Etsy Seller Interview with Ali of AliVintageFabric

How AliVintageFabric got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

My Etsy shop is AliVintageFabric. I sell vintage fabric and curtains, as well as more modern quilting cotton. I have collected fabric since the 1960s for sewing projects, patchwork, quilting, and just the love of it. Quite a stock had built up over the years, and having decided to clear out the cupboards, I got hooked on selling odd pieces online. I started with eBay, but it was suggested to me that Etsy would be a better platform for selling my fabric, so I opened a shop with them too.

Recycling is an important part of the business, turning beautiful old curtains into perfect pieces for reuse by cleaning and trimming faded parts. Searching for such curtains and other interesting fabric lengths has been a great excuse to explore small towns and villages in the area and abroad, as well as searching for treasure at flea markets.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

I especially love William Morris fabric; his designs have been a favorite for many years. As a student, I remember making a maxi skirt out of old linen curtains in ‘chrysanthemum, which was worn until it fell to pieces. William Morris timeless designs always sell very well; they are mostly used for interiors, cushions, curtains, etc., often to match fabrics people already own. Many people use the heavier linens for crafts like bag-making.

Mid-century modern interior fabric design is another area of interest, with some excellent but as yet lesser-known designers such as Lizzie Derriey.

Making up patchwork bundles is also a favorite thing to do, especially around Christmas time. Though time-consuming, it is good to use up every bit of fabric and save waste.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It took a few weeks before I made my first sale, as I added my stock gradually. I have lots of repeat customers now and include discount vouchers to encourage them to keep returning. Posting on social media, Instagram and Facebook in particular, has led to an increase in views of my Etsy shop. I also have a website and write a blog on Wordpress covering designers of fabric that I am selling, things people make with the fabric I sell them, and the history of particular fabrics.

Managing AliVintageFabric

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I run the shop by myself with the help of my husband. Since COVID and our local post offices closed, we have been buying postage online using the Royal Mail click and drop app for smaller parcels and letters that fit through post boxes and couriers such as Evri via the parcel2go website for larger parcels that we can drop off at our local supermarket.

The future of AliVintageFabric

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

We are quite happy with the sales we are getting, but we would like to change and improve the website so that more people can find us.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Love what you sell. Take good photos from every angle and tell the truth about what you are selling. As I sell vintage fabric, there can be imperfections; make sure you show these clearly in your photographs as well as describe them.