In January of 2021, I took a leap of faith and opened up my own Etsy storefront, Finley James. Named after my two kids (their middle names combined), Finley James is a shop offering handmade goods for you and your littles.
I started the shop back under an initial assumption I would be making batches and batches of resin letter sets (not the case) and hand painting wooden peg dolls (also, not the case). I had been making a bunch of resin letter sets for the holidays and selling them on Instagram with decent success along with creating wooden peg dolls for Jack who loved playing with them and building towers and forts for them. I decided to add a third product type to round out my launch. The product that I developed on a whim, which happens to be the best seller, are my collection of handmade knotted headbands.
I started making headbands selfishly to make a few for my own personal stash, as my own pride stopped me from buying anymore from Target or dropping a lot of $$ for some luxury headbands (it’s a thing, I’ve done it haha). 2020 left me in such a rut with my hair and adding a second baby to the mix, a headband is what helps me feel the most pulled together on days I can’t manage to make time to style my hair. What better than creating something that is a special finishing touch to your look and that I can create in fun fabrics and colorways. The headbands are super comfortable (no additional fabric for the base behind your ear), so you won’t suffer from any headaches, and they are super flexible, so once size fits most. You’ve been warned that your little one may steal your headband, at least that is what numerous customers have told me! :)
Opening this shop has led me to find a love of creating again and now I get to do it in a way that fuels my creative outlet but provides something for all of you as well! My love of sewing started young, my late grandma taught me when I was maybe 7 or 8, I can’t even remember how young I was. I later took a few home economic classes in high school and started making my own purses (of all things). Sewing eventually fell by the wayside but my love of creating, fashion, and design always remained in some form (hence the creation of this blog, my freelance styling and fashion writing over the years, etc.).
In April of 2020, I asked my mom for a sewing machine for my birthday. We had talked about it for years but I finally committed. We were stuck at home due to lockdown orders and I was desperate to sew a few special things for Jack and for Lucy before her arrival. I made a few playmats and a bunny for Jack. I pinned and downloaded so many free clothing patterns thinking I would have all this time on my maternity leave to make them (joke was on me). I finally pulled out the sewing machine again back in January and here we are.
Resin letter sets and wooded peg dolls are still available to shop from, however, they are made to order. Headbands are live as well! I did a few releases of limited edition headbands for my first few launches, but right now I have listings up for made-to-order headbands. In the interim between orders, I’m working on creating some beautifully imperfect heirloom bunnies that are currently listed in the shop. A new job currently leaves me commuting and being back in an office eliminates some of the time I had to dedicate to Finley James, but the beauty of this new endeavor is there is no current pressure and I get to create and launch products as time permits or requests come in. Between creating products for the shop, I’m dipping my toes in the waters of creating a few special me-made pieces for my own personal wardrobe. I’ve made a dress, a few ruffle tanks, and even a wide-brim bucket hat!
I’m excited to see where Finley James leads me and as always, thank you for your continued to support not only for my blog, but for Finley James as well!
Make sure to follow along on Instagram for the latest updates and you can always shop Finley James here.
