Looking Back at 2010

What a year it has been in the weaving world!  Here is the quick review:
Looking back at 2010, I realize that I was focused on the numbers. I set high goals for weaving sales and
at the end of the year, I had realized my goal of earning $5000. Well actually, a little over that. So, while working a day job, I managed to earn an average of $100 a week, every week. Sweet!

Having Etsy shops is so much fun and contributed largely to this success! Another goal was to reach 100 Etsy sales by the end of the year and I have not yet attained that one.  I opened my first Etsy shop, ASpinnerWeaver,  in 2008. In 2010, I opened a second shop, IWeaveSashes, to sell the natural fiber sashes, garters and straps I weave for historic re-enactors there and separate them from the modern stuff like scarves and shoelaces and other stuff that may contain synthetic fibers.  Between the two shops, to date, I have logged 92 sales.
My lesson: Going for the numbers has influenced my work. I tend to make what I have learned to expect will sell and not take too much time to experiment with new ideas, techniques, products, etc.

One of the fun (and sort of stressful, too) things I did a lot of last year was custom orders. This kept me so busy at the end of the year, that I didn't get around to blogging much. So, here are a few photos to catch you up with what I have been working on.

Pair of boot bracelets for Uggs with name, date and leather tag with customer's "symbol"

Strap for a Gadulka.  inspired by these colors and this belt

Strap for a purse. Fringes on one end are 36" long. Similar to this one I did earlier.

These last few photos were done in a hurry before shipping off the orders, and not of the best quality. Which leads into the next post about what I want to do in the upcoming year.....