Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Designed by me... Parisian Scarves!


Silk chiffon scarf approx 1x2 metres.
I am really thrilled to be sharing my new creations with you. I have been working on these for what seems like a year and finally it has happened!

I present my Parisian Scarves! Using digitally printed images from my antique Parisian postcard collection, I have created a range of scarves. The fabrics I have chosen are silk chiffon (it's a nice, weighty one), a simple cotton voile and a very soft 85%wool/%15 silk blend stole. There's also a modal fabric stole that I am currently waiting on.
 
So why has it taken so long and what and I going to do with them?



Well, I have been trying to source a printer for such a long time. Spoonflower in the US is great, but the fabrics do not print through to the reverse, making them unsuitable for scarves. There's a printer in Australia but when I investigated with them, they did not print on scarf fabrics, plus their higher costs would have made it very difficult for me to make a dollar from selling them (though I would have loved to have sourced locally). I found another in the UK whose fabrics looked good, but the costs were just beyond my means. Then, earlier in the year I spoke with a scarf designer at the Finder's Keepers Market in Melbourne and she suggested India as a place to look. So, tonnes of emails to different companies later, I found one (a family business) with reasonable pricing, good communication who could offer a range of fabrics that I desired. Yay!! I took the plunge, sent off my massive image files and waited for my parcel to be couriered to me just a week later!

Cotton voile approx 1x2 metres
Cotton voile approx 1x1 metres - more of a necktie style
And I'm really happy. I had a couple of samples of the wool/silk stole printed, though as these are ready-made they are much more costly, I think they're worth it. The other fabric I had printed in lengths that I have cut into a couple of different sizes and hemmed the edges myself.

Sorry about the creases! This is my (almost) square Eiffel scene in cotton voile.
I am going to present these at a local design market this coming Sunday, but have to admit, I'm rather shy to put these new goodies out there. What if no-one likes them? How do I price them so they are affordable, but make me a little money (so I can get more designs printed)? When I look at stores in the city, like Country Road that sells their scarves for around $60 or more, I think that a similar price for my scarves must be reasonable as they're much more exclusive! I'd like to get them up on Etsy as well, but I'll wait until after the market.
As usual, I'd love your thoughts and feedback here :)
xx

22 comments:

  1. They are just beautiful Sarah. Don't be shy you've created a stunning product you should be proud of. I really want the first one with the little bit of red (I think). I hope you have some left after your market??
    lillidaisy xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarah, they are beautiful. You should be SO proud of yourself. It's one thing to have an idea, but it takes something special to turn that idea into a reality. You should not feel nervous at all displaying these. I don't know about pricing, but don't under price them. You need to make some profit. Good luck at the markets. It will be a great opportunity to hear what people think and get some feedback, then you'll know exactly how to pitch them on etsy.
    Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clever Sarah! Well done. They look beautiful and I'm sure they'll sell like hot cakes at the markets. If I was in town I'd be down there saying hi! xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely scarves and will trot along to the market on Sunday and try and purchase a blue one, cos blue is MY colour. Well done with all your effort!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well done Sarah!
    If your scarves are natural fibres like silk and a unique design, I think people would pay a good price for them. They look beautiful in the photos.
    Good luck at the market but I'm sure they will be a winner! x

    ReplyDelete
  6. They are gorgeous Sarah, well done! I am so impressed with you and your creativity. I think $60 is very reasonable and I am sure you could easily ask for more so make sure that you don't under price and end up losing money. Good luck at the markets I am sure they will be a hit. xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Sarah they look beautiful - you are so super talented
    I have no idea about pricing...make sure you don't sell yourself short though.

    Is it the Freemason's Market...I might come and say hello :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Ally, it is the Designed;Made market at Princess Wharf this Sunday 9.30 - 3.30. Would love to meet you!

      Delete
  8. Sarah...they are superb. I especially love the first one and when you put them on etsy I'll be standing in line to get one. You are very clever, talented and tenacious. Bravo to you :))

    ReplyDelete
  9. I know Sarah, presenting and pricing products you've made can be quite daunting. I would ignore what others are charging, work out what you need to cover your costs and make it worth doing and start with that price. You can always put your prices up and hopefully won't need to put them down.
    Ask some friends to come to the market and pretend to buy some scarves. There's nothing quite like people seeing other people buying things to make them want them too.
    Look busy, stay confident. All the best xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gorgeous Sarah...really gorgeous!

    Lesley
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sarah! I am amazed! They are really beautiful and I haven't seen anything like them. My first thought was Myer and David Jones should be selling them or maybe a more exclusive retailer! I was also interested to here about how you found a printer, what a task. I've thought about having something manufactured but where to start?

    Glad you got the GreenGate stuff, isn't it beautiful? I'm still so in love with it!

    Rachael xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. They are magnificent Sarah, don't sell yourself down. The right people will pay for something they know they won't meet walking along the street. Silk is a luxury fibre so price it up.

    ReplyDelete
  13. wow wow wow amazing....your super amazing xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love these scarves, and I think you should set a slightly higher price than whatever you think they should cost. We always tend to scale down our work, but there is people out there ready to spend thoousands of dollars for mass producted items...so why shouldn't they do the same for something so exclusive?

    ReplyDelete
  15. my thoughts are that they're gorgeous and you're a very clever lady!! and my feedback is that they'll sell like hot cakes : )
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Sarah, wow good for you! They are lovely and I am sure you will do well at the designers market. Before you know it you will be a wholesale supplier to all the lovely shops! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sarah the scarves are beautiful you clever thing! Etsy has a formula for working out pricing somewhere in the selers guide. You might like to have a look.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ooh these are lovely! I am in love with the blue cotton voile one, I do hope it makes it to Etsy (as I am in Qld can't really pop down to the market!)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautiful! Well done Sarah for having the tenacity to get there in the end!
    Don't lose sight of the fact that you have designed and made these, they are not some mass produced store product, so price accordingly.
    Good luck, they will be adored!

    ReplyDelete
  20. These are STUNNING Sarah, I'm so glad all your hard work from this year sources companies and finally seeing your ideas come to life has all paid off. These are going to sell like hotcakes and are definite must haves for your Etsy store!! x

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from you - your lovely comments make my day!