Today I’d like to introduce you to Kirsti of
Kirstikoo Handmade Gifts. You may remember her
from when I reviewed her
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Garland back in March.
But if you don't, allow me to introduce you to her! Kirsti has a lovely blog with lots of neat
tutorials and she even has her own
Etsy shop.
She's here today so we can get to know her a little better and to do a cool giveaway for her Super Hero Cape patterns, so read on to get the scoop on both!
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hi there!! I have been married for 8 years, have a degree in Art Education and now I am a stay at home mom to 2 sweet boys-- 2 and 4 yrs old. They have been my main inspiration in deciding what I want to create next.
2. When did you learn to sew? When I was 12 I took lessons from my aunt. I did sewing projects with her for about a year, but it didn't "click" for me until after I had my first baby. I wanted to create projects for my home and children, and realized there's a whole world of art in sewing- between colors and designs, I'm constantly able to apply that knowledge I graduated with into my everyday crafting.
3. What made you decide to start an Etsy shop? Hehe, this actually started because I became almost obsessed with Etsy. I wanted everything, but couldn't buy anything... It was in seeing the other successful Etsy shops and sellers that motivated me to create my own shop. It's so rewarding to be able to make some extra money and still be home with my kids.
4. What is your favorite product in your shop? My favorite thing to make is the diaperdoo pouch. This was my very first item, and for awhile was my most popular. I loved picking out 2 totally different but coordinating fabrics to create new and fun color combinations. But since then, my shop has sort of evolved into super hero costumes. I think it's because I am not carrying diapers anymore, I am fighting the world with batman and spiderman.
5. What keeps you motivated and inspired? Definitely my children-- when I was raising babies, my most popular and developed items were the burp cloths and diaper pouches. Now that my babies are running around crazy (aka, batman and spiderman) I have been developing those ideas instead.
6. How do you come up with new ideas? I usually start with a basic project that I have seen somewhere- a magazine, blog, or etsy shop. And then I change it up by adding my own twist- Searching for a fun color scheme or knowledge base using tools I'm familiar with, or supplies that are available to me.
7. How do you balance time between your family and business? It's hard!! I recently hired my aunt (who taught me how to sew) to do most of the sewing so I can run the business, create new products, develop patterns, and still be a stay at home mom. It could be a full-time job for me to manage my store and create the items but I'm not willing to give up my family time. So it's the perfect arrangement right now. I have a whole post on helpful tips for SAHM working an etsy business HERE.
8. What do you think is the most rewarding thing about crafting? Definitely seeing the finished product! I also love to see all the supplies in it's raw form: a scrap of felt, a roll of thread, a yard of satin and some velcro-- step by step turn into a finished product. AWW I love that!
9. What advice would you give to someone new to sewing? Start with the basics. I always hear "All I can do is sew a straight line" and I say, that's all it takes! But it is still important to start with beginning projects- if you are new, avoid projects with zippers, buttons, ruffles, and other added steps that may be overwhelming. There are SO many great beginning sewing tutorials out there! And then work your way up. Practice a lot- make gifts for friends and family while you perfect each project!
10. And finally, in the spirit of the superhero cape giveaway, who is your favorite superhero and why? Hmmm... SuperMOM! Because that is my ultimate goal! I've talked about juggling responsibilities and SuperMom can do them all-- she can cook, launder, keep the children educated, happy & productive, all the while managing a clean home, happy husband, is kind to friends, and don't forget creates a handmade project in there too... But let's face it- Supermom's weakness isn't kryptonite. It's herself. We have to be careful not to think we can do it all. I try to pick 2 or 3 things to focus on a day and remember to be patient with ourselves. So often we forget how special. We all have out own unique talents and abilities.
So now that you know Kirsti a little better, let's get to what you've all been waiting for...
The Giveaway!!!
Kirsti's newest pattern is her Super Hero Cape Pattern (for boys
and girls!), and it’s just in time for
Halloween! The pattern comes with a
template and step-by-step photos/instructions for the cape. You can even buy expansion templates for
superhero accessories (everyone needs wrist protection and face disguise!) and
templates for your favorite superheros’ logos (including Batman, Wonder Woman,
Spiderman and more). Aren’t these
adorable?! What kid wouldn’t want to
dress up in these?!
Don’t have time to sew an outfit before Halloween? That’s okay, too. You can buy a Super Hero Cape set premade in
Kirstin’s Etsy shop. Even better news? Today you’ll have the chance to
win one of her Super Hero Cape patterns AND the expansion pack for
free!
To enter the giveaway leave a comment and include your email
address. You can write it out like this
to avoid spam if you like: mseaber (at) gmail (dot) com
But I definitely need it to be able to reach you if you win! For additional entries you may do any or all
of the following:
-
Follow Crafty Critique
-
Follow Kirstikoo
-
Like Crafty Critique on Facebook
- Like Kirstikoo on Facebook
-
Follow Crafty Critique on Twitter
-
Favorite/follow Kirstikoo’s Etsy shop
-
Pin /Tweet about/Write a status update for this giveaway
Leave an additional comment for each entry.
I will use a random number generator to choose a winner one week from
today. Good luck and thanks for reading!
--CC
