We’ve all been at that place, the imperfectly clean slate. Wanting to start something new or restart on something long ago set aside (umm, maybe something like a blog??). What makes it imperfectly clean is the history. I’m not talking starting from scratch, but rather deciding to reinvigorate something that may have existed once upon a time.
A photo of Claire Danes in the mid-’90s in her role as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, with henna red hair and a plaid flannel.
A photo of Linda in the mid-’90s with henna red hair, a plaid flannel and a beaded choker.
But it must be noted, that an important part to reinvigoration is updating the older items and making sure the offerings feel fresh and new.
A relatively current photo of Claire Danes in the early 2020s.
A photo of Linda in sitting in her home in early 2023, grey hair and all.
So when I decided I wanted to bring back the Surrounded by Scraps Etsy and website shops, I decided to approach it slowly and thoughtfully. My goal is to share as much new inventory as possible, while still offering some of the items I have available from the last go-round. That said, it’s important to me that those “older” items feel fresh AND still represent my aesthetic.
An array of cast iron skillet handle cozies created for sale.
For the newer items, I’ve primarily started with making up a new batch of potholders and will filter in some baby quilts — there will always be a use for those items, right? One thing I am still trying to gauge is whether I need to reassess my aesthetic tendencies to more align with what people out there want to see, but I just don’t know what that is! So, for now I can only scour the internet, and then put my own spin on these items I am hoping will appeal to a few other folks and find their way into those homes.
But for now, I will leave you with one big question: Do people still use table runners or larger quilted centerpieces?? Asking for a friend 😉.