Dave and Logan's shop, i found them through the front page of Etsy, the brooch pictured above was featured, and i immediately fell in love with the colors, fabric and contrast! i interviewed Logan to see what she has to say about her work and the shop itself!
interview:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your shop, what you design/create!
Well where to begin… A little about myself.. I am a mom and wife. I’ve got a sweet husband who is my biggest support system in all that I do, and we are brand spanking new parents to a 10month old little ladywho calls all the shots. We also have a house that holds a dog and three cats.. Its crowded for sure…but warm and cozy.
I went to school for art, and after getting a degree in painting I spent a good two years at a job I hated. Finding out I was pregnant was just what I needed to get me on the path towards doing something I enjoyed. After some tweaking, my husband and I decided we could cut some corners and let me be a stay at home mom. My friends and family have always been on the receiving end of all that I make. With lots of encouragement and the desire to work for myself Sweet and Dirty’s was born. The shop is a joint effort, my husband helps me navigate the business end, because he is a more patient person than I am .. And he makes jewelry when he feels like it. He is also the ‘dirty’ to my ‘sweet’.. they are lovely nicknames from amazing friends. I do all the sewing and picture taking, usually around naptimes and bedtimes. I tend to focus my attentions on bags of all sizes, and recently I’ve begun making pins. I’ve found that the pins can be made during the baby’s awake hours…so its nice to be able to play blocks and sew at the same time, besides she loves the button jars!
When did you start creating things?
I’ve always been into making things…. But I haven’t always sewn. Sewing happened all by the encouragement of my husband who always saw my frustration with never being able to find the right sundress. Some questionably constructed outfits later I got the hang of it and became addicted to my machine. Now I am swallowing our house with fabric bins and buttons. It’s nice to know you can make what you need. I’m still working on my knitting….
You sell your creations on Etsy, how did you get started doing that? Do you sell your creations anywhere else?Etsy had always been suggested by friends… and it honestly took the motivation of having a baby to make it happen. I loved the notion of doing what I enjoy and raising our daughter all from the comforts of home. So I just leapt into it from there. Its been so amazing being on Etsy, an entire community of artists with so much talent is so inspiring. I love it. I don’t have anywhere else that I sell permanently. I have sold locally and within the past year have engulfed myself in indie craft fairs, mostly in Asheville. Also this past summer we did our first music festival, which was amazing.
What kind of materials do you like to use? What are your favorite tools to work with?
Ive never met a material i didn't like... but mostly vintage fabrics, felt, and buttons. I've always got my trusty machine and needles and thread, so i suppose my favorite tool to use is my hands...
Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? What do you do when you're not crafting?I am a thrift store addict… its where I find almost all my fabric. Its so exciting to find hidden treasures on the cheap. I’m trying to become a better knitter… I have yet to make the perfect ending to a scarf. When I’m not making things I can be found on the floor with building blocks and a spunky little lady trying to walk. I spend the majority of my time with the little one and my husband… seeing what we can get into. My husband and I get one night a month to be grown-ups.. we tend to devote those to good beer.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Everything I make is all inspired by color and textures of fabric. I like bunching and shaping fabric into shapes and seeing what happens. Putting fabric together can take me forever, sewing is the easy part. I get really involved with color selection. I’ve always been a fan of Eva hesse and her use of color in her painting and drawings. I can't plan out what I make.. It all just happens… when I plan it ends up looking too tight and silly.
Any tips for other artists starting a craft business?Just stick with it. There is always a market for anything and everything that gets made, just do what you enjoy and it will happen. My shop was slow going in the beginning and its just now picking up… you have to put yourself out there.. Its really rewarding in the long run. ☺
Where do you see your business going? Any future plans?
I hope it keeps chugging along… with a bigger inventory and whatnot. I’d love to have my own little physical shop one day too.. But we will see how that goes. The plan is really to just keep making the things I love and adding to our family…. All the while seeing it grow.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Im sure I could go on and on.. But I just want to say thanks so much for letting me be a part of this!
end.
thank you, Logan! we loved hearing about your process and your work! you are truly inspiring to me, i wish you the best!
photo of Logan and her daughter. all photos provided by Sweet and Dirty's Emporium.you can follow Sweet and Dirty at the following:
Etsy Shoppe
Facebook Fan Page
Blog
Flickr
check back next month for another up and coming artist from my favorites!!
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