Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyona Alshaeva.
I’m from Russia where I worked as a web developer, but I’ve been interested in crafts since I was a teenager – I’ve knitted since I was 14. In 2017 my husband and I decided to get married, and moved to Wisconsin – his home state – for two years before settling here in Orlando.While awaiting my green card in Wisconsin, I took up crafts as a more serious hobby and got a sewing machine as a Christmas present from my mother-in-law. I started learning how to sew, making pillowcases at first. I fell in love with fabric designs at a local craft store, and they motivated me to sew more and hone my skills. My first “real” craft was table decor for our wedding, and I still keep what I made as a memory.
When we moved to Orlando, I wanted to meet people and make friends as well as improve my sewing, so I went to Orlando’s downtown public library branch to take sewing lessons. The classes gave me more self-confidence, and I improved my skills.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic started and the library closed, so I started making masks at home. I must have made hundreds of masks! I donated around half of them to local hospitals, small businesses (including my favorite restaurants), and of course, friends and family members. I even sent some to my friends and family in Russia. I also received orders for masks, which constituted the rest I sewed. This was my segue into turning my new-ish hobby into a business. After sewing masks, I started getting orders for home decor and other products.
I’m a perfectionist, and quality is incredibly important to me. And when I used to search for high-quality, beautifully designed, 100% cotton bedding, especially duvets, it was always expensive; therefore, I started sewing my own. I bought premium cotton and made my first bedding set. Now when I see cute home decor at Pottery Barn or similar stores, I feel proud that I can make it myself (or make it even better) at a more economical price. This also affords me the ability to make unique and customized products, which I appreciate.
It’s rewarding to see people’s reactions when I make them presents, so I started making baby clothes at some point and happily gifted them to friends and family. They loved what I made and encouraged me to start selling them. This is how I began making reversible dresses.
Why reversible? If a baby spits up on her dress, it makes a mess and the outfit is visually “ruined” for the day, but with a reversible dress, you can simply invert it. This means less laundry, which is more eco-friendly, and less packing for travel and running around town.
This approach is not just for baby dresses, however. I love to make everything reversible to save storage space, and to give people options based on their moods or the holiday season. For example, I can combine Thanksgiving and Halloween fabrics into a single pillowcase. A Christmas fabric with a neutral winter design on the other side is a wonderful combination too. On that note, I’m obsessed with holiday decor!
Last year I started uploading my crafts to social media and sold more of my crafts. I decided I needed to open an online store as a platform for my business and launched www.alshaeva.com a couple of months ago. I’m still working the site – I’m not sure I’ll ever finish as the business evolves – uploading new products, and adding custom order and payment options (like partial payment). Additionally, my customers will soon be able to order custom items without needing to contact me directly. For example, if someone wants a customized dress with specific fabrics, they will be able to select a fabric for the exterior of the dress and a different fabric for the interior. In addition to being able to choose different fabrics for reversible products, customers will be able to select different sizes and accessories (e.g., plastic vs. wood buttons). These customization options, which I’m hoping to finish configuring soon, will be available for most items.
In addition to my recent site launch, I had my pop-up market debut on August 6th. I plan to set up shop at different markets every month or so depending on workload, life events and travel. The next Baldwin Park Community Market is on September 3rd, so come visit – I’ll be there!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a fairly smooth road. I was a little disappointed after my first market because I don’t believe it was promoted well, so not many people knew about it. The weather wasn’t favorable for an outdoor market as well – heat and rain – so it was very slow until the final hour of the market, but I sold a lot in the last 20 minutes of the market so I’d call it a success. More importantly, I had many great takeaways and lessons learned from the experience. I know how to better prepare for the next market and what I should be working on in the meantime. Like most vendors, some markets will turn out great while at others business will be slow.
Selling online can be tricky too. You have to promote yourself in an ever-competitive digital environment and find ways to stand out a bit more, for example, by offering free shipping. After the fees, shipping costs (USPS Priority Mail) and other expenses, however, my profit margins are slim. Of course, as my business becomes more established and I scale, my ability to generate a more sustainable income will improve. Since I genuinely enjoy what I do and love the gift of giving, I continue to donate a lot. And a lot of the donations turn into future sales. It feels great to know that people like my products and come back for more – to me it’s affirming that I’m doing a quality job. I love receiving positive feedback, and the resulting word-of-mouth business is key in my local market.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would say my specialty is seasonal crafts and customized young children’s attire. I’m proud of my approach to making everything reversible. It helps me stand out among the crowd.
I’ve recently started to work on a women’s collection, and in the near future I am planning on making ties and bowties for men – maybe men’s vests too. I would like to match a certain look and feel for entire families.
Right now, I’m collaborating on a collection of fabrics with my close friend Alex (https://www.instagram.com/alex_b_work/). I just ordered our first batch of Halloween fabrics. The fabric itself will be available for purchase by the yard. My customers will also be able to order products made of the new fabric on Spoonflower: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/alshaeva_craft. There’s more to come, and not only for Halloween – hint: Christmas is around the corner! However, for now with Alex’s designs, I’m making various Halloween decor, drinkware, shirts, baby outfits, and other products. I’m excited and eager for the Halloween season to arrive this year, knowing that I’ll have the opportunity to create fun, unique items!
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
As a child I took lessons in a theater studio and played a lead role where I sang and danced for many performances of a Russian version of Pinocchio. I also went to a YMCA camp in Russia as a child where I had tons of great memories. I spent much of my childhood at both places, and they hold a special place in my heart, perhaps a testament to my fondness of art and creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alshaeva.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alshaeva.craft/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alshaevaCraftShop
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Alshaeva
Kriss Ryan
August 30, 2022 at 6:57 pm
Alyona is REALLY talented!!! I love the baby dresses they are my go to for showers and new baby gifts AND she makes some cool Halloween decor!!!