My Very First Post

Well, I've jumped onto the blog bandwagon. It's funny when you think you have little to say, or a lot to say on a subject only to get writer's block once it's time to get to it. Luckily I'm not the first person to make the awkward first-go at a blog and I certainly won't be the last. Whether my posts go mostly unnoticed, or shakes the ground, it's a great way to enjoy a bit of down time to get thoughts and experiences down. So then, shall we?

I've been trying to get my fashion design business off the ground. Being an entrepreneur is some serious business and I don't mean in the corporate sense. When you decide to work for yourself you take a lot of risks. You know you likely won't be making much money, resourcing locally can often lead to expensive products. Your time and effort into making one garment is divided into one working pair of hands, so this means that the cost of designing, pattern drafting, mock up's, fittings, cost of fabrics/thread etc... all your money spent on sewing machines and tools as well as the fair percentage cost of using your space at home and running up electricity bills and what not need to be taken into consideration. In a time when ready-to-wear fashion means that you can buy a dress for $80.00 from the store in an instant, often handmade is seen as a luxurious option.

For those of you that don't know me, Nunavut is my home, the frozen land of beauty and natural abundance. It's also isolated for the most part, no roads, trains or other means of travel other then airline are available for travel. This means a lot of things for the people that live there, including a very, very high cost of living. Everything must be flown in and money gouging in Nunavummiut's pockets is a very serious reality. Inuit don't live on reserves, we never have. We've always paid taxes so when I read people's comments that we deserve to be charged almost $3000 for a return flight that's about 2 hours long, all I can do is shake my head and feel sorry for the poor soul who actually thinks they know everything despite never stepping one foot into Nunavut or even meeting an Inuk. The high cost of travel also means we don't often have access to quality fabrics. It must be ordered in, and yes, the stores that sell them need to make some kind of profit and sometimes they will take advantage of the fact that they're they only carrier of fabrics and can make dubious profit by overcharging on the value and quality. This often means that the price you charge is very expensive because of the materials and your time, or what I often see is local designers absorbing the cost and only charging the price of materials. This is a hard place to be for anyone trying to make a living. But right now I'm living in Southern Canada. I have easier access to materials (yay!). But I still need to find a happy medium between charging an amount that I can live off of and attracting commissions.

Now to the purpose of this whole chaotic idea: I'm starting this blog to help me keep on track of my work, but also to share my progress to any interested individuals who are interested in seeing the process. I can't promise that I'll be consistent but I'm hoping I'll be consistent enough to keep things interesting. Through here my followers will also be able to get a preview into what's coming up next, whether it be for my show, or for my gallery (because sometimes you need to show your artistic capabilities.) So onward I go. Thanks for reading my little place and I hope you enjoy what I share. Taima!