A Day Late and a Towel Short

I have to say, I did not intend to be away from here for so long after my last post. I even had a few posts in my drafts that I had started writing, filled with witty commentary, genius insights and random musings as I went about my crafty business. You’ll just have to imagine how funny and informative they were now because it appears that even WordPress had given up hope of my return and deleted my abandoned posts. So often I make mental notes of things I want to talk about throughout my process of creating, only to completely forget what I was going to say or what breakthrough I had in understanding my relationship with textiles by the time I sit down to type it all out. Those lost posts were my attempt to write down my mental notes as they came to me so that I could revisit and elaborate on them later, but alas… the best laid plans and all that. I may need to come up with a better solution for storing my scribbles, or look into my draft settings to make sure I’m not doing this to myself. I am woefully technologically impaired – the fact that I even have this blog at all is a combination of luck, trial and error, and determination. But I will continue to stumble along.

I had intended to post here at the beginning of October, but never managed to sit down and complete my thoughts, so it is with a complete lack of finesse and with very poor timing that I would love to share with you that I have opened a small Etsy shop in order to sell my handwoven towels and other creations. When I first started thinking about creating a “brand” for myself back in July, it was for the dual purpose of creating this space for me to blather on about my projects as well as to allow me to create my own unique presence for purposes of labeling and marketing my items. When we moved to Spring Creek 10 months ago, one of the things I loved (and still love) about this small community was that there was a small pop-up market at the general store down the road every Sunday for local vendors to sell their handmade goods. As I began to explore weaving more and more, I started to consider that maybe if I were able to build up a small inventory of kitchen towels and other items, I could sell a few things at the market as well. I’m the sort who generally looks at my handmade items and thinks “no, it’s not good enough” “it’s not perfect” “nobody would ever pay for something like this” and so I tucked that thought into the back of my mind for some day.

Then when I started sharing my woven towels on Facebook, there was a bit of interest from some kind friends who asked if I sell them or whether I had an Etsy shop. It’s an inevitable suggestion that every crafter gets eventually – “you should open an Etsy shop!” And I’ve heard that supportive comment over and over throughout the years, but I have always been hesitant to do so. To begin with, it felt very self-indulgent to think that what I create would garner any interest from other people. Additionally, with the cost of materials, taxes, fees, shipping, time spent producing items… I had always convinced myself that no one would ever buy my items for what they’re worth. Mind you, my intention here is not to create a “business” or make a wild profit, but the more I thought about it, I could see the value in having an Etsy shop merely for the ability to share my items with those who are interested and to make back the cost of materials + a small amount for my time.

I spent the summer and fall sourcing labels and packaging materials, and at the beginning of October I was finally ready to open my shop and list 20 towels for sale. I anticipated that I would sell maybe one or two towels, and the rest would go into a bin as I built up my inventory to begin selling at the local market in the spring. I cannot even begin to explain to you how shocked, amazed, and humbled I was to have SOLD OUT within two weeks of posting my towels on Etsy. I really do have the most amazing and supportive friends and family!

You’ve seen hints of these towels in previous posts, but I was feeling very “of the season” when designing and weaving these towels and wanted to celebrate the colors of Autumn as well as pay homage to my husband’s favorite holiday. I really loved the way all of these towels turned out, and I anticipate I will be revisiting those striped twills several times in the future with different colorways. The fabric has such a soft, smooth hand and I love how simple and clean they look. The Halloween towels were much bolder and more intricate in the design and I love how striking the black weft was against the vibrant stripes in the warp.

So not only am I posting this announcement almost two months late, but also at a time when I have nothing available to purchase. But with the winter holidays around the corner, I am working hard to weave up another collection of towels to list in the shop. I will have a set of “wintry” towels that remind me of icicles, as well as a small run of more Christmas-y towels in red and green for those who celebrate. I have a lot of work left to do before these are ready to go, but keep an eye out if interested! Based on the number of people who have already contacted me and claimed towels before they are even done, I have a feeling these won’t last long either.

Lastly, this blog for me is about so much more than just announcing shop updates or drawing traffic. While I will mention my Etsy shop here every once in a while, in the context of talking about the projects I am working on, the primary purpose of this space is simply for me to document and share the crafts I am working on for myself, for my loved ones, and sometimes for sale. A link to my Etsy shop will always be available in the “Contact” section of this blog.

Until next time, stay creative.