Name: Blythe King
Shop Name: blytheking
Blog/Website: www.blytheking.etsy.com
www.flickr.com/blytheking
Location: Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Bio: I am a quiet middle child with cold hands and curly hair. I come from Pittsburgh, but currently live above an old hardware store in a small bayou town in south Louisiana, where I’ve collected piles and piles of vintage fabric. I live with my boyfriend, George, and my cat, Treetop Jones.
What do you sell that would appeal to the guys?
Most guys I know carry around their iPhone, iPod, MacBook, Nintendo DS, sketchbook, etc. I design and make cases to keep these gadgets and notebooks protected and handy. I use all vintage materials, so a lot of my products come in classic masculine fabrics like houndstooth, plaids, and tweeds. I also have lots of more gender-neutral designs, like the Columbo Nintendo DS Case, Evander iSockit, and the Mailman iSockit, just to name a few.
Where do you sell your stuff?
I only sell online right now.
How long have you been in business?
Three years. I invented the iSockit in 2005, sold the first run of 100 or so on eBay, then launched the website that same year. I opened my Etsy store in May 2008.
How did you get started?
One day, three years ago, I came home from an estate sale with five boxes of old fabric. This was also around the same time I brought home a shiny new iBook, which needed to be protected from scuffs and scratches. So I designed the iSockit as a protective, unassuming laptop sleeve. That was my first handmade product that I sold. So then I started to teach myself more about sewing. I played around making various things, like pillows and toys for my cat. But then I focused on learning how to make clothes. I worked diligently for months, and got to the point where I felt fairly competent on the sewing machine. I loved working from 1940′s dress patterns. I actually use pockets on my cases that are very similar to those found in 1940′s dress patterns. I began giving lots of hand-sewn gifts, like voodoo dolls and baby blankets. I guess I received enough encouragement to finally open my Etsy store this year. I also, by this time, had amassed quite a large collection of vintage fabric.
How do you get the word out about your shop?
I post pictures to Flickr groups, and tell my friends to tell their friends to tell their friends.
What’s your creative process?
There are a lot of accidents and luck involved in my creative process. I have to say, I lucked out with my iSockit design. It worked from the start, both functionally and aesthetically. Most of my specialty handmade products start with the iSockit design as a base, which I then may build upon, like adding a button strap closure here, or an exterior pocket there. Listening to Philip Glass helps too.
What do you want people to know about your work?
My items are unique in their functionality, their appearance, and the materials used. Not only do my iSockits cushion and protect your laptop, they also work nicely as lap rests which absorb some of the heat from your computer. Visually, my handmade items all share a certain imperfect aesthetic that I like to think of as my signature style. Aside from the padding used to make iSockits, no new materials are purchased in the making of my products. Everything is recycled. I only use vintage materials, even the thread and buttons. Two more things: I don’t like to use Velcro or zippers on my products, and I’m a speedy shipper!
Filed under: Accessories, Eco Friendly, Etsy Artist, Feature, ManMade Market, Profile, recycled, Technology | Tagged: Art, blythe king, blytheking, business, cover, etsy, handcrafted, handmade, homemade, iPod, iSockit, Mac, macbook, manmade profile, manmademarket, shop, sock, store | Leave a Comment »
, 2 horses and all the wild creatures around me. Who could fail to be inspired when blessed like me? I have many passions, probably because I am an Aries; I have more than one side to my personality. 
