So I started Taylor and Cromwell on Etsy a long time ago when I had the idea to make some things to sell, and life got in the way for a while, but I finally came back to it a couple years ago. I started out with just a couple patterns, but over time I had enough special requests that I had to stop and seriously consider if I wanted to do the shop as an actual business, rather than a side business. (Spoiler Alert: the answer was YES!)
Cross stitching was something that my mom taught me when I was just a little thing, maybe 5 years old, and I had made it my job throughout my life to try to teach anyone who showed the slightest interest in it how to do it and try to get them as excited about it as I was and am. So of course the answer was yes, I was having a blast making patterns, and it was steadily bringing in a bit of income to our household - which was definitely needed, working part time and volunteering full time was not paying the bills! I was building the business up slowly but steadily, but it wasn't going to pay the bills on it's own anytime soon.
Then Covid19 hit, and suddenly our lives were turned upside down. Suddenly we had all this free time, as my wife and I both needed to quarantine to be able to continue caring for her mother and handicapped sister (both very high risk/low immune system individuals) and so I had plenty of time to work on patterns, and try to expand the business.
That's when my wife Tina got involved in making patterns, and she blew me away. Her patterns were excellent, and they sold, and business jumped up - because honestly she's way better at remembering to share things on social media than me! We were doing well enough to invest a little bit of money back in to the business to start offering some physical products as well, like needle minders and grime guards. So Tina and I both started making needle minders. She specializes in the thread holder variety, whereas I stick mostly to "traditional" needle minders.
While both Tina and I can sew as well, the best seamstress I know is my mother in law Debbie. She was also off work because of Covid19, and jumped at the opportunity to do something with all the free time she had, and so she started sewing for us. She makes all our grime guards, totes, and bags - and let me tell you, they are awesome! I love the tote bags the best, because they work perfectly to hold a Qsnap, plastic color holder, and pattern, as well as the other bits and bobs that I need while stitching - I actually worked with her over 2 years ago to design the tote, because nothing else I used could ever hold it all and be the right size.
Anyway, with the additions came the realization that we didn't want to stay as a "only on Etsy" shop, so we're branching out! We have a Patreon so that supporters can help us continue creating (as well as get access to great rewards like patterns, special offers, the ability to vote on things for the business and more) and now we have a website as well (which obviously you knew because you're on it!)
I'm so excited for this expansion, and cannot wait to show you everything Taylor and Cromwell has to offer!
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