When All the Fun Comes to an End

 print available at tamaragarvey

Sitting down after doing house work with my hubby, there are so many things going through my mind that I must sit down and write.  Last month was insane!  Not only did we have to come back from Bend but I had the biggest sales I have had, all in one month!  I made 60+ dresses in the past 5 weeks.  That is half of the production I have done in 5 months!  While it was a great month, I am not sure I was ready for it.  It took a toll on me and my family.  I had to apologize to my husband when I would be working when we should be relaxing as a family, and I reminded him that it was only temporary. And we made it through the month.

But now I am left with this next month.  I only had 3 sales last month on Etsy.  That is the lowest I have had!  If I wasn't busy with my other wholesale orders I think I would have cried, more... The truth is I am extremely effected about how my sales are doing on Etsy.  Because I feel like I put so much towards it and when I see little to no results, it makes me wonder why I am doing anything and that my work and I are no good.  I am getting better at this disappointment however.  Even though I did have a short bout of depression today, I feel like I am coming back with a vengeance this month.

I now have 30 people subscribed to my newsletter, most of which are not friends!  I have close to 100 people as fans on FaceBook and I have over 600 hearts on Etsy.  That all has to mean something right?  If I didn't have the love and support from all of these people, and the 3 people following my blog (love you), I would probably stop.

 this adorable number is available at dottyral

I love the clothes I make.  I love the fabrics, I love how modern they are.  However, a big thing I think that has hurt me is that I have had to raise my prices to be able to do wholesale and to be in stores.  HOWEVER!  There are so many shops on Etsy that are under priced.  I have come to realize that handmade luxury is going to be a little more than Gap or Old Navy, but what you are supporting is beyond that $10 savings.  For me you are allowing me to be a stay at home mom so that I can teach my daughter to be a moral and upright citizen, we are saying NO to the man, and you are getting a piece of work that was made with love and thought and will make you and everyone who sees it smile, because its different!

So all in all I am going to take the advice of other successful Etsians and just don't give up on the slow times.  I think that things will come around.

New fabrics to debut this month.

Whats in store this month?  I hope to get my fabric at a wholesale price, I want to make boys ties, I want to make pin cushions, a new line up of fabrics, I want to make skirts, and I want wholesale orders and etsy orders.  A little too much for one month?  Maybe, but lets try to be productive shall we?  I got great advice this week, "Work like a professional, don't wait for the the mood to strike."  Lets get to it!