I am SO excited right now!!! I made my first Etsy Treasury today. Treasuries are member created shopping galleries organized along a common theme. My Tropical Waters scarf is featured, appropriately, in "Colors of the Tropics." Visit the listing!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=96149
Just had to share.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Etsy
As I have been working to set up my Etsy store I have been confronted with questions that have not always been easy to answer; searching for answers has lead me to discover some interesting things.
O.K. off my soap box now to the fun stuff!
Pretty things that I am working on, some of which are in my Etsy store.
This was one of the scarves that started the current series, it showed me what types of things I could get away with. I named it Tropical Waters because it reminds me of water reflecting the shoreline vegetation, and it was made at the August height of the Florida heat, when water (and cooling off) was high on my priority list.
Photographing these scarves (and editing the photos) is proving to be almost as much work as making them. I have tried to get the colors as acurately as possible, but I have yet to capture the visual texture to my liking. They are just so much more alive in person.
This scarf was an unexpected success. I kept over dyeing it and I was never quite satisfied, it just was too boring. At 90 inches long it is by far longer than the other pieces I work with. Then I had a brain storm, I did a variant of pole wrapped shibori (Japanese Tie-dye in a very general sense) and instead of adding dye I used a dye remover.
First I looked at why I am so attracted to the idea of small business. On first brush it was easy, I like working with people and big box stores employees tend to be there only for the pay check, not because they like working with people. I wanted to be closer to the top of the chain, not at the very tail end of an epic distribution line.
Working with small business all my life and working for them since I was 16 has really warped how I think of retail. I mean, my parents still go to a small butcher who sells local meat, rather a rarity in this Sam's Club world.
While looking into small business practices The 3/50 Project came to my attention. It is based on the idea that if you spend $50 dollars a month at 3 local business you can seriously impact their wellbeing. Please just take a few moments to look at their information, it could keep some of your favorite stores open. Spread the word.

O.K. off my soap box now to the fun stuff!
Pretty things that I am working on, some of which are in my Etsy store.
Photographing these scarves (and editing the photos) is proving to be almost as much work as making them. I have tried to get the colors as acurately as possible, but I have yet to capture the visual texture to my liking. They are just so much more alive in person.
This scarf was an unexpected success. I kept over dyeing it and I was never quite satisfied, it just was too boring. At 90 inches long it is by far longer than the other pieces I work with. Then I had a brain storm, I did a variant of pole wrapped shibori (Japanese Tie-dye in a very general sense) and instead of adding dye I used a dye remover.
Boy did that idea stink, literally, but it was SO worth it for this rich texture. Just next time I need to remember to iron it on the patio...
I really adore this scarf. It is a silk gauze with a rayon velvet pile and it is just so very soft. I saw scarves similar to this in Liberties of London last summer and fell in love. When I dyed this one it was the perfect combination of deep green and this rich bronze. The leaves look brown until the light hits it just right, then they blaze a warm gold.
Originally I was going to steam out the fringe, to lay it nice and flat again, but then after seeing it for a few days the slightly tangled, crimped texture grew on me. Fringe always tangles, and this just looked so much more natural with the scarf that I chose to crimp and curl it some more.
I am going back to editing photos now. Enjoy.
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