The Etsy Market Maker: Jeanne of Sissi & Co
Meet Jeanne of Sissi & Co, designer of handmade stuff animals for little ones or grownups!
Introduce yourself and your business.
Hi! My name is Jeanne. As far as I can remember I have always been surrounded by stuffed animals, and so it is pretty naturally that I started my handmade stuffed animal shop on Etsy. Inspired by my lifelong plush companion Sissi, I have designed a collection of handmade stuffed animals for little ones (or grownups). I cut, machine sew, hand-stitch, and stuff each Sissi & Co stuffed animal with great love and care, and hope to find a loving home for each of them.
How do you stay creative?
I like looking at what other makers do, and one of my favourite things is browsing fabric shops to find the next fabric I am going to work with.
Is this your full time gig? If not, what is your day job?
Sissi & Co is just a part my day as the rest of the time I work as a project manager. But in the long run, I would love for it to become my full-time gig. Doing what I am passionate about, while having the flexibility of running my own little shop.
Were you born and raised in the Vancouver area or do you come from afar?
I grew up in Brittany, westernmost region of France, and moved to Vancouver 3 years ago. I first fell in love with the beautiful nature of British Columbia, and then fell in love with my favourite Canadian. We are getting married next year!
Tell us about your favorite customer?
I am very grateful for the support I’ve had from my family and friends. My most special customer is my sister, as she was the very first one to order from my little Etsy shop.
Tell us about how your product is made. What is your favourite part?
I cut, machine sew, hand-stitch, and stuff each Sissi & Co stuffed animal myself with great love and care. I first cut all the pieces of fabric I need, pin them together and sew them to make the body of the stuffed animal and its cloth. I embroider each little nose by hand, add a nice little ribbon and stuff the body with hypoallergenic polyester filling. I mindfully pick each material and the body is a soft minky fabric, while his clothes are made of colourful cotton fabric.
What’s the most challenging part of your business?
The most challenging part was to come up with the design. I spent countless hours drafting patterns and trying out prototypes until I got the result I was looking for. I also wanted to make sure my process was as efficient as possible and easy to replicate. And so now I can really focus on enjoying the making of each stuffed animal.
What do you wish customers knew about you or your business?
One of my favourite things is making custom orders. Each stuffed animal I make is unique, and when I am making is I love to think of the person who ordered it and the little one it is going to go to.
Is your workshop / creative space neat & tidy or a beautiful mess?
My little workshop is very tidy and organized. I like it when things are nicely aligned and my fabrics are neatly stacked in a colour scale.