Every single item at Tuesday Scarves in Seattle's International District, is handmade with love by owner Rian Robison. That means everything she sells is unique in some way.
"You never really know what to expect. It's definitely a trial and error process," said Robison, on hand-dying scarves, kimonos and bandanas. "I spent a couple years kind of experimenting, and making a lot of really horrible things," she added with a laugh.
This past year, Robison finally got comfortable enough to add her hand-dyed items to her collection, which also includes faux fur cowls and knit scarves she sews in her store. Robinson says expanding her product line and running a successful store has required a lot of hard work, but it has also been a rewarding experience.
"It's like, walking in the morning and I'm like 'Okay, I actually made every single item that's in here, that's pretty cool.' It's not what a lot of people do anymore. It's kind of a throw back in a way, and I think it's a really important thing to stick around."
Robison says although she uses the same technique when hand-dying fabric, the dye patterns are always a little different. That's why she recommends taking a look at her products in person if you have the opportunity.
"You can see all the little different subtleties in every single one," said Robison. "If there's four that look similar, you can really hold them all up and see, 'which one am I feeling a connection to, I think it's that one. Or which one will my friend really love?'"
And like many stores that sell handmade items, customers are also exposed to a unique shopping experience.
"You get to meet the person who made them and you can have a conversation with them and learn about their process and what it took to make this object that's now sitting in front of you."
Tuesday Scarves is located at 608 Maynard Ave S. in Seattle. The shop is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Various boutiques in the Pacific Northwest also carry Tuesday Scarves, including Handmade. La Conner. Rian also travels to various craft shows in the area.
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