Austentation

I’m so grateful for the course God has allowed me to take that began with my parents homeschooling me, and giving me flexibility with my educational choices and a chance to develop skills related to my interests. I have been blessed with an incredibly supportive husband who encourages and enables me to try new ventures, and children who step in and help with what is now a family business.

Tell us about your shop. What do you sell? How long have you been on Etsy?

Austentation’s full name is Austentation: Regency Accessories. I try to keep that in mind when I fill my shop and most items are either related to Jane Austen, the Regency era or are some type of accessory, though there are other things that appeal to various aspects of our family that find their way in, as well!

I’ve been selling on Etsy since 2009. Prior to that, I had sold my items from my website, www.austentation.com, through the Jane Austen Centre’s gift shop and as a vendor at the 2009 Philadelphia JASNA AGM. I began making Regency style bonnets and reticules as a teenager in the 1990’s, and Austentation grew out of my love for the period and the newly available films from that time. I had just discovered Jane Austen’s books and fell in love with the characters and time period. After taking a course in web design after high school, I began my online venture, which has allowed me to work from home through my marriage and homeschooling our four children. Now that they are teenagers themselves, I hire them to work with me, and everyone has their niche in the business, including my husband, who photographs the items for me!
On Etsy, we carry everything from custom hats and bonnets, to vintage accessories (we live in Brimfield, MA, home to the normally-thrice-yearly Brimfield Antique Market) doll sized items, handmade Christmas ornaments and kits and, now, Austen and literature inspired masks. Having Austentation.com allows me to carry readymade accessory items as well.

What first inspired you to create these items?

The doll pin idea first came about after reading an article talking about vintage style clothespin dolls — the author had created a set she called “Elizabeth and Darcy” and it seemed like I could do the same. At first, I made a few for friends, changing up the costume colors and details to create other characters as I went. Eventually, we began packaging and selling the dolls as kits, through Austentation and the Jane Austen Centre, whom I worked with during this time. With their encouragement, we created the first 8 Austen sets: Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia Bennet, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Anne Elliot, Emma Woodhouse and Catherine Morland (along with their respective counterparts.) From there, we added Downton Abbey and Star Trek characters and then continued adding famous names from history, literature and film. It’s quite fun, actually, to think about a story and try to distill the main character down into 3.5” of easily identifiable felt and wood!

What appeals to you about Jane Austen’s writing?

While working on sewing projects this summer, I had the opportunity to listen to Persuasion and I was struck again, by Jane’s amazing detail — I love how she can craft such a tight story line with so many well drawn characters — there is not a single weak spot in the plotline or descriptions — and her language is just so perfect. I enjoy them even more now as an adult than I did on first reading them as a teen. The truths are “truer,” and the mastery of her craft even more striking, now that I have had a chance to read more widely. Jane Austen was so careful — so deft — with her words, and the scenes she paints are just as vivid today as when she penned them over 200 years ago. I also love the fact that the stories not only ring true, but hold truth. They help me see myself more clearly, deal with others more kindly and perhaps, best of all, I can recommend any of them to anyone without apologizing or blushing.

Do you have a favorite Jane Austen book or character?

My favorite book is Persuasion and my favorite character is Anne Elliot (though I admit to imagining Amanda Root when I read). Elizabeth Bennet is a close second, but though a second born daughter, I am not light, bright or sparkling enough to see myself in Elizabeth. She is admirable, to be sure, but I can identify with Anne.

What do love about your work?

I love that my work allows me to constantly try new things, and stretch my skill sets, while working from home and being with my children throughout the day. Now that things are so unsettled in the world, I’m even more grateful for the structure that we already have in place, so that being home and working from home is the norm, rather than an unsettling turn of events.

I also enjoy the freedom I have to experiment with colors and styles (and doll pin characters) and feed that portion of my personality that still loves creating and trying. One of the best parts of creating a custom piece is collaborating with the customer about their ideas and making it come to life as a tangible item. It may be something that I’ve never tried before, but my favorite pieces are the one of kind things that bring joy to their new owners.

Do you have a favorite item you’ve created?

That would be a hard question to answer! My favorite hat so far, is not actually Austen based — it was a copy of Lady Grantham’s hat from Downton Abbey.

It was such fun to work with and I loved how it came out. The doll pins are continually fun for me to create — some of them are just so cute when they are done. I have a case in my work room where I keep my favorites and they make me smile every time I see them. I hope they do the same for those who create their own from scratch or from the kits.