I don't remember how I found Max and Ellie on Etsy, but I do know I fell instantly in love with their Itty-Bitty Boo Boo Kits. I mean, I have a little boy. We have daily boo boo drama around here.
At the time I discovered the shop though, we were having the "losing of the first tooth" kind of drama going on and I couldn't find the tooth fairy pillow that the Noodle had received as a gift when he was around three. I thought, "If Melissa and her sister can make such adorable boo boo kits, I bet they can make an adorable tooth fairy pillow." Soon enough a swap was arranged: one tooth fairy pillow for one sewing machine. Then I thought it would be fun to learn more about Melissa and the sweet children's shop she runs on Etsy with her sister Emily.
How do you and Emily split the duties of running an Etsy shop?
Very badly at the moment! Emily is 8 1/2 months pregnant with her second little boy, so she has her hands pretty full these days. I do all of the Etsy shop maintenance--adding new items, paying bills, etc--but we both make the items that we sell. She's the mastermind behind all of those adorable felt boo-boo kits.
How old were you when you learned to sew and what was the first project you completed?
I took sewing lessons from a family friend when I was about 12-ish. My first project was a skirt. I think it even had a zipper--something I've never quite mastered! The skirt was a big, knee-length, full circle skirt made from a hideous hunter green and pink rose print! Totally ugly. And I don't think it fit very well when it was finished. I think it was too small in the waist!
What is your favorite advice to give to people new to sewing?
I'm not a master seamstress, so I feel funny imparting my "wisdom" to others, but I think you should definitely start small. Don't decide that you're going to sew your kid's Halloween costume the night before! Just make some napkins or place mats or something. Straight lines are really hard to mess up! And then, when you feel like you've mastered straight lines, you can start tackling scary things like buttons holes and gathered edges.
What is the hardest thing you've ever tackled sewing-wise?
I'm not super adventurous when it comes to sewing. I always see patterns that I want to try and then never get around to doing it. But my daughters' Easter dresses this year were a lot of work. Lots of ruffled tiers, a crazy neckline that I couldn't figure out, making two at once! I had to call my mom and expert friends on more than one occasion to ask for advice.
Also, my oldest daughter dances at the Scandinavian festival in our area every summer, and the first year she participated, I decided to make her costume...the night before. This was before I had really gotten back into sewing, so it took forever! I wasn't very familiar with my machine, the dress called for a zipper, I think I ran out of thread at one point -- it was a mess! But I got it done in time for her to wear it, and if you don't look too closely, it is pretty cute!
Do you have any advice for teaching children to sew?
I have not tried to tackle that one yet! My youngest loves to play with my machine; I always have to make sure all of the knobs are back in the right positions after she's been in the room.
I loved reading in her Blog It Forward post that Melissa once made a Pina Colada cake. Um, can I please be invited next time? And look what the girl can do with a plain jane sweater! Thank you Melissa for the interview!
Max and Ellie blog and shop.
