How did you get your start?
I was craving some art therapy, so I began by buying craft-store kits
with too-precious designs and adding my own four-letter words⿿ just for
kicks.
What was the first item you ever made?
I cross stitched a romantic poem for a beau in college who was from East
Texas (⿿Excuse me ma⿿am, just doin⿿ my duty, now pull down your pants
and give me some booty⿿).
Do you have any formal training?
A B.A. and M.A. in phenomenological psychology and a bunch of
advertising internships nothing craft-wise except AP art classes in
high school and a lifelong need to get lost in something creative.
When and why did you create your business?
About three years ago, when I was dealing with an idiot boss and
subversive cross stitching was all that kept me sane. I didn⿿t expect to
be able to make a living out of it at all, that was a big surprise.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Freedom, independence, doing my best to provide stellar customer
service, making people laugh and reading emails from my hilarious customers.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
The internet. Friends. Crazy real-life characters.
Who is your favorite indie designer?
Hmmm - I just accidentally discovered subversivejewelry.com (due to a
mix-up with a check from a vendor we have in common). Mostly I like to
scour etsy.com to find the very indie-est jewelry designers. I have a
whole world of favorite indie craft people, but that⿿s another interview
entirely.
What one thing couldn⿿t you live without?
My family: my husband and my little dog and cat animal kingdom.
What will you be wearing this winter?
Fashionable work-at-home clothes, I⿿m sure.
What music/books are you into right now?
Scissor Sisters, AnnMargret, Justin Timberlake, the old ⿿Music to Watch
Girls By⿿ series, which is a lot of kitsch I barely remember hearing in
my parents⿿ car when I was a kid (only now I find it more amusing and
less torturous). I⿿m reading a Lee Miller biography, just got Rupert
Everett⿿s new book, Nikol Lohr⿿s new knitting book ⿿Naughty Needles⿿ is
fun, and of course the new CRAFT magazine. Lately I⿿ve had a very short
attention span and not a lot of free time, so I⿿m mostly a magazine
junkie (Wallpaper, Bust, Readymade, How, i-D, Vanity Fair, New Yorker ⿿
in fact, I⿿ve just contributed to a new magazine you⿿ll hear about soon).
You⿿ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice
would you give to other designers trying to sell online?
Now⿿s the time - there are so many opportunities out there. Start small
if you have to, but just do it. Nobody else can bring exactly what you
do, so bring it! Heck, start on etsy and send me your URL!
Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?
I have lofty goals and big dreams, and yet the things that have happened
to me so far have exceeded my expectations wildly. So I guess the answer
is, we⿿ll just have to see what⿿s going to unfold next ⿿ who knows?
What⿿s the best piece of advice you⿿ve ever received?
Follow your bliss. Oh, and don⿿t ever have children (thanks, mom!)
Site:
www.subversivecrossstitch.com
