Meet Etsy Artist: CherryLime

I'm a sucker for all things Asian - and found this next artist's idea for tub teas right up my alley...
"At present I live in Dallas with my husband, my Singer 503a Rocketeer, my serger, my grandmother's machine, and my dress form Elanor. It's a rather cramped life but I enjoy it," Alicia jokes. She first learned how to sew through watching her mother. "Honestly, I learned more what not to do than anything else," she says. "My mom is a wonderful person, but not so mechanically inclined." She also took lessons in junior high and found a mentor. "A friend's mom really gave me the foundation I needed and so, when I found myself doodling designs in college, I was able to take my first steps into turning those sketches into reality," she explains. "I'm currently a graduate student and sewing for my shop gives me a chance to get outside the books and spend some time just creating; an outlet I desperately need in such a cerebral environment." She enjoys creating her designs and pattern drafting so much that she jokes she has to be careful to make sure she follows her projects through. "I have a bad habit of drafting, doing a trial version, liking it, and then moving on to another idea," she admits. Her background in architectural drafting has helped her immensely. "If nothing else, (it) taught me to add measurements correctly," she quips. Her inspiration often comes from the fabric itself. "Fabric tends to speak - no, shout - at me when I pass it in the fabric store," she says. "I love the feel and smell of it all. Colors inspire me and I love seeing how different colors mix and meld when put together in a robe." She is also inspired by every day fashion, which she describes as "what people are really wearing in my less fashionable world." A lot of her pieces have an Oriental feel, which accentuates the spa aspect of her plush robes and calming tub teas. Right now Etsy is a hobby and she uses the supplemental income for an occasional night on the town - or even to purchase fabric for her students from low-income families. "Be nice," she advises her fellow Etsians. "That's never a bad idea." Well said! Please check out her shop: http://cherrylime.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Seamstress & Artist: BeckyKayDesigns

Becky Kay and her husband have a four year old son, who "keeps (them) very busy. He never stops talking and likes to make up documentaries about sharks and dinosaurs." Aside from being a busy Mom and wife, Becky has been hand sewing boutique style purses for two years. "I absolutely cannot sit still and like to keep my hands and/or mind busy all the time. I come from a family of crafters, so I guess it is in my blood. My mother, sister, sister-in-law and I all participate in craft shows together. In fact, we are opening another Etsy shop together called She Made It! (We just need to get our stuff photographed and listed." She describes her purses as quite simple and functional. "I'm not a big fan of all the frou-frou stuff. Where I go nuts, is on the fabric! I love bright, bold patterns and playing with color combinations." She also

plans to try needle felting. She does Etsy because she "loves it, but also treats it as a business." While it's not currently her full-time job, she hopes to make Etsy her career. "I would love to have consistent sales," she admits. "My immediate goal would be to get up to about five sales a week and just increase from there." She advises her fellow Etsy sellers "promote, promote, promote! Etsy is not a place where you can list your stuff, and then sit back and wait for it to sell. You have to let the world know that you are out there." Please check out her shop: http://beckykaydesigns.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/