I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Monday, February 17, 2014

What started as a dream.........has now become a reality

For the longest time, this shed has been a storage area for everything........
and it has also served as a home for baby ducks, baby chicks, and mother cats and their litters of kittens.
I always wanted to make it into a shop for all of the things I love to collect and want to sell.
For a month I have worked non stop , moving, packing, organizing, 

and painting until the shed looked like this.
For the past week, I have worked even harder and today, the last piece of glassware in my collection was placed on the shelf.

And now, my vintage shop........Yesteryear is open for business!
I painted the door a warm and welcoming red. I had planned to place an antique screen door I had found on, however, after trying to get it on, it was realized that the door had been cut.........crooked.......for what ever house it had been on.  So I will just hang a pretty wreath on this door instead. I still need to work on the outside yard.

Another great thing is, I decided to also make this my sewing studio. This is the area I can now work on my linen design and embroidery.

Here is the back portion of the shop. I placed a vintage table in the middle so that friends can come and have coffee and enjoy hanging out in this space.

I wanted  roses to be a main design theme  of my shop and  I have collected a lot of figurines and dishes with rose designs on them. I used and old pair of kitchen cupboards to display them in

and I placed the cupboard on top of an old large dresser.

I also place another large dresser beside it. The white dresser will hold all of the linens that I design and embroider. The wood dresser will hold all of the vintage linens that I have found along the way.

One of my favorite features is this old mirror that has been stored and waiting out in the garden well house for years. Now it has a home in my shop. 

Here is the collection of vintage depression era glassware that I have gathered up  for this shop.

Here is the other side of the shop.

All of the bottles and vintage dishware is here.

as well as kitchen items  and cookbooks. 

Here is a large set of pretty dishes I will be selling.

Since I could not use the vintage screen door as a door, I used it as a prop for my shop. I plan to hang kitchen gadgets and aprons on it.

This vintage lamp gives the shop a wonderful glow in the wee hours of night. 
I still have much more work to do, such as, hanging pictures and making more linens. 
There is so much more that I have not shown you that is on display.
I am hoping to sell all that I can............so that I can go buy more! 
I am planning on designing and embroidering linens to match much of the dishes and to offer these as a set for sale. Through the months,  I will be showing you these items and then place them on my Etsy shop for you to have a chance to purchase, since most of you cannot physically visit my shop.
I know along the way, there will be lots of changes as the shop grows and my hope is that I will have customers who love glassware and linens and love to use it in their homes. 
So, tell me.........what do you like best when you go visit one of your favorites shops?
What makes you want to come back?
What do you not like about shops that you have visited?
I would love to hear!

13 comments:

Wren said...

How nice it is for you to have your dream come true. What a blessing to be able to do what you so dearly love to do, and have a place to do it in. I hope you have lots of success in this new endeavor! Warmest...

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Congratulations on making a dream a reality. You can certainly tell that you have spent a lot of time in making your shop welcoming.

A friendly shop owner is essential. Not pushy, but if you have a story about a certain piece some shows interest in, by all means relate it to a potential buyer. The story often sells the piece. Unique items and fair pricing are a reason to come back too.

Hope this has been helpful.

I live in northern Indiana. This is Amish country and a tourist area and have a LOT of little shops like yours.

A friend and I used to frequently take a Saturday afternoon to visit our favorite shops, then stop for lunch. She has passed and I miss our afternoons together. Perhaps you could team with a local cafe and direct business to each other.

Have a great week and good luck!
xx, Carol

Gina E. said...

It looks so inviting! I could spend hours..no - days! browsing in your store! In fact I think I'll just book a flight from Oz to USA right now. Dream on...
Doesn't it get cold in your shed? Or do you have central heating in there - lol!

Debra said...

It's a beautiful and inviting place-I do love that old mirror too! I'm so happy for you, and look forward to hearing stories about your success!!!

papel1 said...

Congratulations on your new shop. How exciting. I like stores that have a homey feeling but well organized with prices easy to read. Having all prices available from inexpensive to expensive is nice too.
Judy

Cindy said...

Congratulations on your store! How wonderful to realize a dream like that.
A couple of things that make me like a store is that there is a wide range of prices (so I can always buy even if I don't have much to spend) and ever changing merchandise. It looks like you will probably have those areas covered. Good luck in your new venture!

Anonymous said...

This is very wonderful news indeed!! So very happy for you Kathleen. You did a beautiful job getting it really. Maybe someday I can swing by and sit a spell.
blessings, jill

Lesa said...

Congratulations! Your shop looks just wonderful and I know I'd love to browse and buy. I think Carol had a great idea about forming a relationship with a nearby coffee or snack shop to recommend each other. Love to have a refreshing break either before or after visiting your sweet shop!

GardenOfDaisies said...

I love it! So glad your wonderful dream has come true!!

lil red hen said...

Awesome! I love it! Not only do you have lovely things to sell, but the little building is so special for this type of business.

There used to be a little store in our area where people brought things to be sold on consignment. It was clean and well organized. Then there are some flea markets where everything is piled on top of everything else. I do suppose there could be bargains amid the mess, but who wants to dig?

I wish you much success!!

Hill Top Post said...

What a delightful little shop, inside and out! Dreams do come true, if we work hard enough, which is exactly what you have done.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Kathleen, it looks wonderful! You have me longing for a trip to your neck of the woods just for a visit. Best wishes!

Anonymous said...

Kathleen, I've missed you, and I can see why! What a feat, and you've done it!! I'm so proud of you for making your dreams come true. Your shop looks wonderful, and I wish it all the success and prosperity it and you deserve.

What makes me want to come back to a shop is the intimacy, a kind and friendly owner, and of course lovely items. They can and will sell themselves.

Sending you blessings and hugs for your new and exciting venture,

Marianne xo