Featured Crafter: Nikki from NikkiInStitches

In this Featured Crafter, we hear about Nikki from NikkiInStitches. Read on to learn how Nikki joined forces with her mother-in-law to build NikkiInStitches into a wonderful shop for baby items.

Where can we find you? (website, craft shows, etc.)

Most of our products are available on our website, www.NikkiInStitches.com. Custom requests are the most fun for me to work on. I feel like I get to be even more creative with them. Those are available at any time, just contact us through our website for details. We can do custom apparel similar to what you see on the website, but also blankets and quilts to match any nursery decor or theme, as well as cards, invitations, and birth announcements. Nikki, In Stitches products can also be found at craft shows in Pennsylvania and Connecticut this upcoming fall.

What first got you interested in your craft?

I have always been a crafter. I have always dabbled in different mediums and techniques. The last few years I found myself making more and more items to give as gifts to friends and family members having new babies, so it just seemed natural to focus my business on baby items. I also enjoy making these items the most. I get to use a variety of techniques and I get to make items in a wide variety of styles, so I never get bored.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).

Most often, I get a picture of an item in my head, and then think how could I make this into something tangible. I try to take as many classes as I can to learn different techniques, and then think of ways to adapt them to fit my products. If I’m working on a custom item, it helps to see pictures of where the item will go. For example, if a customer requests a quilt to match a nursery, I like to see pictures of the nursery. It helps me get a better idea of the customer’s style and preferences. I then usually come up with a few ideas, and discuss what aspects of each the customer likes and dislikes, and then combine this together to come up with a final product. I work from home. I have two children, so I don’t always get as much continuous time to work as I’d like, but I keep myself to strict timelines in order to keep on top of the demand for my items. I try to use natural fabrics as often as possible. All of the onesies I make start with a 100% cotton base. Unless a customer has requested specific fabric, most of the quilts I make are also made from cotton fabrics and wool batting. I also try to only use fabrics and yarns that are both washable and dryable, considering baby items tend to need to be laundered frequently.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Aside from my business, I spend a majority of my time being a wife and mom. It is sometimes difficult to balance all three pieces of my life, wife, mother and small business owner, but a very supportive husband and family often help make it much easier. My mother-in-law is my business partner and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to help me get my business started. She is so supportive and always willing to jump in whenever I need help. She is great with customers. She also has great style, which I’m hoping starts to show itself more and more in our products.