We are onto our 4th interview here on Etsypreneur! This week we meet Etsy mom Allison of the super-fun shop, BornAgainPurses. So without any further ado, here's Allison...
Our Etsy shop, BornAgainPurses, is made up of mostly recycled items made from clothing. We started out with Wool sweaters and have expanded to jackets and other things. We have tried lacy items and turned them into purses as well. Our shop is mostly purses but we have made other items in order to use up all the pieces of the sweaters that we have cut. We have many different patterns to create our purses and they were designed mostly by us. Originally we saw a pattern that we wanted to try but changed it to suit our own needs. We make quilts, purses, mittens, change purses,pillows, pin cushions, messenger bags, coffee cozies and bottle cozies, lined bags and so much more. There are many more ideas in my head that just have not been put down on paper yet.
What inspired you to start your Etsy shop and how long have you been running it?
We have been on Etsy for 3 years now and I started here with much excitement to have a venue to show off our items and sell them to various places around the world. There are two of us involved in Born Again Purses.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have three children, my oldest two have special needs and are 13 and 12 and my youngest is 7. The children are all girls and they are wonderful kids! Melissa, the other shop creator, has two boys 14 and 9 years of age.
What inspired you to start your Etsy shop and how long have you been running it?
Originally we found a pattern that we liked and thought we would try it out. I loved the whole concept of recycling something old into another item that could be used again. We tried the pattern but it wasn't working for us the way it was written and we changed it dramatically. Since then we have been coming up with our own patterns and love working with any type of recycled material. We have a pattern which was published last year for Earth Day in a book called Rubbish by Kate Shoup of Wiley Publishing. This was very exciting for us!
Of which item currently for sale in your Etsy shop are you most proud and why?
I love our sets of purses and mittens which is one of the original ideas and they have sold well.
Also last year I created a Christmas Stocking for a friend who was getting married and made it into a couples sock. This was the most fun and I will definitely make more of these because people seemed to love them.
Another thing I love is doing a custom order for someone who has kept sweaters or neckties from someone they loved and lost and creating something they will use so that the item does not just sit in a box or their closet. We have done a few custom orders, but it seems easier and more economic if they are in the area.
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In a tiny bit of shameless self-promotion, I'd like to thank Maykela for featuring one of our items in her lovely treasury today! The treasury is called Plum Purple. There's a great variety of items, so please be sure to check it out!
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