50 and 80 in the near future. I have done some pricing on various sizes and will hopefully be placing an order soon. I had actually hoped to have ordered it sooner, but some unexpected things came up that had to be taken care of first.

Any suggestions on colorways you would like to see are always appreciated, but as I have come to learn, specific colors are very hard for me to match. I enjoy seeing the way colors come together in unexpected ways, and hope that others enjoy them as well.

Happy crocheting/knitting/tatting!