FAQ
General Questions
Do you have a brick and mortar store?
No. I run Sugarboy’s from my home studio, but you can meet me each October at Del Ray’s Art on the Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. You can also find me at the annual Wakefield Part Holiday Art and Craft Show in December.
When do updates happen?
Most items are restocked as I make more. If you don’t see something you’d like, just ask! I can tell you where it’s at in the production queue.
There's a monthly shop update on the first Saturday of each month.
Sign up for my mailing list to find out when something new is coming to the shop.
Do you make everything yourself?
Almost! I make nearly everything myself. I design the products, dye fiber, knit/sew/felt the products, tag and label each and every product and order myself. I do purchase yarn from several very talented independent dyers in the United States and Canada.
Where are your products made?
Mostly here in my Alexandria studio. Working with local and small businesses is really important to me. I go out of my way to use American and Canadian suppliers, and moreover, to partner with other small, independent makers. I am especially proud of the quality of alpaca fiber we are able to procure from a small farm in Fredericksburg, VA.
Do you do custom work?
We collaborate with you so you get the perfect item, to ensure that your order fits your or your pet's needs so that you are truly satisfied and delighted with your purchase and the customer service. Some of our current stock items started out as custom orders and are today some of our best-sellers. Here are some great examples of common custom work that we do:
We routinely do custom Paca Pet Poufs - they make FANTASTIC crate pads and they can be made to fit any crate size.
How about belt loops for that Pooch Pouch so you can use the bag for training - we have you covered.
Want a sweater to warm your pup in the winter, but you can't "buy off the rack" since they're an XSmall in length, but a Medium in girth - yep, we can do that.
We even make a harness hole in the sweater if that's what you need - we do that, too!
Want a harness for your feline friend in a special fabric that’s designed to fit them perfectly – especially cats, who are notoriously challenging to fit since the pet stores typically design them for dogs? We can size your cat and provide you with the perfect fit!
Loyalty Rewards
Do you have a loyalty rewards program?
Yes! We have a variety of ways to earn Sugarboy’s Scratch Points to use towards purchases. You earn 5 Sugarboy’s Scratch Points for every dollar spent at Sugarboysfibercreations.com.
Rewards Point Structure
500 Sugarboy's Scratch Points awarded to customers who sign-up for an account.
100 Sugarboy’s Scratch Points when you refer a friend to Sugarboy’s and a $10 coupon to the referred customer. The referrer will earn points when their friends make their first purchase.
100 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for your birthday.
10 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for following us on Facebook.
25 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for sharing of one of our products on Facebook.
10 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for following us on Instagram.
10 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for following us on Twitter.
25 Sugarboy's Scratch Points for your sharing of one of our products on Twitter.
Can I earn points when I shop in person?
You can also earn the same rewards dollar for dollar when you buy from Sugarboy's at shows if you have an account.
How do I redeem my Sugarboy’s Scratch Points?
To spend your Sugarboy's Scratch points, log in to your account. Click the tab to open Sugarboy's Scratch Loyalty Rewards. In the Loyalty Program pop-up, you will see your point balance. You will then see a button for "spend your points." Click this and any eligible rewards will show up in darker shade. Click on these options to redeem for a reward. If you still need to accrue more points, it will show you how many points are needed for the next reward.
Shipping
When will my order ship?
It depends. I pack orders typically the same business day for next day shipping. There are a few special cases where orders will take longer:
Marinated catnip toys.These take about 12 hours to marinate and another 24-36 hours to dry, depending upon the weather. It typically adds 1-2 days to shipping timeframe.
Made to Order/Preorders. Many of our Paca Pet Pouf Covers are Preorders, meaning that they are somewhere in the production process but not actually sewn and ready to ship. Custom Pooch Pouches are the same – they are typically ready to assemble but will require time to sew them. These and the covers typically ship within 7-10 days of when you place your order. Should your order take longer, you will be notified. All Pet Sweaters that are not ready to ship take 1-3 weeks to ship, depending upon the size of the sweater. The original product listing will give you an idea of the timeframe for that preorder, and I usually send a status update mid-way through your wait. You do have the ability to request a rush order on the sweaters for an added charge.
Custom Orders. If you request something we don’t routinely offer as part of our regular catalog selections, your order could take 2-6 weeks, occasionally longer, for your item to arrive. Orders like this often require additional design time, researching and procuring the materials needed for that special order (e.g., fabric, yarn). The key to a successful custom order is communication.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping costs depend on the weight of your package and whether it ships by first class or priority mail. All orders over 15 ounces ship by priority mail because USPS rates for parcel mail are about the same as priority mail (crazy, but true).
Do you offer free shipping?
All orders valued at $25 or higher ship free in the United States.
I think I was overcharged for shipping?
Shipping rates are based on package weight, but glitches do happen and we only charge actual shipping; we refund the difference. If you think your shipping rate is incorrect, email me at info@sugargboysfibercreations.com and I'll double check the weight of your order and will happily refund any overage.
Can you combine my orders?
Yes, absolutely! If you've already placed multiple orders and would like them combined with extra shipping refunded, email me at info@sugargboysfibercreations.com and let me know.
If you have an open order and want to place a new one, place your new order, email me at info@sugargboysfibercreations.com and let me know. This will signal me to look for your earlier order and I’ll refund you any overages.
International Orders
Do you ship to ….?
We ship everywhere! If you have a postal address anywhere on the globe, we can ship to you.
Will I be charged taxes or duties?
I am located in Alexandria, Virginia, in the U.S. If you also live in Virginia, I'll charge you sales tax.
If you live in a country other than the U.S., please note: If your country has a value-added tax (VAT), you are obligated to pay tax on your purchase. I do not include tax rates in my prices. I will offer this advice: Some international packages are not assessed VAT and delivered just as I ship them; however, you should be prepared for your package to be inspected and assessed VAT and/or import duties.
Refunds and Exchanges
What’s your refund policy?
It's important to me that you are completely delighted with your purchase. If you are not, you may return it (or exchange it) within 30 days for a full refund. This policy applies to everything we make EXCEPT custom orders and used products. All items must be new and in saleable condition. Buyer is responsible for return shipping unless there was an error on Sugarboy's part.
I received the wrong item (or) something is missing from my order.
I'm so sorry! Email me at info@sugarboysfibercreations.com and let me know about the shipping kerfuffle as soon as you can. I will send you the correct item(s) right away along with a postage-paid return envelope. I do my best to pack each order correctly, but mistakes can happen. I'll make it right as quickly as I can.
Product Care
Is my product machine washable?
I do everything possible to ensure colorfastness and to minimize color bleeding of our knitted and felted products. I follow best practices while dyeing to check and adjust pH levels, and I wash and rinse products fully after dyeing. For heavily saturated colors, I wash with synthrapol (a textile detergent that removes loose dye molecules) as an extra precaution. That said, the most powerful solvent is water and differences in water chemistry between my dye location and your home can be significant. Whether or not "bleeding" will happen depends on the difference in chemistry between your local water and mine. Washing and rinsing in cold water will help to minimize any potential bleeding. Care instructions are provided on every product description online and are included with your product(s) when they ship.
How should I care for my knitted item?
While most of my yarn bases are superwash, my experience is that your finished knitted item should be hand-washed or washed delicately in order to preserve color, longevity and size. I strongly recommend that you:
Hand-wash or machine wash delicate.
Use cold water.
Use a pH-neutral wool wash, e.g., Soak.
How should I care for my Paca Pet Pouf Pet Bed?
Please, listen to our advice, as we learned this the hard way and you have a few options, listed in order of preference:
The Pouf is machine washable provided you have a wool setting on a front-load washer; even delicate settings on machines agitate the fiber stuffing too much, resulting in felting FRICTION IS THE ENEMY with protein fibers! Air dry and the Pouf is ready for use again.
Hand soaking and machine spinning is otherwise the desired method. Air dry and the Pouf is ready for use again.
Top rack of the dishwasher on a delicate or top rack only setting, using Cascade or other detergent. Air dry and the Pouf is ready for use again.
Dry cleaning.
The cotton cover is machine wash and air dry.
If you prefer a crisp look, iron on a cotton setting.
Do you use natural dyes?
Of all the synthetic dye options available, Fiber Reactive Dyes (acid dyes) are the most permanent type of dyes, which is why I use them; they are the most colorfast and as such, the least likely to bleed or transfer color. There is an incredibly useful article on the pros and cons of synthetic versus natural dyes at Dharma Trading Company: https://www.dharmatrading.com/home/synthetic-vs-natural-dyes.html.
