New features for Etsy sellers

Etsy has recently announced some exciting new features for sellers: Etsy gift cards and Listing Variations, which will allow customers to pick customization options on an item if available, such as colour or size.

Too bad neither feature is available to sellers outside the U.S. Considering 95% of my customers are Americans, I'm eagerly awaiting for these features to be rolled out to international sellers.

Holiday Shopping Deadlines

Yes, it's time to start thinking about Christmas. Canada Post has posted their suggested mailing deadlines for online shopping. Here's a summary, for regular air:
Canada: Dec. 10
USA: Dec. 10
All other regions: Nov. 30

Shop local! New items recently stocked at Wisedaughters and Jinks Art Factory. I also take requests for custom orders.

Abbey Cats Adoptions, the cat rescue agency for which I volunteer, is having a

Black Tie Event

Adopt Black or Black and White or White with Black Kittens!!!

July 30 - August 12, 90.00 for 2 (That's 11.25/Paw)

These sweet, hard to place yet loving kittens are seeking happy homes and families to live out their lives.

Will you save a pair of loving kittens?

Provide all necessities: Food, shelter, comfort and companionship; add love to the mix and you'll have the perfect recipe for 24/7 entertainment and kitty-love.

Costs less than a day at the theme park and the benefits you reap go on for years.

And another benefit... you help us to rescue more cats & kittens

Craft show this week-end

It's been a while since I've participated in a craft show. This coming Saturday (July 21), I'll be at the Toronto Etsy Street Team Handmade Marketplace. This show features sellers from the Toronto Etsy Street Team, of which I am a member. The team works to promote fellow Toronto handmade crafters, artists, craft suppliers and vintage sellers.

See the list of vendors here.

New Skirt: New Look 6981

Finally got around to making a skirt from this pattern, New Look 6981, from which I had already made a top. It was very quick and easy to make. The only change I made was that the instructions called for a lapped zipper but I did an invisible one instead.

New top

New Look 6981:

This top should have been quick and easy to make but I had some trouble with the draped/cowl neckline. The instructions didn't make sense to me at all so I ended up doing what made sense to me, and it turned out ok. Despite that, I was able to make it fairly quickly - there is just the front and back, and armhole bands, which give it a nice finished look. The fabric is a light weight knit which drapes quite nicely. I came across it while shopping for fabric for a skirt (in progress!) and thought it would be nice for a more dressy top. It's beige with a bit of sparkle in it - fancy!

Current sewing projects

When my local Fabricland closed last year, I took advantage of their sale to purchase lots of patterns, which I'm only now starting to work on. This tunic is New Look's 6677. I found a really nice lightweight cotton, making this an ideal sleeveless tunic for summer. This pattern includes different variations of the same tunic, allowing for lots of personal customization.

Love the split side seam (very comfy) and the

detail of the front neckline panels. It was fairly quick and

easy to make, except the front neckline panels were a bit

tricky because I hadn't made them like that before; it meant

some careful lining up - pay attention

to those dots on the pattern!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next up, some skirts and a top from New Look's 6981.