An Interview with Deborah from Sprouting JubeJube

As many of you know, EtsyBABY team members are extremely talented. We wanted to take a peek at the person behind the creativity. All throughout June, we will be interviewing shop owners, to get a glimpse of the designer behind those adorable baby products!

Meet Deborah from Sprouting JubeJube

What inspired you to begin a shop featuring your own designs?  Soon after my third child, Julia, was born I was determined to find a way to stay home with my children and earn a small income doing what I love to do. My sister who is a wonderful child/toddler photographer  had done a shoot featuring Julia AKA JubeJube and called the shoot "Sprouting JubeJube". All four of my children play such an important part of my work and are a huge part of my inspiration.

How long have you been practicing your art/craft? I've been sewing ever since I can remember. My godmother used to take me to fabric stores and I'd choose a patter and the fabric. I can remember just sitting there and watching her putting garments together and explaining everything to me along the way. It wasn't long that I was making dresses for my dolls and then for myself.

  
What training have you had or are you self-taught?  From 1999 to 2004 I worked in a fabric store and would take all the advice I could get from my colleague. I never took a sewing class, so I would say that I'm self taught.

 



What is your favorite material to craft with?  I'll work with just about any type of fabric that I can get my hands on...Jersey, cotton, satin, wool and wool blends...I just love beautiful fabrics!

What has been the hardest aspect of creating a hobby into a business?   I would say the hardest aspect is giving a client what they want without compromising my brand or style. I have my own style and when I put my label on what I make I want the finished product to reflect my brand.

Any advice for other Etsy sellers?  My advice is not to sell yourself short. When you price your items to be sold in your shop not to be afraid to price them correctly factoring in your materials and time spent on creating your finished product... not to forget as well the wear on any tools you may use.

 





What do you enjoy doing in your off time?   I enjoy, on my time off, cooking and baking, knitting, reading, and of course taking time with my family even if its just to do yard work, as long as we're together and having fun.

Describe a typical day in your life...   Sending off the big kids to school, breakfast with the babies, and running errands in the morning. Home for lunch then putting 2 year old Amelia down for a nap and getting 4 year old Julia into quiet time with a book or a movie. I have a couple of hours of work that can be done before the supper routine starts and then more work until about 9 pm...then some tv time with my spouse.

Where can we find your products online? You can find me on Etsy or on Facebook.