New and Improved

new pine and rose sachets

New sachet designs and scents are now in the shop! Having started out with just a lavender sachet, I decided it was high time to expand a bit and include more scents—a fresh and woodsy American balsam fir and a delicately classic pink rose from India.

These sachets are great as they lend their scent to what is around them but not in an overpowering way because they are filled with natural dried plants and herbs, not heavy asthma inducing fragrances. I've selected colors and created designs which coordinate with each of the scents that have their own unique uses and character:

Lavender: wonderfully calming and relaxing, this sachet is perfect for tucking into your pillowcase to lull you, your child, or house guests to sleep. For even more of an impact, try placing several sachets in the linen closet between blankets and sheets so, when in use, they wrap you in their soothing scent. As someone who's dealt with many sleepless nights of insomnia, I've got to say this trick has definitely come in handy.

Rose: gently uplifting, rose is ultra feminine and glamorous with a vintage appeal. What better use than to place a sachet or two in your lingerie drawer or even in your suitcase on a trip to keep clothing fresh from day to day when you may be wearing them more than once before being able to launder them.

Pine: reminiscent of cabins, winter holidays, and summer bonfires all at once, pine is an invigorating and earthy scent that is a great substitute for mothballs as a way to keep clothes fresh that you are storing out of season. Also, since it's not a "frilly" smell, it's gender neutral and can be used to freshen bathroom towels that anyone in the house might use.

 hand embroidered sachets from The Story of Kat

In addition to these uses, they can be hung from hangers in the closet, door knobs, or as a decorative element on the wall as each one now includes a matching ribbon loop at the top. See, I told you they were going to be new and improved!

A One-Woman Factory

28...and counting...matryoshkas, each one sewn by hand

The thing about preparing for a big craft fair is that I'm busier than ever but there is a lot of repetition and all of it has to be saved up for the day of the fair so I feel a bit guilty as I've had nothing new and shiny to add to my etsy shop lately. Instead of making just a handful of each item and moving on to the next thing like I usually do, I'm making 20, 30, even 40 of each item for this festival and am beginning to feel like a one-woman factory of sorts! While the pace and repetition of the work is amplified, it is incredibly satisfying to see just how much one person can create with their own two hands in a relatively short amount of time and even though my fingers might ache, it is the kind of ache that reassures me I am doing something worthwhile (well that and the heavy drugs help dull the pain...i keed i keed!).

Much of the work is done on my machine but some, like these matryoshka sachets, is all done by hand. Perhaps I am a bit old-fashioned, but I think there is something so frank and honest about hand-stitched items that can't be replicated. I can't always justify spending the time doing it for larger items in my shop but, for these little guys, I can and I do because it's lends a simple but valuable charm that is such a rare and beautiful commodity in the world we live in. Is it strange to be really excited about finally interracting with customers face to face and seeing them hold these in their own hands?

matryoshkas sachets waiting to be pressed and filled with lavender

I feel pretty good about my progress so far, especially because I've also been balancing several shoe orders and a wholesale order...phew! I can't wait to share some of the items in the shop as well though after the fair—expect to see some new pillow designs and a new embroidery pattern (it's the "Off to College" theme!) that will be available shortly before or after, depending on how much of my hair I have already pulled out...there are drugs for that too right?

almost there...

 

phew, just finished these 10 custom lavender sachets last night! each one has a monogram on the back and they are now on their way to a customer in alabama. now i only have two custom orders left to fill and those i will be able to get done easily enough over the weekend..can't wait to share them with you because i think they are going to be really cute.

in the meantime i am going to take a little break to do some baking and to visit with one of my best friends who is leaving to start grad school in new york after the new year (we are going to have a tea party with scones and clotted cream, mm!). i'm hoping there may also be some time to work on my whoville quilt...it's been sitting in a corner of my workroom looking so lonely while i stitched away on holiday orders. not that i don't appreciate all of the orders i've gotten in this holiday season, but dang, it really makes me ancy and excited for working on projects that will make our own christmas merry and bright!

what are you working on this last weekend before christmas?

holed up in the studio

the last loose ends of my first wholesale order are all tied up and a big batch of matryoshka sachets and aromatherapy compresses will soon be available at doubledutch boutique in baltimore, maryland! i'm thrilled to have this experience under my belt and if you're in the area, i hope you'll be able to stop by and let me know how the display looks! well, i wouldn't be opposed to you buying something either, wink wink.

i've been busy in my workroom with several custom orders as of late and haven't been able to come up for air much lately to photograph or work on my own projects. that's ok though, it's great to have people coming in search of handmade items for the holidays and i feel special to be able to play a part.

i did manage to stitch up one of my matryoshkas, complete with a sturdy red twill loop and stuffed with polyfil...and wah-lah: a lovely little christmas ornament now available in the shop!



i better get a move on for now though...my cats are stalking their way into my workroom to tell me it's time for their dinner. i wouldn't be surprised if they tried to start gnawing at me if i don't get up and fill their bellies!

adventures in advertising

(the bust june/july issue 2010)

i got my early copy of bust magazine in the mail today and i feel like a proud momma who can't help but share! i'm running my second ad with them in their product showcase that focuses on handmade/artisan goods and i'm really happy with how it turned out...now i just sit back and wait for the sales to come in right?! well, one can hope at least and in the meantime i'm going to dig right into the feature on she+him.

advertising seems to be such a fickle beast, or at least not an easily tamed one, and i know i have a lot to learn about what is best for my products. has anyone else ventured into advertising outside of etsy for their shop and if so, how did it go? i've thought about running a small ad with other venues such as craftcult or craftopolis but would love to hear about any of your experiences first!

and the winner is....

dylan, from earthbound inspiration! congratulations! and yes, i'm totally going to plug her shop too because she is fairly new to etsy with some sweet designs for your little one. i'll be contacting you to arrange for free shipping of your loot!

BUT, don't stop reading now. this was such a small-time giveaway and i've decided that i really wanted everyone who took the time to comment and enter to win something. SO, even if you did not win the giveaway loot, as long as you entered you're still going to get a little matryoshka sachet in your mailbox, free shipping too! i can't always do this, but just this one time i think it's alright :D who's making the rules around here anyways?!

so if the above paragraph applies to you, could you just do a couple things for me in order to receive your sachet? first, go to my shop where you can see all the colors you have to choose from for a sachet in the indulge.retreat.care. section. second, email me at geschichtenvonkat [at] gmail [dot] com with your address, color choice, and the screenname you used to enter the giveaway. that's it! happy giveaway!


p.s. i can't forget to wish happy passover to all my jewish friends and readers....err, not sure if that is the correct turn of phrase? how about chag kashruth pesach! and my apologies...i found about a bajillion different spellings of that online.

a giveaway for you

here it is! the giveaway loot! i kept it a bit simple since i'd like to be able to give away smaller amounts of things but more often. and more giveaways = more winners so that's good right?!

this giveaway includes:
—1 compress filled with organic flax seeds and scented with lilac essential oil
it fits perfectly over your eyes or forehead whether you have a headache or just want to relax and drift off into sleep! you can freeze them or heat them in the microwave for 1-3 minutes for muscle pain too.
—1 matryoshka doll sachet that is packed to the brim with fragrant organic lavender blossoms
this is completely hand sewn and slip-stitched shut so you have a nice clean seam. you can put this in your pillow, with guest linens, or even in your knitting bag to keep your yarn stash smelling lah-ver-ly!

so now, how do you enter to win this great loot for relaxing? i'm going to try and keep it simple this time, sooo...
—just leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite way to relax and how to contact you should you win. no anonymous entries and just one entry per person please.



i'd love for one of the individuals who have left their wonderful comments or helped me reach 100 followers to win this so i am not going to be advertising this giveaway on etsy/facebook/twitter/etc. and i would please ask that no one else do so. I will open up future giveaways though to a wider audience, this one is just my way of saying thank you directly to YOU! Giveaway will close as of this coming saturday at noon (April 3rd, 12pm) so get those comments posted! i'll announce the winner on saturday evening and get in touch with you soon thereafter to arrange for (free!) shipping of your loot! good luck!
—

FIRST EVER GVK GIVEAWAY!

Finally, we are opening up our first ever giveaway! The winner will be receiving these "spring cleaning" inspired items: a matroishka lavender sachet as well as this charming laundry bag for delicates! These are both new items from geschichtenvonkat with more arriving in the shop soon. See the bottom of this post for details on the items and more photos.

The rules are pretty simple:
–To enter this giveaway go to my shop, then return here and leave a comment on this post about something you found, nothing more to it!
–On April 4th, I will be drawing a name from a hat (literally). After the name is drawn I will contact that person. However, if they do not respond within three days another name will be picked!!

Bonus ways to win:
–I will enter your name 2 extra times if you write about my shop and our giveaway on your own blog—just leave another comment on this post with the link to your post so I can easily find it.
–I will enter your name 5 extra times if you purchase something from my shop—again, just leave another comment on this post about what you got.


Item Details:


This laundry bag is made of muslin with a drawstring cord closure. The decorative fabric on the bottom is cotton and is quilted with a delicate top-stitch. The matroishka is a linoblock print which i carved after one of my own drawings. The print was then accented with some embroidery.

The laundry bag can be used to seperate delicates in the wash (cold, gentle cycle only) or stash your delicates and other odd n' ends in it for easy organizing during travel. You could even tie the cord around a hanger in your closet and use it to store scarves, sashes, and other accessories.
Size: app. 15 x 10 inches


The second item is this lavender sachet made with cotton and natural linen on the back. It is filled with a mix of organic lavender blossoms and a small amount of organic flax seed—just scrunch them with your hand to activate the oils after they've sat for a while. The sachet can freshen up your closet or dresser drawers and you can also put them in your pillowcase to help you relax as you fall asleep or place between guest towels and sheets to make them feel like royalty when they arrive!
Size: app. 5 inches tall

my little matroishkas

o i love these dear little matroishka sachets that i just finished with. They are cut from a great print which i backed with linen and then stuffed full of some very fragrant lavender. There is only one in the shop for now as I am saving the one with the turquoise kerchief for GVK's Spring giveaway...i am going to pair it with a few other spring cleaning themed items and will open the giveaway up on the blog here March 20th! free stuff for you, yay!