Janie Jumps is the third regeneration of my Etsy shop. Originally I made dresses for little girls sewn from vintage patterns printed in the 1940's and 50's. While enjoyable, the process was slow and did not reap much profit. After nearly a year I decided to switch gears and sell vintage items instead of handmade. However, it quickly became clear to me that dealing in vintage merchandise was not what I was meant to do. No matter how hard I tried I could not like it and Etsy became a dread rather than a fun way to gain some extra income and before long my Etsy store had folded entirely.

In late 2012 I made the decision to go back to school. I needed to supplement my income in order to pay the extra bills so I turned again to Etsy. I knew I wanted my new product to be handmade but also something small, something quick to sew and easy to ship. I love making clothing but already knew that it was not conducive to being quickly produced on a tight schedule. I really don't know how I came up with the notion of making doll's clothes. Having four much younger sisters, American Girl dolls were a constant presence at home and 18" doll sized dresses had long been my go to birthday and Christmas gifts for them. So, in January 2013 I gave it a try.

The immediate, overwhelming response to Janie Jumps was wholly unexpected. Before I knew it I was drowning in orders! And best of all I was having fun! I was creating clothing on a small scale quickly and efficiently. I had found my niche! Since then I have truly enjoyed being an Etsy seller. I have made so many friends and gained so many life skills in the process!