Etsy Seller Interview with Andrea of sewhappyquiltingvt

How sewhappyquiltingvt 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?

I opened sewhappyquilting.com in 2017 mainly because my passion for quilting and sewing had begun to take over my home. I loved to create beautiful things, but as my husband can attest, we can only use so many table runners and potholders. I love the idea of others enjoying my handmade creations, so I pulled the trigger and created an Etsy shop. I have an ever-evolving shop. I first started out by selling one-of-a-kind baby quilts and table runners, but soon realized it’s rather difficult to sell one-of-a-kind items on Etsy as you can’t build up a quality score for items. I soon started creating smaller items that were easier to make multiples of. That’s when my shop started to take off. I’m a one-woman show (no matter how much I try to bribe my teenage daughter to come to help me sew, she just won’t have it, haha), and I create every handmade creation myself. I'm fortunate to live near a small independently-owned fabric store that offers wholesale prices, so I buy the majority of my fabric there. I recently opened another Etsy shop (because I love Etsy so much) called SewHappyBatiks and will be selling batik fabric and sewing supplies to other quilters and sewing enthusiasts. It will be nice to separate my wide array of items into a shop with all completed, ready-to-ship handmade items and a shop with quilting and sewing fabric for fellow sewing enthusiasts like myself.

Favorite items

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

Ooh, easy question to answer! I have two items that I absolutely love to make and ship. They are my pocket hugs and corner bookmarks. Let’s start with the pocket hugs. I love these not only because I have fun making them but also because they come with a poem card of the buyer’s choosing, and I find they make wonderful sentimental gifts for loved ones. I get so many wonderful reviews for them, telling me how much they meant to the recipient. They are soft mini quilts that slide into your pocket and remind the recipient of the love you have for them. I started making these little fabric hugs during COVID because there were so many who were isolated and feeling depressed and alone. I quickly realized that we need "hugs," whether we are in the midst of a pandemic or just having a rough day. I feel like more people are cutting back on the chain store items and looking for sentimental and thoughtful gifts to give, and these sure do fit the bill!

My second favorite item is the corner bookmarks. I know that there are a lot of ereaders out there, but surprisingly, there are still a ton of people that love the feel and smell of an actual book, and so these corner bookmarks are being snagged quickly by the reading enthusiasts out there. Many are giving them as thoughtful gifts too. Most of the corner bookmarks have hearts appliqued on the front. They take a bit more time to make but are that much more meaningful and unique. I find stitching appliques relaxing anyway, so I just smile every time I make one of these unique bookmarks. Both of these items are selling great, and the 5-star reviews give me the wonderful feedback I need to keep making more.

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?

Gosh, I think I got my first sale from someone I didn’t know about 6 months after creating my shop. Starting off was slow because I knew nothing about SEO or how to promote my new shop on social media. I have really learned a lot now about SEO, so that helps attract a lot of customers on the Etsy platform. I have also been having a lot of fun sharing my Etsy shop on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. It’s fun to meet people on these platforms.

Managing sewhappyquiltingvt

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 am the only one managing my shop. I love the making process the most as most handmade makers do. Doing the bookkeeping part is definitely my least favorite. Tools that I really love are ERank for SEO research; Paper and Spark for bookkeeping; and Pirateship for shipping. Oh!  And another "tool" I love to use is my Accuquilt cutting system. Wow, that machine saves me so much time!

The future of sewhappyquiltingvt 

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

Oh, the goals! I have so many! I now want to close in on 2,000 sales. I think I would like to narrow down what I sell a bit too. It would be nice to focus on my best sellers and not feel the need to make 12 different products. I’d love to start doing product launches too. I never want to lose sight of the importance of keeping my customers happy and those 5-star reviews coming in. I also feel strongly about keeping my fast 1-2 day shipping option available. I feel that nowadays people expect fast shipping, so that is always on my mind and very important. With most of my items being finished products, it’s pretty easy for me to get them to the post office the next business day.

Advice for new sellers

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

Keep working at that SEO; you can do it! Get an SEO tool to help you with this, and before long you will start to find long-tail keywords that work for you. Customer service is so important too. Try your hardest to bring a smile to every buyer’s face, from communication to packaging. They truly feel and appreciate you doing a little "extra" for them.