Merchandise Monday - Getting it Right

Last time I told you all about how I got started. Now, it's time to show you the first "failures" of my idea, haha! It sort of seems like many of the etsy shop owners have been working their magic forever, and just decided to start selling their products. I had an idea but no experience whatsoever in fabric dyeing, so I started with some research and then jumped right in.

Here are some of my first attempts...

 Not so great, right? LOL! My technique needed tweaking and I needed some practice. I also had to learn the art of creative patience, because this is just not one of those projects you can rush. Finally, I had a design I was ready to share with the world...

The purple swirl heart! I cannot tell you how excited I was about this one... and it's certainly been a favorite in my shop. I had three orders for this design within the first week of opening my shop. Pretty cool.

Of course, as part of the process, things were constantly evolving. I started out with the Gerber white onesies because they were cheap and really easy to find. Unfortunately, they are not at all true to size, and they were shrinking on me like crazy so I switched to Carter's brand onesies. They're much better quality, they hold up much better throughout the dyeing process, and they come in a wider array of sizes and styles.

As part of the evolution, I also made some design changes. When I'm not happy with an end result, it just won't do no matter what. Besides, I'm putting my name on these products and not only do I want people to like them, I want them to have the best of what I can offer. These were probably the two most drastic evolutions in design (originals on the left, updates on the right).

Quite a change, yes? LOL

Working with color was also fun, and as you can see from the sun onesies, things don't always go as planned. But, you try something else, and eventually it either works out or you just have to scrap it and go on to the next thing.

I read in an Etsy Sucess newsletter that your shop should be constantly evolving. I try to adhere to that as much as possible, not only to keep things fresh for my shoppers, but also to keep things from getting stale for me. :)

Speaking of fresh, I have our little bloggy here a facelift this weekend, I hope you like it as much as I do!


XOXO