Giveaway with Sassy Kid Blanks!

Hi there! I am really excited about today's giveaway!  We are changing things up a bit and are teaming up with Melissa from Sassy Kid Blanks to do a dual giveaway!

Have you heard of a "blank" before?  Well, it turns out I was one of those people who didn't know what a blank was! When I came across Sassy Kid Blanks, I was super impressed with the quality of their garments and the different options they have in their store! I was one of those mom's who has tried to find decent blank shirts to appliqué fun designs on for my little girls! ( I just had no idea, that's what they were called)  Well, I don't have to search anymore! Sassy Kid Blanks, has an excellent variety of designs of products for a great price!

I am excited to introduce you to Melissa, the owner of Sassy Kid Blanks!  I was able to do a small interview with her so you could get to know her a little better!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am a mother of two sweet little girls, and wife of a wonderful supportive husband. We currently live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I was born and raised in South Carolina. I love where I am from, and I have stayed close to my roots. It is a great life, and I feel blessed every day for it. 

I grew up exposed to sewing and crafting from my mom. She almost always had a project going. I started cross-stitching when I was a young girl. Then of course, I took Home Economics back when I was in middle school. That was back when they still offered it in schools. I made my first skirt then. I remember when Martha Stewart came on the scene and opened up the world of crafting and home-making. I was obsessed with Martha back in the day and my mom and I tried out many of her projects. Crafting and sewing was how my mom and I spent time together usually. It was always relaxing and fun! 

2.  For those of us who don't know,  can you explain to us what a "blank" is?

Essentially, a blank is a non-embellished garment upon which a design can be added. In addition to shirts, blank garments include dresses, onesies, rompers, etc. A company who sells blanks will have a ready supply of the same styles for their customers to rely upon for their embroidering or crafting needs on a regular basis. Here is a before & after photo of our Sassy Shirt! 

Lollipop appliqué from Applique Cafe -- Short Sleeve Shirt from Sassy Kid Blanks -- Purchase Here

3.   Tell us about your business, and how it got started?

As years passed, I continued to craft and sew. I purchased my very own sewing machine shortly after I was married. I made most of the curtains and pillows seen in our home. But I always longed for an embroidery machine - even more so after I started having children. I always thought I can do that stuff I see in the stores. And let's face it, there is more satisfaction when you make something yourself. 

So after years of dreaming, I finally took the plunge and bought an embroidery/sewing machine combo. As I started embroidering for my girls and for my friends as well. I opened an Etsy shop and was keeping really busy. However, I just could never find plain kids clothes that were exactly what I wanted to embellish. I had these cute appliques, but the shirts just didn't have that pizazz - or the sass I wanted. That is when it dawned on me I should design a line of clothing for embroiders, like me, who want something special upon which to put their appliques and designs. Sassy Kid was born! 

I started sketching and figuring out what I wanted the blanks to look. To make a long story short, finding a manufacturer and getting to the end product our customers see now took over a year. Here is a picture of one of my early sketches of the short sleeve Sassy Shirt. It is obvious I am not an artist. Ha ha! But there is a lot of love and effort put into my designs. 

4.  What advice would you give to someone who wants to start doing embroidery and appliqué on shirts?

My first piece of advice is to invest in a good machine if you don't have one already. Find a licensed dealer in your area who sells embroidery machines. They are experts and will know how to take care of you and your machine. If you have a problem with the machine, they can fix it. The store where I bought my machine has great customer service and support. They taught me how to use my machine properly. I could not have been successful without them. 

Girls Long Sleeve Empire Waist Dress -- Purchase Here

5.  Do you have any coming soon or new products you'd like to tell us about?

Our Sassy Empire Dress that has been so popular this spring has a long sleeve twin for the fall and winter! We have long sleeve Sassy Shirts for the fall in two beautiful colors - plum and brown! They will be perfect for applique pumpkins and turkeys. 

Girls Long Sleeve Shirt -- Purchase Here

Now, that you know how awesome Melissa is and can see how cute and sassy her blanks are, we thought it would be fun to do a little package giveaway!

TWO WINNERS will each receive: a $10 gift certificate to Sassy Kid Blanks & a $10 gift certificate to Fort Worth Fabric Studio!

To enter to win, answer the following question:

What would you make if you won?! 

Please leave your answer in the comment section below.  If you are an anonymous or no-reply blogger, please include your email address so we can contact you if you win!

You can also get two more entries:
1. Like Sassy Kid Blanks on Facebook -- HERE
2. Like Fort Worth Fabric Studio on Facebook HERE

Just leave separate comments for extra entries!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Good Luck and I'll talk to you soon,

PS: I would make matching appliqué dresses for my two little girls--in a 4th of July theme, using this dress in white!