Local Featured Seller: Missie Zee

Who are you?
Melissa and my Etsy shop is Missie Zee.

Where are you located?
Raleigh, NC

What do you create?
I mostly make crocheted and felt treats for children's play tea parties. I also make crocheted accessories, plush toys, and other fun items.

What is your favorite place to visit in the "triangle"?
I love Jordon Lake. I am fortunate that I get to drive by Jordan Lake every day on my way to work. I especially love it in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.

When did you start creating?
I've been crafting ever since I was a little girl. What started out as playtime with Shrinky Dinks, Fashion Plates, and Lite-Brite has led to my own Etsy business full of hand sewn felt sweets, crocheted scarves, and fun plush toys.

I started crocheting a little over three years ago. My first crocheted projects were really terrible, but after a lot of practice I finally started to get better. I am now making my own patterns and really enjoying myself.

I've been making felt food now for about two years. Felt food is my absolute favorite item to make. I really enjoy coming up with new patterns and trying to make my felt goodies look as real as possible.

Why did you choose your medium?
I like to work with felt because it is really easy to sew and it is really cheap to buy. In the past, I've used the craft store felt, but recently I've been buying the Eco-Fi felt. It is a little more expensive, but is approved for the new regulations from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). If I want to keep selling my felt items, this is the felt I have to use. I've also been dabbling with some wool felt. It's a lot of fun to see how each type of felt works with my various items.

What inspires you?
Tea parties, Alice in Wonderland, children's stories, pop culture, pastel colors, desserts & sweets, Halloween, poetry, shabby chic, and feminine fabrics.

What is your most cherished handmade item?
Wow, I think my favorite item that I have made, thus far, is my Mome Rath. It is not available in my Etsy shop since it was fashioned after Disney's Alice in Wonderland, but I'm proud of it because it was my very first pattern that I designed. Plus, I think he's cute! I have a link to the free pattern on my blog.

What do you do when you are not creating?
I love to listen to music, especially the '80s! I watch a little TV, NCIS and Bones are two of my favorites. Lately, I've been working on a few DIY projects, which are coming along at a very slow pace. I also blog a lot on my craft blog, Crafting with Cat Hair. Everything I do is alongside my two little girls, Drusilla and Daphne, my cats.