(etsy) new handmade items in the shop

I'm going to regret staying up this late when I have to get up for my day job tomorrow morning, but it was worth it to get some new items updated in the shop!  I'm pretty excited about this batch of updates.

That polka dot number is my ideal skirt: tight at the waist, open hips, a full shape that screams retro beauty queen and a print that will never go out of style.  It's a feminine shape that would work great for the office, church, date night, or brunch.

The triangle tunic is a perfect summer piece because it's think, loose, and you can throw it on without requiring accessories or layers.  The pattern speaks for itself'; it's light and breezy and those teals, oranges and pinks are basically the official colors of summertime.

The abstract printed tunic on the bottom left is a personal favorite, so much that I made one to keep for myself.  The fabric is a dream- it's thin and moves lightly against the skin, making it a great dress for dancing (in my opinion).  I looked into the Impressionist print and it's quite similar to Monet's 1914 painting Water Lilies, Red.  Like the triangle tunic, this print needs very little accessories as it stands out well on its own.

The tote bag on the bottom right is a tragedy turned triumph.  I picked up a skirt for myself on a recent thrifting trip and it wasn't until I got home that I saw the huge stain running the length of the side seam.  I was first drawn to the print itself so I salvaged as much as I could and turned it into this charming little tote which- between you and me- is cuter than the original skirt ever was.  

Stitch Craft Vintage Shop Tour

I thought it would be fun to give you a quick tour around the shop! My local shop is located inside the Beach Blvd Flea Market in Jacksonville, FL.  It's not the most traditional setting but I've put so much work into making it look less like a market stall and more like a legitimate, semi-permanent boutique. 

We sell vintage and handmade clothing for women in the shop.  In our vintage section we currently carry women's dresses, blouses, skirts, and sweaters, as well as the occasional vintage t-shirt (there are some good ones out there!).  Our handmade selection includes tunics, dresses, skirts and kimonos in unique prints and patterns.

Newly acquired vintage is displayed on a rack at the front of the store, making it easy for a returning customer to see what's new since her last visit.  Every once in a while we pick up a piece that doesn't qualify as true vintage, but if we really love it and it fits our aesthetic, you can find it on our vintage inspired rack.

Handmade accessories make great gifts, and necklaces, scarves, rings and belts are just a few of the accessories we sell in the shop.  We've also got tote bags, purses, headbands, earrings, clutches and wristlets! 

 

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of my local shop! Stop by to see it in person next time you're in the area!

We're located at booth A-45 @ the Beach Blvd Flea Market: 11041 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL and we're open Saturdays and Sundays from 11-4

ways to wear it: bird print Andie dress [remix]

I ordered so much of this printed jersey knit when I came across it, and I'm glad I did because these bird print dresses were a hit in the shop.  A good black and white pattern is a good base for easy print and color mixing and this one did not disappoint.  With the addition of a few layers and accessories, it can be dressed up or down for work or play.  I loved this dress so much on the mannequin that I made one for my personal wardrobe and I wear it at least once a week; it's that good.

If you're interested in snagging one of these versatile dresses for yourself, I still have 1 available in my etsy shop (size small).  If you like the bird print but not the dress silhouette, I've got a few kimonos in my local shop and online as well (one size fits all).

day to day: wearing vintage

Out of all the tasks that come with running the shop, my favorite is styling the mannequins.  It's always a fun exercise in creativity to mix prints, patterns and textures, and it gives me a chance to style up pieces that I love before sending them to new homes.  I try to document as many outfits as possible (on my phone) so that I can look back and remember the really special items later on.  This is just a small selection of the looks I've put together over the last year.  Most of them are neck-to-knee vintage with handmade jewelry, and there are a few handmade dresses thrown in (often mixed with vintage pieces) for good measure.  I love the look of vintage clothing styled in a modern way; it's eclectic, unique, and endlessly cool.

Etsy Shop Launch!

You can now shop Stitch Craft Vintage on-line!  Currently the inventory you'll see there is limited but we're going to be busy posting several updates over the next few weeks, including more vintage winter-wear, handmade dresses, clutches and even a few handmade home goods.  Check back here on the blog for updates, or keep up with us on twitter, instagram, and facebook.  
You can browse the selection on etsy by searching for "StitchCraftVintage" in the site's search bar, or make it easy on yourself by clicking this link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchCraftVintage

SCV test run: etsy listing photo shoot

Selling vintage online in conjunction with my brick-and-mortar boutique has been a plan of mine from the beginning, but I've been putting it off for months.  I am a master procrastinator and I have managed to come up with several reasons why I'm not ready to shoot, list, and sell online just yet:  my size XS mannequins have poor posture, it's really hot and my shop doesn't have A/C, the lighting is never right, there aren't enough hours in the day, I don't have enough to list yet, I don't know what I'm doing... And so I've been telling myself to wait. Wait until I buy an average-size "professional" mannequin without scoliosis, wait until the weather cools down, wait for the time and day with perfect lighting, wait until my schedule allows for 8 hours of uninterrupted work, wait until my inventory is full, wait until I've read all the resources on photographing vintage... The thing is, I could put this thing off for years because the perfect conditions are never going to add up in a way that makes me fully comfortable.  That's not how life works, and I'm learning that's not how business works either. 

On Friday I was feeling particularly inspired and motivated by all the new vintage I'm introducing to the shop this weekend, and with a full day off and somewhat temperate weather I decided to take the plunge and at least set up for a few test shots.  I'm learning that when a seemingly huge task comes my way, the best thing is to break it down into more manageable chunks of activity.  The plan for the day was to figure out the best spot in my shop to catch the natural light coming in, to create a backdrop and to style a few outfits for a trial run.  

There were a few things I realized that will help going forward.  Setting up for the shoot was more time consuming than I expected, and most of that was due to poor time management and not having a specific step-by-step plan of action.  I did get 6 pieces photographed in 3 hours before my camera battery died,  including time spent setting up the backdrop and tripod and getting everything onto hangers and steamed, but I expected the whole process to move more quickly than it did.  Dressing Enid and Andie (my  mannequins are affectionately named for two vintage-loving ladies of cinema and double points if you get the references) is a cumbersome task and in the future I need to have each outfit planned out from head to toe (or neck to shin, as it were).  I wasted a lot of time trying to pair the right belt and necklace, which was fun but not a good use of my time.  Going forward, I see how crucial it is that I do the prep work ahead of time and that I have a detailed plan and order of photography to get though each piece quickly and efficiently.  I also need to get more lighting into the space, somehow.  I don't know if I'll use the shots I took for my listings or not, but it felt good to dip my toes in and get a feel for how to do things in the future.