"We ran across your Etsy store and reFurbished & RE:PLAY store while looking online for traditional ladies fur muffs available in Canada, something that we're having a frustratingly hard time finding. We were pretty excited to find your website — your work is beautiful and your use of recycled fur is a wonderful idea." Woohoo! Niche market!
My new customers are looking for a black muff with a neck strap and some zippered pockets, to be worn with a long black wool coat. I had originally thought of a red silky lining but the vintage buttons that I found that I like for the accents are silvery-blue, and I decided to go with a navy satin lining instead. I love the combination of navy and black, I think it's beautifully dramatic. And I'll make the strap adjustable - a thicker coat or a different collar can make a huge difference to the length of the strap, and I want her to be able to wear it with other coats if she wants to. So I finished yesterday's custom order, the Flower Power book bag, and have pieced together the fur for the muff from what used to be a truly hideous eighties nightmare of a coat that had alternating strips of fake leather (which was decomposing and producing a disgusting sticky residue) with strips of rabbit fur. I love taking something ugly and making it into beautiful things!
I was delighted to stumble over a bag of quilt batting when I was looking for something else last night - I thought I'd run out and was going to have to make a trip to Fabricland, but there it was tucked behind a chair. The only thing better than finding what you need accidentally is finding what you're looking for when you're looking for it.
Anyway, I've set my deadline for the end of the week. I have to sing at a wedding Saturday afternoon and I'd like to have the order done before then. I like to offer a quick turnaround time for custom orders whenever possible - it builds up good customer rapport and it forces me to get my ass in gear and get things finished instead of procrastinating.
Here's the finished flower power bag with a load of books in it for stress testing. I was undecided about adding a snap or buckle close, until I filled it and could see how it hangs. Because of the shape and depth of the bag, it slouches closed of its own accord. I'll let the customer decide though - she can wear it for a while and see if she wants me to add a close or not. I don't mind doing minor alterations after the sale, if it makes it a better bag for the wearer.
Happy crafting!
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