Meet Duni // A Day in the Life + A Ribbon Cuff DIY Tutorial

This guest post was written by our October featured sponsor, Duni of Duni's Studio.

Hi, my name is Duni. I design pure cotton sleepwear and accessories for my label, Peridot by Duni.  I also blog at Duni's Studio where I frequently post fun craft ideas and easy sewing projects (check out the tutorials section!).  Today I'm going to share a little about a day in the life of running my small businesses, along with a quick DIY tutorial. 

Apart from selling my handmade items all over the world, I also run an online sewing supplies shop here in Germany, specializing in a range of designer patchwork fabrics and haberdashery imported from France.  Every morning I get up around 6 AM to feed my furry and feathered friends, and after breakfast I scan my emails for those that need to be dealt with immediately. Then I go into my newly renovated stockroom to check what needs reordering, or sometimes simply to be inspired by the beautiful colors and patterns. This is my favorite part.  What can I say - I simply love fabrics!

There are definite pro's and con's to working from home.  It's easy to get distracted - chores around the house, family/friends dropping by for a chat, non-business related phone calls etc. - so it's important to structure the day, including regular breaks.  It helps to have the home office/studio in a separate room with a door that locks!  On the other hand, working from home also enables me to get more done and save money by not having to commute.  It means eating more healthily, because I'm able to prepare fresh meals at home. Being self-employed means I don't have a boss breathing down my neck, but it also means that I'm solely responsible for accelerating the business, understanding and implementing the legalities, and dealing with authorities.  Plus with competitors mushrooming everywhere, I need to be ahead of the game all the time.

Most days are divided up into processing orders, sewing, administrative work and online marketing. I'm also the purchasing manager, accountant, customer service, and shipping department all rolled into one! Besides the daily work I try to make time to develop designs for my Peridot line and think up concepts for my blog posts. My blog is an important and much valued marketing tool.

With the many varied tasks involved, running a small business is anything but boring! In a nutshell, it's a huge commitment that requires determination and great organizational skills, as well as the need to be highly knowledgeable about and have a passion for the chosen type of business.   Mainly though, you have to have the capacity to dream big. :)

And now for the DIY woven ribbon cuff tutorial!  This bohemian-inspired accessory project is quick, easy, and inexpensive, and makes a great gift. 

YOU WILL NEED:  cotton fabric // a piece of iron-on interfacing // assortment of woven (also known as jacquard) ribbons // coordinating thread // two snap buttons and snap setting tool // basic sewing tools // vintage brooch (optional)

1. From cotton fabric, cut two rectangles at 9" (the average wrist circumference) x your chosen width.  To determine total width, lay your choice of ribbons side by side and measure the width, then add ¼" to each side.  In my example, I used two narrow ribbons and one wider ribbon.  Then on the back of one rectangle, iron on the interfacing.

2. Cut 9" pieces of ribbon.  On right side of interfaced piece, stitch down the ribbons on either side using the thread that coordinates best with ribbon color.  Make sure there are no gaps between the ribbons.

3. Lay second rectangle right side up and place interfaced piece on top of it, right side down. Pin and stitch all around using a narrow seam, leaving a small gap on one long side.  Remember to back stitch beginning and end.  Clip corners and gently turn right side out.  Iron flat.  Top stitch all around, thereby closing the gap.

4.  Use the snap setting tool to attach the snap button top parts in each corner and match up corresponding socket parts in the two opposite corners.

5. Attach vintage brooch if you wish and your cuff is ready to wear! Have fun!

Many thanks to our featured sponsor Duni for sharing a little about a day in the life of her businesses, as well as this fun DIY tutorial.  Make sure you pay a visit to her blog and shop.  She makes some of the most elegant, feminine sleepwear I've ever seen.  Truly beautiful!  You can also find Duni on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.  xo, melissa