All right, we’re in full-on development mode now.
The first order of felt arrived last week and I couldn’t have been happier. It was recycled sweater felt (take a wool sweater, wash it till it shrinks, make something with it and sell me the scraps). I bought a bag of small scraps which are the perfect size for my mini-projects. This way I was able to get so many more colors and textures – each piece is so very different. I just love the depth and variation of color in this felt... it really is lovely to work with.
I spent the weekend making barrettes and am finally going to show them to my friend with the store to see if she wants to carry them. I’ve been very encouraged by the response I’ve gotten from everyone I’ve showed so far – I think I’d have lots of buyers even if it doesn’t work out to put them in the store. And I get more for them if I sell them myself, too.
The second batch of felt that I had ordered came in last night. I was sadly disappointed. I mean, its nice stuff (100% wool in nice bright colors) but it just pales in comparison to the sweater felt I have been working with. I think the sweater felt is just more “me” if you know what I mean. Thankfully, it’s exceedingly less expensive to buy the sweater felt, so I’m glad I didn’t fall in love with the expensive stuff.
My mom came over last night with some wool that my grandma had carded. One piece had been the stuffing for a quilt that mom took apart and it’s probably been washed so it’s partially felted already. The other stuff is lovely fluffy wool that I’ll need to felt. Now I need to figure out how to dye wool and then I’m set for life on supplies. I’m pretty nostalgic about grama – she was a pretty special person to us, so it’ll be good to be able to use her felt. I’ll be pretty careful with it, to be darn sure.
The bird design that looked so cute on paper was a complete flop in real life. I couldn’t figure out how to embroider the beak and the whole thing turned out pretty shapeless. I’ve given up on the bird for now. I’ll think on it some more. The monster design has to be my favourite. I can be as goofy and colorful as I want. I’ve got 2 of those already, and a third one in the works. The hearts work well – I figure little girls will like those, and I finally figured out a flower design I like. The leaves also worked out really well – especially after the first one and I realized I need to space the stitches out farther. These appeal more to adults (to buy) to be worn by any age. There are a couple of funny ones – like the heart that is just plain red (ok, in a lovely soft wool) but when you look at it up close you see that it is a broken heart, and also there’s a bone – like Pebbles used to wear in her hair. I don’t know if anyone will “get” those two, but they make me smile. I am for sure making a bone for my baby. My goal was to have a dozen completed by the end of the weekend and I think I at least did that.
I wasn’t originally thinking of selling on etsy but might consider it now, since what it turns out I am making (you never know what it is going to look like until you start) is significantly different from what is already available. We’ll see. I’m not at that stage yet. Next step, sell some stuff and make more inventory. In no particular order.