Meet Lorene from BoogaBooBabies!

Tell me a little bit about your background in arts and crafts.When did you first start creating things?

I’ve always been a little crafty, though I didn’t know it for much of my life. My mom taught me how to sew in 4-H when I was a little girl. She always made our Halloween costumes and Easter dresses. But it wasn’t until my oldest was born that I decided to try sewing seriously. I casually mentioned the idea to my MIL, and for Christmas that year I received a sewing machine! It sat in a corner for over a year, I was too intimidated to do anything with it. Then one day I decided to pull it out and figure out how to thread it. That was the hardest part. I started playing around with the different stitches on computer paper to get a feel for how to change the length of the stitch and the location of the needle. Then I began sewing on fabric and the rest is history!

Sewing for me, is about relaxation and a chance to use my brain for something outside of motherhood. I am a stay at home mom right now, but before I was a mom I was an engineer for several aircraft manufacturers. Sometimes I feel like my skills are going to waist singing rhyming songs and cleaning up toys all day long, but when I get into my sewing room I can use my brain to create something wonderful.

What were the first things you created? and how did your creativity progress from there?

The first thing I made was two pillows for my living room, with a pattern I found on about.com. They weren’t bad! I also made a roman shade for my bathroom, making up the pattern as I went. It turned out alright. Shortly after that I started crafting baby items, starting with shopping cart covers. I love working with soft fabrics for babies, and my own needs as a mom of a very exuberant toddler led me to more and more items I could make for him and for myself.

Is this your only business or do you do other things as well?

This is my only business, but I look at it as more of a hobby that pays for my fabric addiction, LOL! I enjoy what I do, and I love to hear back from my customers that their children love my creations.

Do you still dream about making other things? If so, what?

I have been making a lot of things for my own kids lately, clothing and bedding. And for friends, one of the other moms in my MOPS group gave me the inspiration for my new line of cloth snack bags, and I’ve been sewing a lot of those for moms in my area.

I’d love to do more sewing projects for my home, my only problem is there are so many beautiful fabrics out there and I have a hard time choosing from them! I truly don’t know where to start.I love learning new crafts other than sewing techniques, I just learned how to knit over Christmas. Scrap booking is a craft I’ve tried and I just don’t think I have the talent to do it. I’d love to learn how to crochet or embroider someday.

How did you hear about Etsy?
An online friend of mine signed up in early May of ’07 and suggested that I do the same to sell my baby items. I had never heard of it before, and instantly fell in love with the beautiful items for sale here!

Any words of advice to others?
Do what you love, and spend time creating and crafting items that bring you joy! There have been many patterns I have tried that I just truly loathe, and I have had to realize that if my sewing isn’t enjoyable, it isn’t worth my time.

How will the new law by CPSIA affect you and your shop?
The bill is so vague, unless it is revised and rewritten to be more specific so many wonderful crafter’s, including myself, will find ourselves having to close the businesses we’ve worked so hard to create. It really bothers me that Congress has not had the foresight to see the ramifications of this bill, and scares me when I think about what other pieces of legislation have been given the same kind of careless oversight.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Lorene from BoogaBooBabies as much as I did…another fellow engineer turned stay at home mom turned crafter! What fun! Also, along with checking out her etsy shop take a peek at her blog!