NAME REDACTED from SHOP NAME REDACTED saysI'm working on expanding my line into lace petti rompers, petti dresses, and that whole line of frilly girly stuff. I'll be making my tutus, but I have a high quality wholesale source for petti skirts, dresses, and rompers. I will be modifying them by putting them in a set with a matching headband, sash, and possibly legwarmers. I will probably also so some cutting and sewing to make striped/two-toned rompers/dresses, etc. I'm just curious as to how little modifying I need to do to still keep it handmade. Will including it in a set with a handmade matching headband and sash and hand embellished matching legwarmers be called handmade?
Did you get all of that? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't make it past "lace petti rompers." The real issue is that this seller wants to market her items as handmade while not actually making anything.
"Wait!" you ask. "Isn't Etsy all about handmade, unique things?"
Here is how they define "handmade" in Etsyland. Enjoy digging through the text for a coherent answer.
Here's the reality. In Etsyland, "handmade" includes:
1. Hand-assembled: i.e. mass-produced octopus charm looped onto mass-produced chain
2. Minimally altered/"upcycled"*: i.e. mass-produced clothing with a ribbon "sash" that you cut yourself tossed into the box with the dress that someone else made
3. Objects made by a "collective": i.e. furniture that you have imported from India and Mexico**
If you have a problem with an Etsy shop, you can flag them for review. They will either do nothing or put a freeze on your account for being a meanie.
I had the nerve to post my honest feelings about this topic in the forum. I await notification of the suspension of my account. But that didn't feel like enough, so I added the following to my Personal Profile:
When you choose to purchase from Very Sage, you are supporting Molly, a real, live person! Molly, who bought her yarn at a local shop, designed your hat in her little apartment, chatted about stitches with an old Russian lady on the subway, and ran to the post office during her lunch break to pop your hat in the mail. And why should you settle for anything less? After all, you're a real person too.
*This word makes me want to barf.
**FURNITURE RESELLER (not their real name) says in their profile: "As a company we are dedicated to preserving and experimenting with styles and techniques which transcend time and cover the globe. Our skilled artisans come from century old centers of furniture making excellence in India and Mexico. Your purchase help these traditions flourish."
