Musings on an Etsy shop

Long time readers will know that in the recent past I used to run a little Etsy shop.  It was also called Second Fiddle, you can check it out over here.  I originally started it with the intention of selling handmade things, but with vet school and real life getting in the way, I ended up selling mainly vintage.  It was never hugely successful but then I never really wanted or needed it to be, I wanted a bit of extra cash to spend on presents and craft things and the satisfaction of knowing that somewhere out there someone is wearing something I sold them.



Now that vet school is done and real life can begin in earnest, I'd planned to restart the shop, selling handmade things this time the way I'd always intended.  I knocked up a few items as prototypes, to see what would sell, but now I've got a job and time is tight, I'm finding my interest in selling has waned. 



One of my friends, Frances of Lapin Gris Crafts has had some success selling at crafts fairs, so I've been pondering trying some next year.  To be honest though, the more I think about it, the more I want to just focus on crafting for me.  I really want to learn how to make clothes and master the art of refashioning, I love making presents for people and I'm really enjoying the sudden arrival of multiple babies in my life, baby crafting is both adorable and super fast!  What little time I have to craft, I want to be focusing on making things for myself, friends and family, not random strangers over the internet.  I really admire people who sew or knit for a living and find the whole process of setting up your own craft business really fascinating but if I'm honest with myself, it's not one of my life goals any more.  I used to dream of being a vet 4 days a week and running a successful Etsy shop 1 day a week but it would take far more than 1 day a week of work to make that dream a reality. 



At the point I'm at now, I want to settle down and make peace with what I have in life.  I feel like I've spent the past 10 years of my life desperate for the next phase to begin; at school desperate to go to uni, at uni desperate to start vet school, at vet school desperate to have a job.  Now I have a job and I'm desperate for the next phase to start, to be able to move back to Edinburgh and buy a house and get married and just generally take life a bit more slowly.  It's silliness, I'm going to wake up one day 50 years old and wonder where my life went! 



So I'm shutting up shop for the foreseeable future.  Maybe at some point I'll get back into selling, if I can't work as a vet for whatever reason, but for the moment I want to concentrate on crafting for myself, friends and family ♥

Tartan tablet case

 

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a little teaser photo of this project a few days back.  Well, now is the time for the big reveal...drumroll...it's a tablet case from thrifted tartan wool!



When I shut my Etsy shop down just before finals, I had a few items left to deal with.  Some went to friends, some went to charity and some I kept for myself.  This red tartan ladies kilt was definitely a keeper, being 100% wool fabric and made in Scotland.  I thought maybe it might become cushion covers, but when Andrew lent me his tablet to take down south with me to visit my folks, I knew I'd need to make it a cover so I didn't accidentally scratch it.  I'd just inherited several old Ikea fleece blankets from an emigrating friend and it was a match made in heaven.



The tartan is manly enough that Andrew can take it to work with him without embarrassment (the ditsy floral print that was my second choice wasn't as versatile...) and it whipped up so easily I may just make some more for my Etsy shop, once it gets going.  I'm now up to 6 mobile socks, I reckon 4 more of them and 10 tablet/ipad covers and I'll be good to go!

Knitted mobile socks

It's been pretty busy here at Chez Taylor-Dyce, between the dog, the chickens, helping a friend emigrate, helping a friend immigrate and sorting my flat (we had a flood through a bookcase so currently all the books in the flat are in piles around the living room.  Oh, and I gave my desk away now I don't need it anymore, leading to a resort and clean of my study for the first time in 4 years.  Boy, there is a LOT of crap in that tiny room...)



So, in between times I've needed something quick and simple to knit in front of endless re-runs of the American Office.  I love that show to pieces, I've watched each episode at least 5 times, it's really quite tragic.  Since I'm low on money and high on time at the moment, I figured I might restart my Etsy shop, this time just focusing on handmade things.  I want to stock maybe 4 designs to begin with, something that I can make relatively quickly so I'm not making a ridiculous loss on my time and something I can make to a relatively professional standard.  So basically, nothing with zips.



For the moment, I've settled on mobile socks for my first design, using a super simple cable pattern my Mum taught me years ago.  I can knock one out in about 2 hours, using stash wool and buttons.  That's another restriction I've placed on myself for the shop, I can only use fabric or wool from my stash.  I'm planning a stash amnesty post soon where I show the true extent of my hoarding but to be honest, I'm scared that some of you are going to be put off my blog thinking I'm some kind of obsessive-compulsive packrat so I'm saving that for a braver day.



These four little socks are the first trials of my 'design' (by 'design' I mean, 'knitted rectangle').  I especially like the heather green sock, that was a ball of vintage wool from my stash, complete with price tag in pre-metric money.



These have yet to be blocked, which is why they look more wonky than rectangular, but I like the look already.  The last grey photo is with a mobile inside, so you can see how snuggly warm and protected your mobile would be!

Summer plans

I'm sorry dear readers, but I have nothing exciting to say at the moment, so I'm going to decorate this post with pretty pictures from my Pinterest. I'm deep in Study Land, emerging only to purchase over-priced cups of tea and glower at the ridiculously overdressed women in George Square library. Someone needs to tell them that appropriate clothing for studying is old jeans, bodywarmer (it gets cold in the library), cable knit cardigan (aforementioned coldness) and glasses. Pashminas, super-short miniskirts, over-done make up and Uggs have no place in the library, for no other reason than you annoy the hell out of me. Especially when you conduct 20 minute 'whispered' conversations with your BFF about how 'my art history exams are like, sooo hard'. I'm going to be super judgemental right now and just out and state, vet medicine = harder than art history. So take your annoying stage whisper downstairs to the cafe.

Source: coletterie.com via Amy on Pinterest

I honestly don't have a problem with art history, just for the record.

Source: purlbee.com via Amy on Pinterest

The online craft world has changed so much in the few weeks I've been offline. Blogger has changed, Pinterest has changed...alright, just those two but that's enough to be getting on with. I'm so far behind with my blogroll and Pinterest, so many pretty pictures and posts just waiting to be looked at! In time, little Amy, in time...

Source: rufflesandrosescrafts.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

In the meantime, this is to officially announce that my Etsy shop is no more. I'm away on my last 3 weeks of placement (eeh! So exciting!) next week so I've taken the opportunity to shut it down for good. I might come back to selling on Etsy in the future but under a different name and with a different product idea so for the moment, Etsy, I bid you adieu.

Source: aforestofapples.blogspot.co.uk via Amy on Pinterest

The Pinterest pictures in this post are my vague plans for 'if I don't have a job and have time to have a life this summer'. Looks like fun, non?

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Amy on Pinterest

Almost finished item

It's been a long time coming, but the Coraline cardigan is almost finished! You can see my first post on it back in January 2011, and susequent work in progress posts in February (the body) and March (the sleeves). According to my Ravelry though, I first bought this pattern and wool back in October 2010! That's a long time coming indeed!



Well, it is currently blocking on my kitchen floor, though I'm getting impatient so I'm going to move it through to Tron's room, where it's a balmy 20 degrees C. I'm a bit worried that the wet towel will damage the wood floorboards, so some technical jiggery pokery involving bin bags might be in order. I want it to be ready this weekend so Andrew can take a photo of me wearing it so I can show it off to the world! In Ysolda's version she buttons it at the top but personally I think that looks a bit silly on me so I'm going to do one button just below the bust. People with little boobs need to do all they can to enhance and show them off, know what I'm sayin'?



By the by, this is what happens when you soak New Lanark wool in your white bathroom skin. Thank goodness it washed off, we might be moving over the summer and Andrew would not be pleased with me if I lost us the deposit by staining the sink. I've already stained the wood floor in the lounge when I attempted to make elderberry wine...

In other news, I'm in the process of shutting down my Etsy shop. As I've already discussed on here, I've not got the time or inclination to dedicate to the shop at the moment and once I (hopefully) graduate and (hopefully) get a job I'll be wanting to spend my free time crafting and thrifting for me and my friends and family, rather than for the shop. It's been fun over the last few years and has made me a fair few pennies for treats while I've been a student but I feel like it's naturally run its course. I wouldn't rule out doing it again in the future (with a proper camera this time!) but for the moment it's going to Etsy heaven. I've already deleted the facebook and twitter accounts, sold Veronica and in the process of ebaying the last items from the shop so soon it will be no more. If anyone of my 'real life' friends fancies anything from the shop, just have a looksie and let me know. Some of it I'll happily just give you, some I might be keeping myself, others I might want a few pounds for to cover my costs but either way, it'll be a bargain for you!

Vintage floral cotton fat quarters

A few more new additions to the shop, this time some vintage cotton floral fat quarter bundles. I love making these up, there's something so satisfying about all the cutting, ironing, folding and bundling, especially seeing them all sitting side-by-side at the end. These three are the only ones that have string at the moment (mental note: must buy more twine) so I've got another six bundles to list in the shop.













I love imagining all the lovely projects people will be making with my fat quarters...

Assissnation of JFK

Remember last week I mentioned some vintage newspapers I'd picked up for the Etsy shop? Well, I've listed one of them, it's from 4 days after the asssissnation of JFK.



It's not in the best condition, as you can see from the photos, but I couldn't resist all the same, it's so exciting to have a piece of world history in your hand! It's a Scottish newspaper as well, which I really like because it fits in with the Scottish slant of my shop.



I had some trouble with the photographs, the weather here in Edinburgh has suddenly turned very autumnal, it's pouring down with rain and yesterday was foggy so the light isn't the best. I'm still having trouble getting Andrew's camera to focus properly as well, everything comes out slightly out of focus, it's very frustrating.



There's something a bit morbid about selling this newspaper I think, like I'm profiting off someone else's death. I thought about just keeping it, it's a really interesting thing just to have, but I bought it for the shop and so into the shop it goes.



I figured in some ways, it wouldn't be fair for me to keep it anyway, I'm not American, I wasn't alive at the time of the assissination, I'm not especially interested in history (beyond the occasional documentary on TV and a love of Philippa Gregory books) and so I'm sure there are people out there to whom this newspaper will hold so much more meaning.



You can check it out in the shop over here.

Ephemera

It's been a while since I've added anything new to the Etsy shop. Time for some thrifting I feel!



I found these amazing little photographs at a car boot sale last week, the people from Unicorn Antiques had a stall and I bought these photos, 3 antique newspapers and a funny old 'bond and disposition in security' paper. I've yet to work out what the last one is, but it's heading for the shop once I do.



I'm swithering on whether to list the newspapers or not, one is from the assissination of JFK, one is the day before the second world war officially broke out and one dates to 1900. I want to keep them really, but the whole point of buying them was for the shop so we'll see which side wins, the pack rat side or the sensible side!



Anyway, you can check out the listing for the photographs over here.

Second Fiddle front page!

Nothing more to be said other than...

SECOND FIDDLE MADE IT TO THE FRONT PAGE OF ETSY!!



I know I should be acting all cool and nonchalant but this is awesome! See that grey vintage wool cardigan on the bottom right there? That's this little guy!

Two new in store

A small Etsy shop update for y'all.

Vintage pastel lacy sweater



Vintage rose knitted sweater



Welcome to the shop little pretties!

Little shop update

I'm having the hardest time with my camera at the moment, the batteries are definitely dying, I have to charge them pretty much every time I switch the camera on. I switch it on, take 5 photos, upload them, switch it off, then next time I need it - 'batteries exhausted'. Queue much sweating, cursing and gnashing of teeth (or bruxism if you'd like the nerdy veterinary term) while I fight the inclination to throw the damned thing out the window, since I can't afford to replace it any time soon.

Sigh.


Vintage grey wool cardigan, made in Great Britain



Hence, the latest addition to the shop is somewhat grey and grainy, after about 57 attempts to get a good photo (with many battery chargings in the meantime) I gave up and just went with the best I could find. I often wonder in these cases if it's better to just not list the item at all, than list it with a sub-par photo and possibly put people off my shop altogether since it makes the whole venture look somewhat amateur. But for the moment, if I didn't list every item with a rubbish photo, I'd have a pretty much empty shop so I'll just grin and bear it. I'm still making the occasional sale so it can't be all bad!

Only 3 more days to enter my 50 Etsy sales giveaway!

Latest Etsy update

Here's a few of the latest pretties to end up in the shop. It was pretty hard to part with the fairisle cardigan but in Andrew's words "you have too much knitwear already". You can never have too much knitwear when you live in Scotland love!

Don't forget to enter the 50 Etsy sales giveaway!. You've got just over a week to do it!

Vintage fairisle Scottish cardigan. Check out those awesome clasps!



Vintage fairisle sweater vest.



Vintage floral pussy bow blouse



Vintage red abstract pattern dress



Hand made autumnal print dress



Vintage floral brown sweater



Vintage pinstripe handkerchief with Parisian buildings





Vintage paisley handkerchief

Another one in the shop

Just a quick one this afternoon, piles of studying calls, le sigh. I have however, finally finished the vintage tweed jacket relining project, what an epic saga that's been! Just waiting on some decent light to take a photo to show it off to you all!



I managed to lose my last crochet hook, meaning progress on the two wedding blankets has ground to a halt for the moment. I know I should be rushing because one of them was actually due 2 weeks ago (oops) but it's actually been quite liberating not having to craft for other people this weekend. I've finally had a chance to get on with some of my own projects, namely the aforementioned jacket and the cardigan. I also finally got round to putting together a scrapbook of all the cards, photos, ticket stubs and whatnot I've been hoarding over the past 6 years, it's nothing special but it's a nice way of keeping all those things in one place, in (rough) chronological order for the future. I've been meaning to do it for ages and not had a chance so it's been quite a productive weekend all in!



You can check out the listing for this set of vintage handkerchiefs over here.

Just one in the shop

Just a wee shop update today, I was planning on blitzing through the 10 or so items I've got waiting to be photographed for the shop but after spending a frustrating hour or so trying to get decent photos in the grey nothingness light produced by almost 3 days of solid rain, I've decided to give up and go back to studying.



Still, I managed to get photos of this awesome 1980s Icelandic coat before I threw in the towel in a rage.



Don't forget to enter my 50th Etsy sale giveaway before Sunday 3rd July! It's open to international readers too!