7 minute read

Quit Your Day Job: larimeloom

Maria Lucia Squillari discovered Etsy by accident and realized there was a world of potential for her handmade clothing and wedding dresses.

Avatar image for Danielle Maveal by Danielle Maveal
Title image for the article
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Tell us about your shop and the idea behind it.
I have always loved making things, and after getting into sewing, I found I love making clothes. I enjoy every part of it: thinking, making, photographing, selling, interacting with my customers. That, I think, is the "idea" behind what I do — the excitement of creating something new and finished and pretty from scratch. There's something almost magical in the process of making something — the immediacy of sewing, the useful purpose of a garment, and the tactile and sculptural experience it offers make it the perfect venue of expression for me.

Tell us about your previous working situation and how you discovered Etsy.
I was quite young when I discovered Etsy; I was studying classical guitar and teaching guitar to little kids at a local music school. It was a complicated time because I was just out of high school and did not really know what I wanted to do with my life. I had studied music for a long time, but when I started focusing on it in a more career-oriented way I realized it was not what I truly wanted to do at all! I did not like teaching, and it was becoming more and more difficult for me to continue playing.

What I truly loved was making things, but I had no idea how to translate that into something that would allow me to make money, so I hardly considered it. That's when I found Etsy, by accident, and realized that there was this whole big world of potential! I dove right in and started listing some scarves. I was lucky enough to get the first sale soon after and I was hooked for good. From selling exclusively handwoven scarves, I gradually expanded into clothing, and eventually that took over as I gained practice and skill through constant exercise.

larimeloom sewing

What steps did you take to prepare for transitioning into full time Etsy selling?
It took a while to get things running to the point of a fairly dependable income. Sales were hiccupy at the beginning and for the first year I was doing it on the side, while still teaching and going to school.

Sales kept steadily growing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did everything I could to keep it growing and bring it to a place where I could depend on it supporting me. Once that was achieved, I set myself up legally as a business (lots of paperwork and taxes and extra expenses involved with that here in Italy, it's quite a big step). I was thus able to stop teaching, to have the mental space to reconsider what my music training now meant to me, and to eventually drop it.

What is your favorite part of the process in designing clothing?
The thrill of finding out what it is I am making. I don't draw things out beforehand, so when I am making a new design and I start choosing the cloth and cutting, I just have this sort of idea in my head, which comes into being gradually — unfolding itself in front of me as if it had a life of its own.

What are your best marketing tips?

  • Stay present with your shop. It may seem that a virtual shop would not be affected by your actual "presence," but it is! There's something about checking often, answering convos right away, listing frequently and just being there that really helps things move faster. I don't know what it is, but I have experienced it again and again — when I am not there, it starts dwindling!
  • Work on finding a cohesive look for your shop, something that makes your page and items recognizable at a glance. It's something in the photos that does it, the lighting, the way the space is filled, the saturation or lack thereof, the blurriness or sharpness. You can also work with the titles and descriptions toward the same purpose. Find your mix and stick to it throughout your shop. It really helps.
  • Always go that extra step to make sure the customer is satisfied.
  • Make it your fixation — that's what did it for me more than anything. The rest came as a result!
larimeloom studio

What's been your most popular item or line to date?
I have a line of jersey pieces I make to order in custom colors and sizes. It's been interesting to notice how, over time, one or another piece will be the best seller, and I'll get tons of orders within the same timeframe for a certain piece, only to realize a few months later that it has not sold for a while!

larimeloom off shoulder top

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
Doing giveaways has never been worth the while, and also any half-hearted attempts at promotion. If you choose to renew, do it consistently; if you're paying for ad space, research carefully and try various options over a span of time. If you choose to use social media, update often, and make it interesting and real or it's just a waste of time.

What is the biggest challenge you face during your daily schedule?
The physical toll sewing has on the body. I can get deeply tired without realizing it when I am engrossed in a new or particularly complicated piece, and my neck and shoulders can get really painful. I do yoga to help with the bodily tension that accumulates and it truly works wonders. I just need to make sure I do it consistently, as that's when the benefits really start to kick in.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
Keeping a good rhythm going, keeping up with each step of the process, without getting overwhelmed, making sure there is a good balance between work and play. Losing that perfect balance where things run smoothly can be easy, and then stress kicks in and things stop being fun.

Also, being your own boss and staff means you only have yourself to count on — if you are not okay for some reason, be it physical or psychological, your job is immediately affected by it.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job?
The fact that all parts of my day are my own: I am responsible for all of my activities. It can be hard, but it's worth it.

larimeloom packaging

What is the most exciting thing that has come out of selling your designs through Etsy?
Becoming independent! Etsy has allowed me to learn a trade, to better my skills every single day doing something useful and fun — and to earn the money to support myself. I am just now in the process of moving to my own apartment studio!

What advice would you give someone considering a similar path?
Make sure you love what you do, and if you do, be confident and believe in it. I owe the success I have here to the stubbornness I had in making it work. If you truly believe you can do it, then you can do it!

What goals do you have in store for the future of larimeloom?
I want to keep things small; I currently do everything myself and love it that way. One thing I would love is to be able to build a local customer base in my town, in addition to selling online.

Avatar image for Danielle Maveal Words by Danielle Maveal

Before working for Etsy, Danielle also managed two jewelry studios/shops in Toronto and Detroit, and even had her own gallery in Brooklyn. Then she found a really cool website that allowed her to sell her own work. Within 3 months, she quit her job and ran an Etsy shop full time (she almost hit 1,000 sales before Etsy hired her!).

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