Meet The Makers

Meet the Maker: Yaling Hou Suzuki

June 5, 2017

We’re always impressed when a Spoonflower maker and small business owner also designs their own fabric. Our latest featured maker, Yaling, was born and raised in Taiwan and loved to draw and sew as a child. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English, she moved to California at age 21 to study design. She launched her small business, Flowie, after earning a BFA in applied textiles. Her store offers beautiful made-to-order bags and accessories featuring her charismatic watercolors, plus she recently opened a Spoonflower shop with never-before seen designs. Read on to get to know Yaling!

My day starts with:

“A cup of coffee, getting my son ready for school, taking him to school, and then checking emails.” [Read more…] about Meet the Maker: Yaling Hou Suzuki

Meet the Maker: Tina Dixon Spence

April 10, 2017

design by andrea_lauren, mrshervi, pencilmein, ormolu; products by buddha babe

Our latest maker, Tina Dixon Spence, noticed a lack of options for cool, functional clothing when shopping for her baby boy. In 2014 Tina turned that market void into a thriving business through her online store Buddha Babe, featuring handmade goods for babies, toddlers and the home that are “firmly rooted in a sense of style.” Meet Tina and see her ‘drool-worthy’ products below!

My day starts with:

“Monday through Friday, I work a full time job as an executive assistant. So my day begins like any other working mom’s: struggling to get a toddler out of bed, dressed and fed before dropping off to school and rushing to the office! Lately I have been allowing myself 30 minutes of meditation before beginning the morning routine (ahem, struggle) and that has helped center me immensely!” [Read more…] about Meet the Maker: Tina Dixon Spence

Meet the Maker: Cinne Worthington

March 6, 2017

It’s safe to say that maker Cinne Worthington may have single-handedly renewed our interest in decorative scarves. Located in San Francisco, she spends her days in her in-home design studio on the old industrial waterfront of a vibrant historical neighborhood called Dogpatch. You’ll find her splitting time between her graphic design business and her Etsy shop, C.Banning Accessories, where she sells uniquely designed scarves. Get to know Cinne and see her beautiful work below.

Cinne's dog Dries and grand-nephew Benjamin in San Francisco

Cinne’s dog “Dries” and grand nephew Benjamin know all the prime spots in Dogpatch.

My day starts with: “a wake-up nudge from my dog’s snout, a bright sunrise over the bay and a little stretch/core workout topped off with a strong espresso. After breakfast I slip into my studio and get to work. My schedule is pretty unpredictable but I can usually get my graphic design work done by lunch so I have the rest of the day to focus on my own things. I fill the gaps with social media promos and admin for my Etsy shop and occasionally act as a curator for the maker’s blog, Found Made Modern.”

Meet the Maker: Zoë Linn Anderson

February 13, 2017

Our latest featured maker, Zoë Linn Anderson, returned to her hometown of Portland, Oregon after years of zigzagging between Massachusetts, San Francisco, New York and her home state. Encouraged by her mother, artist Carola Penn, to explore her own eye for design, Zoë began using Spoonflower to create her line of home textiles featuring tea towels, napkins and zipper pouches. Get to know Zoë more below, visit her website, and shop her wares on Etsy.

My day starts with: “the smell of coffee, the kid-size thundering of footsteps, and our dog Ollie wagging his whole body in an exuberant greeting. After scrambling to get breakfasts and lunches made, the kids to school, the dog walked, and the news read, I finally settle in to work.”

Meet the Maker: Solvejg Makaretz

January 16, 2017

design by solvejg

Many artists are inspired by their surroundings, and for designer and maker Solvejg Makaretz , that space is Yarmouth on the coast of Maine. Solvejg’s designs channel both natural elements of the coast and cultural elements of her Scandinavian upbringing in her company Tröskö Design, featuring handmade home goods. Get to know this Martha Stewart American Made finalist in our interview below and visit her shop online and on Etsy.

My day starts with: “walking our dog in the woods. This gives me time to follow the small changes of the season up close. After breakfast my days are a wild mix of cutting, sewing, drawing, cooking, ordering, shipping, photographing, doing chores and having at least two cups of strong coffee to go with it.”

Meet the Maker: James Hackett of Lush Kingdom

December 19, 2016

Hazy winter days are upon us in North Carolina, but our latest featured maker has us dreaming of tropical destinations. James Hackett, a fashion designer and small business owner, hails from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, just north of Venezuela in the Caribbean. His fresh and colorful designs turn Spoonflower fabrics into wearable art as dresses, leggings, bags and more. Get to know James and his business Lush Kingdom below.

My day starts with: “Work to be honest. I like to get up and go early, so I tend to leave anything I have to get done for the morning. This would be working in Illustrator or drawings mostly.”

Meet the Makers: Jen and Madeleine Anderson of Gigy Bags

November 21, 2016

Meet the Makers behind Gigy Bags | Jen and Madeleine Anderson

designs by littlesmilemakers, pennycandy, ormolu, pennycandy and more

When Jen Anderson’s daughter Madeleine decided she wanted to start a business to help pay for college down the road, the only question was: What kind of business to start? The lightbulb went on after realizing that Madeleine’s love of music had led to a collection of instruments—and some not-so-exciting guitar bags. From there, they developed prototypes for a fun and functional set of bags that are customizable with vibrant Spoonflower designs, and Gigy™ was launched! Get to know our latest featured makers below.

My day starts with: “My online work. Since that is my least favorite part of the business, it is nice to get it done right away. Whether it’s catching up on the finances, writing a blog post, or ordering materials, it is done with a big cup of coffee. Then I drive the kids to school before heading into the studio.”

Meet the Maker: Rosanna Bernstein of Bee Brave Buddies

October 24, 2016

Our latest featured maker, Rosanna Bernstein, was inspired by her own journey through cancer to design and give away dolls for children undergoing treatment themselves. Her Etsy store, featuring Spoonflower-designed blankets, children’s clothing and dolls fuels her generous outreach: All Bee Brave Buddies dolls are sent free to any family who requests them. In fact, many in the Spoonflower community have donated fabric of their own to be used! Get to know Rosanna below.

Where do you live? “I live in Surfside, Florida, a small community on the Atlantic ocean, a mile north of Miami Beach.”

My day starts with: “A cup of steaming hot herbal tea and then off to my studio, a few steps away. For the past several years, it has been home to Baby Bonbons, my children’s clothing and accessory shop on Etsy. I generally spend the morning on the computer working with my shop and my nonprofit, updating web pages, organizing sponsors and fundraising benefits to fund the three Bee Brave Buddies dolls I have designed to give children battling cancer around the US, packing boxes to ship both our clothing and the dolls. I designed the dolls and started giving them to children 18 months ago with the proceeds from my Baby Bonbons shop.

We invite others to join our team to make sure we can make a big difference in the lives of kiddies with cancer and also send us any extra fabrics for our dolls. We also invite everyone who would love to feel the love of these children receiving the dolls, to volunteer and become a doll ambassador.”

Meet the Maker: Kathryn Zaremba

September 26, 2016

Our latest featured maker had an unconventional start growing up as a child actress and singer on sets and sound stages across the country. Later, Kathryn Zaremba received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and moved to New York City, where she was a design assistant to Jonathan Adler and illustrated textiles for Rachel Antonoff. Now settled in Washington, DC, she creates whimsical textile designs from a workshop she shares with other female makers called the Lemon Bowl. Plan a visit if you’re in the area, and read on to learn how Kathryn fuels her successful small business.

My day starts with: “COFFEE! Then usually checking emails and customer inquiries, depends on the day. I try to plan a couple of days (or several half days) that are dedicated to making. The majority of my work is creating pattern designs for wallpaper and textiles but I also make paper portraits. These are intricate cutouts I am commissioned by people to make, so it’s important to allot enough time for them!”

Meet the Maker: Cheryl Moldon of Ollie Jones Clothing

August 29, 2016

We’re delighted to introduce our latest featured maker, Toronto-based Cheryl Moldon of Ollie Jones Clothing. After leaving a lucrative but grinding fashion career when she had her son in 2012, Cheryl’s home-based business stemmed from a (frustrating) search for leggings for her son that were both comfortable and fashion forward. Now selling handmade leggings to customers worldwide, she has expanded her collection of on-trend, comfortable kids’ clothing to include dresses, swimwear and more.

My day starts with: “My son jumping on me to get out of bed (he’s the best alarm clock.) I get my son ready for school and then head off to the studio. If I’m lucky I try to hit the gym, but as all working moms know, making time for yourself is often difficult.”