etsy shop expansion

I’ve expanded my Etsy shop! Now alongside my classic custom pet portraits, I also have some cardigans/sweaters, and spring coats for sale! I’ve been enjoying making these so much, and I have many more on the way.

The hardest part of this entire new endeavor has been setting prices. I’ve always tried to keep my prices as low as possible (to my detriment — I’ve never hit the minimum wage mark with my custom work!), but with this project I needed to actually start charging for my time and the material (the prices are still low for the amount of hours put into them).

this long, boho cardigan is currently my most expensive piece; from the material cost to the hours I put into washing and combing the vintage cotton trim, and putting it all together. The design, material, and color combo is just gorgeous!! I imagined it being used for something special, like an elopement wedding 🤍

In this fast fashion world, where companies are out there charging $6 for a polyester cardigan created in a sweatshop, I’m aiming to create some slow fashion garments, hopefully to be enjoyed for years instead of days or weeks!

Most of my material is vintage, thrifted, and/or repurposed, and each piece is lovingly made by yours truly. I even got some custom tags for all of them, which is super satisfying to sew on at the end. It makes it feel that much more ✨professional✨

I’ve been sewing as a hobby since I got my first sewing machine from “Santa” when I was four or five years old, and some of you have seen my many creative projects throughout the years.

On my blog I’ve shared dresses, skirts, lounge pants, outfits made from vintage bedsheets, and have altered my fair share of thrift-shop finds.

I’m excited to start sharing some of these projects with others, and to be able to make some more income alongside what I make from my custom pet portrait work!

this cardigan is part of my Cat Collection; there will be six different cats in total (four are currently finished and available in my shop!)

this cardigan is made from a vintage cotton bedspread; the colors and material of this one are so beautiful and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t tempted to keep it!

whether you wear this cardigan to a pride event, or just buy it for its bright and cheerful colors, it’s soft and comfortable for daily wear!

Some of you may notice that my shop isn’t currently too diverse with size options, and if you’re looking for a size that would fit you, but can’t find one, I apologize! There are a couple reasons for the lack of diversity at the moment:

1. While I’m starting out on this new journey, I’m only comfortable with making garments that I can personally try on, model, and wear. This way I’m able to give accurate depictions and descriptions of what I’m offering. Maybe in the future, if I continue to offer these items, I’ll be able to branch out into smaller and larger sizes!

2. A lot of the material I’m getting right now is from a limited source. Most of these cardigans currently available are made out of vintage blankets, and in most cases, I use up the entire blanket to make the size S/M cardigan that I have listed. So until I’m able to find more material, I can’t offer anything larger!

BUT I do give accurate measurements on each listing for each cardigan/coat/sweater, so please look at those before you trust the generic sizing! Most of my current pieces seem to be a roomy/oversized size small, or a more fitted size medium, but in some cases the sizing may vary!