Cats or Dogs?
Cats, definitely cats. I have a soft spot for kitties in need.
Star Wars or Sleepless in Seattle?
Star Wars, as long at it’s one of the three originals and not the newer ones. Otherwise I’ll take Sleepless in Seattle
Fruit or chocolate?
Both! Raspberries with chocolate. Yummy.
Favorite meal?
That depends. My favorite comfort food is Annie Mac and Cheese, but my favorite pig out meal is the buffet at an Indian restaurant.
City break or weekend in the country?
I love weekends in the country, since that’s were I live, but I do like to go to the city every once in a while to visit museums or to hear a classical music concert.
Naturally Dyed Organic Jacket
Soaps or documentaries?
I have to go with documentaries, although I would make an exception for Dark Shadows, which is pretty soap-like.
Bath or shower?
I always shower, but that’s because I have a hot tub where I can soak my arthritic body. A good soak is important.
Dress or jeans?
I’m usually a jeans and tee-shirt kind of girl, but there’s something about summer that makes me want to wear flowing skirts and long sundresses.
Hand Knitted Alpaca Shawl
Your favorite material?
Right now it’s an organic cotton sateen. It’s soft and cool and washes easily, plus it drapes well and sews like butter. The smooth surface is perfect for painting, too. So I guess it’s clear now why it’s my favorite.
What brought you to Etsy?
Well, the short answer is that several years ago I saw a few articles about Etsy and decided to check it out. The longer answer involves my being diagnosed with lupus. Lupus turned my life upside down and forced me to look into myself and reevaluate my priorities. As part of that process I returned to my interest in all of the fiber arts and eventually started my Etsy shop. Craft fairs were too hard on me physically, so Etsy was a good option for me. Since I enjoy all of the fiber arts (it’s so hard to choose just one!), I offer a wide variety of clothing and accessories in my shop.
How is your shop eco-friendly?
All the items in my store are made with natural materials, including organic fabrics, natural fibers, and natural dyes and paints made from plants and earth extracts. Natural dyes have been in use for thousands of years, and, unlike some eco-friendly dyes, are free of petroleum products. Only non-toxic mordants are used to affix the dye to the fiber, making these dyes quite earth-friendly. Some of my items also feature recycled fabric scraps. I am committed to creating clothes that are friendly to both the wearer and the environment.
Naturally Dyed Cotton Necklace
Do you sell anywhere else?
I used to sell at several local boutiques, but now I am concentrating solely on my Etsy shop.
What’s the favorite item you’ve made so far?
The Flowers of the Field Organic Dress is my favorite. It’s hand painted with soymilk and natural pigments. Since it was inspired by my yard, I really enjoyed painting it. After I finished it, I decided to buy more fabric brushes so I can do more soymilk painting in the future.
What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learned about Etsy so far?
I learned many things since joining Etsy, but I think the most important lesson is to continue learning about Etsy. Learn from the Storque, the forums, blogs, teams, and social networks like Twitter (where you can find me @windyhill). Learn about successful tagging, packaging, photography, branding, blogging, and other ways to promote your shop. There is always something to learn.
Ivory Cotton Crocheted Blouse
How do you see your store developing?
I am currently working toward creating a clothing “line” where specific items would be available in a variety of sizes, instead of having mostly one-of-a-kind items like I do now. I am about to offer my organic skirts in this manner, as well as the Summer Breeze dress, which will also be available in several lengths. By doing this I can provide my customers with more options. I also hope to take some of the designs from the clothing line and create one-of-a-kind items from them so my customers can still find something unique, and so I can continue to play with the creative process.
What have you been doing today that I have interrupted?
Gardening. With six acres, there’s always yard work to do. Today we were working in the vegetable garden and we harvested some lettuce, raspberries, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, and cauliflower (all organically grown, of course). Yum. While I was out, I noticed the Queen Anne’s Lace is starting to bloom, so I’ll harvest that for dyeing. If I’m not working on Etsy projects and the weather is nice, chances are I’m outside gardening.
Where can we find you?
Etsy: windyhillfibers
Blog: windyhillfibers.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/windyhill
Facebook: Windy Hill Fibers
