Custom Orders, Personalisation, Commissions etc

I get asked if I do custom work quite a lot, especially at this time of year, so I thought a post explaining my position might be a good idea to try and reduce the number of awkward overly apologetic messages I have to send when people inevitably ask. Don't get me wrong, I don't like disappointing people or turning them away and I love nothing more than a happy customer, but here are a few reasons why I no longer offer custom orders or personalisation.

• Edith & Audrey is not my main occupation - first and foremost I'm an unpaid carer/support worker for my autistic adult children and they will always take priority.
• I'm such a tiny outfit that I don't always have the funds available to buy in extra materials needed for a custom order.
• I no longer have an embroidery machine that does lettering for personalisation.

Over the twenty plus years of doing this I have learned to always be aware of my limitations and refrain from biting off more than I can chew. Until last year I would still occasionally take on special requests when people asked, but after a couple where I really put myself out and never even received personal acknowlegment that their orders had been received let alone feedback or an Etsy review even after a friendly message to check everything was ok, I decided it wasn't worth it.

So, apologies if you were planning on asking for something custom or personalised, but the answer will always be 'no' from now on. Life has become very unpredictable in recent years and I need to know where I'm at in order to keep the stress levels down. There are plenty of makers out there who specialise in custom orders who I am sure would be happy to help you achieve your vision. Ideally, look for makers with their own websites or try Folksy, it's full of lovely talented sellers based in the UK, many of them offering customisation services or commission slots.

Felted wrist cuff

If you're simply waiting for an out of stock item to come back then drop me a line and I may be able to give you a timeline. Alternatively, you can sign up to the mailing list to receive updates about restocks, new stock and up coming makes!