Katherine of La Lune Designsis a Navy wife and mother of two.  Her inspiration started as a means to get the perfect purse.  La Lune now includes baby blankets that are unconventional and interesting.  With a supportive family, she’s a crafty mom who has come to find and love the Etsy community. 

How long have you been crafting?
I have been sewing for about ten years. I asked my mother for a sewing machine for Christmas one year, remembering Home Ec. class from junior high and thinking it would be fun to do a few little projects here and there. I made a few pillows and then it disappeared into the closet for a few years. I unearthed it one day, retaught myself how to thread the thing, and here we are.

What inspires you to create your items?
Really fun fabric! I love fabric stores and shopping for unusual prints online. Most of my items are fairly simple designs but the unique fabrics make them special.

Do you have any major influences?
I think my children influence my baby items. I see what works with them, from sizes to materials to patterns, and use that information as guidelines for my designs. And my mother always told me, from the time I was old enough to carry a purse, to never have more than one compartment in your handbag. You always wind up looking in the wrong one for your keys. Since that is so true, all my bags are really simple inside.

When did you decide to start your own business and what prompted you to do so?
When I ran out of reasons to make myself ANOTHER purse, I decided it was time to sell them to other people, so I could still justify buying fabric.

Has being a military spouse had an impact on your business?
Not yet, but when we have to move next, I’ll appreciate the fact that my business is so easy to transport.

How did you find ETSY? Has it been beneficial for your business – good /bad?
I found Etsy in Readymade magazine. It was an article about the four guys who started the site and it sounded like a perfect fit for my little business. Has it been beneficial? Absolutely! Before Etsy, I had sold about four items. I have been selling on Etsy just short of two years and I just passed the 100 mark. I had a little champagne to celebrate, I must admit. I know that plenty of sellers have sold thousands of items, but I’m pretty proud of myself!

How did you come up with the name of your store?
My husband is from Belgium, so his first language is French. Since my daughter was born, my husband has spoken only French to her, including the books he reads. As you can imagine, the moon (la lune) is mentioned in alot of bedtime stories. I wanted to use a French word that was fairly easy to pronounce in English and since I do alot of work at night, while my (now two) children sleep by the light of the moon, it just seemed to fit.

Do you sell outside of ETSY? If so, where?
Occasionally I sell a few items to some local children’s stores, but the vast majority of my sales are on Etsy.

Do you work outside of your business?
Other than raising my two children, I do not work outside of Etsy.

How do you juggle being a military spouse and running your own business?
The same way anyone else would, I suppose. I use the very little free time I have to escape to my attic/guest room/sewing room to get some work done. But most of my time is spent taking care of my family and home.

How did your spouse/family react to you starting your own business?
They are proud of me, especially my mother. I’m pretty sure she checks my Etsy store twice a day and always calls when I’ve made a sale. My daughter always asks me “is that for someone else?” when I bring a new blanket downstairs to photograph, and my husband never asks why I need so much fabric. Good man!

What are your hobbies?
Other than sewing, I love to bake! I also majored in photojournalism in college, so my children are pretty used to posing for the camera.

What is the best and worst thing that has happened after starting your business?
The best thing? Knowing that my little projects are being toted around, or keeping babies warm, all over the world. I love how global Etsy is! I’ve sent items to Brazil, Australia, England, Italy, and all over North America. The worst thing? Hmmm. Postal rate hikes?

Is there anything you would change?
The amount of time in the day. If I could just get one extra free hour, do you know how much more work I would get done? Also, I would try to be a little braver when it comes to approaching b&m shops. I’m just not that great at selling myself.

If you had one wish what would it be?
My wish is to keep doing what I’m doing. I really love Etsy, and I hope I always have the time to devote to my little shop.

What is your goal for the next 6 months?
This is a tough one because in September, my husband, who is a Navy pilot, will be deployed to Iraq for eight months. My business goal is to find ANY time in the day to do some work and keep my Etsy shop stocked as well as I can. But my goal in life is to keep my children happy and healthy while their father is away.