So I decided to open up an Etsy Shop (official launch in July). It will feature both handmade pet accessories and home goods; I figured that I should utilize my design skills, my desire to make tangible stuff, and my love of my dog into a singular hobby that I can share with the world at an oh-most-affordable price. Initially, I’m going to make dog bandanas and collars using fabric I find pretty cool and fashionable — essentially chic (in my eyes) patterns that have a young, New York or Los Angeles sensibility. Hell, after my freelance design stint at Macy’s fashion department, I’m trying to reestablish myself as someone “who works in the fashion industry” — albeit for dogs. Eventually, I want to transition into home accessories, like glassware and pillows, but with a sardonic “I’m a graphic designer” or “I’m in the creative tech industry” sense of humor.
So, sewing is pretty fucking easy:
I learned to sew with a simple needle and thread at a very early age, thanks to my mom. Between her earliest job as a work-from-home medical transcriber and a stay-at-home mother, she would mend clothes and sew in her free time. At age 4 or so, I watched her repair a shirt or pair of pants, and it was then that she taught me to sew by hand.
In 6th grade, my classmates and I took a home economics class as part of a rotating curriculum of lifestyle courses (art, shop, and computers were also included). It was there in home ec that I learned how to properly use a sewing machine. I remember our first project was to create a standard, square-shaped throw pillow, and I recall that my teacher Mrs. Schwartz applauded at such a fine looking pillow (for what it’s worth). I think I even kept that pillow throughout high school.
The pillow was a constant reminder to press the sewing machine pedal and stitch forward then backward to create a secure closure (a back-stitch).
I think with my most basic knowledge of operating a sewing machine, my aesthetic as a print and web designer, and my fascination with social media trends, I can probably profit a few bucks. Wish me luck.