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What is your business’ name? Yarelie J. Designs and I am Yarelie
Josephs!
What sort of items do you make? I make an assortment of fabric items
such as bags, wallets, and journals. Lately I've been making things that are
more technology-focused like bags and sleeves for tablets, e-readers, and other
electronic devices.
When and how did you learn your craft?
My grandmother taught
me how to sew. One of the first things I ever made was clothes for my Barbie
dolls. When it comes to the stuff I'm doing now, I'm pretty much self-taught.
When I have an idea for something new, I'll make some sketches and then head
into my workroom to see what I can do.
Where do you get your inspiration
from? I get a lot of
inspiration from seeing the kind of stuff people are walking around with. If I
see a really cool messenger bag, I might think about making something similar
and putting my own twist on it. I also try to stay up-to-date on popular
designs and styles.
How did you get started doing this as
a business? A few
years ago I decided to make a bag as a birthday present for my mother-in-law. I
bought a pattern and made it and it turned out really well. Then I started
making other things and discovered that I had a knack for it and enjoyed it and
that's led me to this point.
Do you have any advice for other
crafters/artisans just starting out? Try
not to get frustrated. I've made things that sold the first time I put them
out, and other things that sat around for months. It's important to believe in
your work. If you make a quality product, someone, somewhere will appreciate
it. Also, listen to your customers. If you keep hearing the same suggestions or
ideas, it's probably worthwhile to explore them. It's important to network with
your fellow artists, too. You can't always rely on the Internet to find out
where a really good selling opportunity is going to be.
Anything else you would like to share?
I'd like to thank the
organizers of First Friday for giving me a place to sell my wares. I'm pretty
new at this, and I've gotten a ton of support from a lot of great and talented
folks.
Yarelie J. Designs will be a
featured artist at the First Friday Indie Market on October 3, 2014 The
market is located on the corner of MLK and Elm St in Downtown Greensboro, NC
and is open from 4-9 pm.
To
find out more about Yarelie J. Designs:
https://www.facebook.com/yarelie.josephs
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