Tell us a bit about your business journey so far? I am mainly just a ‘Hobby’ Crafter, making items I enjoy for fun. Thought I would make a few items & try to sell them.
Have you always been crafty person? Yes, I have, from learning to knit & crochet at a young age, from my paternal grandmother & mom! As I got older, I picked up other crafts, like making, mop dolls, tole painting, (took lessons), wood crafts, making glass ornaments, (decorating the inside of them with material & photos), embroidery, cross stitch & making other small crafts items. I am always ready to learn a new craft!
What are your favorite items to sew and types of fabric to work with? My favorite items to sew are crafts, never really sewed clothing. Cotton is my favorite fabric, as there is so much to do with cotton, in the craft field. The fabric prints are so fabulous! With the era of computers & Pinterest, the ideas are endless!
Tell us about the items in your product line? Right now, I am making “Potato Bags”, “Popcorn Bags” & “Bowl Cozies”, all items I found on Pinterest, with instructions & supplies needed. They are simple items that didn’t take a long time to make. I mainly started to make them just as gifts for family but decided I would see if they were saleable.
What is your favorite product to make and use yourself? Why is that? I guess my favorite item to make are the bowl cozies. They take more time, but very useful to hold hot bowls, or even cold items, particularly because of my young grandchildren that visit a lot.
What stages are there you go through to make your beautiful projects? First, I check out the instructs to see how difficult the item is to make and how time consuming it will be. I then see how much it will cost for materials or if I have the supplies on hand & how popular the item might be.
How long does it take you to create one? I would say about an hour and a half per bowl cozy, as I had to cut out twice as many “pieces”, of product, to make half the number of bowls! 12 pieces of the bowl, makes six of the items (they are double layered).
Did you take sewing lessons or are you self-taught? I learned from my mom who sewed dresses, suit jackets, fall coats, skating outfits, Halloween costumes & prom dresses. In high school, in the 70’s 😊, I took Home Economics (cooking & sewing during those years). I was quite familiar with the sewing machine, so the crafting was more self taught.
What is your most popular item your family uses that you have created? I made 17 “Quillows” (blankets that fold into a pillow) for Christmas gifts, in 2020. The 1st “Covid Christmas”! My family loved the quillow, as they were great for travelling, either on a plane or in the car. I used their favorite hockey team, animals, or Holiday prints to make them.
What inspires you to keep crafty and creating daily? I guess I like to keep busy, since I am retired, (was an RN & worked in a long-term Facility for over 30years), but also productive. I love giving handmade items & my family is very appreciative of the hand made gifts.
What would you like to see, in your business in the next year (expansions, new products line)? Well, I’m not really sure. I am crafting more for pleasure, so probably not expanding, but always looking for new & useful items to make, for gifts, & if they are saleable, a place to sell them. Trying not to get into big costs to make my crafts because I am more of a “hobby crafter” than really a business. I want it to be fun, not stressful, but make a little money on the side!
When we can’t find you behind the sewing machine. What other hobbies or adventures can we find you doing? Well, I really enjoy my knitting & crocheting, so I am knitting mittens & socks, taking glass classes, a beading class, a moccasin making class, a cardmaking class & also, usually taking in a hockey game or two when my grandchildren are playing. Passing on my interest in crafting to my grandchildren!
