Let's give a warm welcome to Jenny, owner of Olive This Felt
All about Jenny
Where are you located?
Milford, OH
Do you have a job outside of this?
Stay at home mommy. Mama by day, felt ninja by night.
What’s your dream vacation spot?
New Zealand (visited once) or the Fjords of Norway (never been)
What’s your favorite color(s)?
Currently yellow. Preferably ochre or mustard yellow
What’s your favorite food/meal?
Anything I don’t cook. I love Mediterranean, sushi, any asian food really and Mexican. Heck. I just like food.
What’s your least favorite food/meal?
McDonald’s
Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?
I have too many to count but I will forever love Pushing Daisies which was cancelled way too soon. I also adore The Office, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Good Place and Dead to Me.
What’s a quote that you live by?
It’s corny and used often but I live by the Golden Rule as much as possible. I really try to put myself in other people’s shoes because you just never know what other people are going through behind the scenes. Just be kind. Pay kindness forward. Basically, it never hurts to be kind.
Do you have other hobbies (other than the one you specialize in now)?
I really enjoy hiking and playing outside with my kids.
What’s 1 (or more) weird/strange fact(s) about you?
I am 6’1” tall. I have a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on printmaking and book binding.
If you had a theme song, WHAT would it be?
Still feel. By Half Alive
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done in your life?
One time I was on my way back to Guam (where my husband and I were stationed in the Air Force) and had to travel through Japan. I didn’t realize the airport closed at night and my connecting flight to Guam didn’t leave until the morning. I found myself in a foreign country with no idea where I would go until my flight departed. A very nice Japanese/American woman approached me when she saw me distraught and offered to take me back to her parents’ house (whom she was visiting from FL). I took her up on her offer. I literally got in a strangers car in the middle of Japan and stayed at their house (her family didn’t speak any English and I got the truly authentic culinary experience. It was amazing). . It was the best and craziest thing I had ever done. The woman and I still stay in contact to this day and she has actually bought several felt items from my shop.
Do you have a favorite holiday?
Christmas with Thanksgiving close behind
Do you have a favorite season?
Fall
What inspires or motivates you?
Being around other creators. The energy and the encouragement helps so much. Plus I feel like I push myself harder to succeed.
If you could do one thing for the world (people or environment), what would it be?
I wish I could find everyone just one special person- partner, parent, friend ,etc. I think the most important thing in life is our connections with people, our relationships. If I could ensure that every single person on the planet had their (at least) one person to make them feel loved, cared for and important, I would.
Anything else?
I have been married 10 years to my husband Derrick. We met in college and he was actually an RA in my dorm. We have two daughters Olive (6) and Hazel (3). We have two pets- Widget (dog) and Wren (cat). Honestly, I know the day will come when I tackle their pet portraits, but I am terrified to try to stitch their brindle hair. I love to travel and have been to over 10 countries. I can’t wait until our girls are old enough to do more traveling as a family.
All About Olive This Felt
How long have you been creating?
I have been sewing since I was in middle school- mostly cross stitching. I started working with felt six years ago.
When did you start your business or hobby?
6 years ago
Why did you start?
I became a stay at home mom the day I went into labor. And as much as I loved it, I needed something to fulfill my own creative needs. I had always been in school, worked, or done both. Suddenly being home just didn’t feel like enough. I launched my etsy store selling play felt food and named the business after the daughter Olive. Now I don’t make felt food, but nearly anything else you can imagine made out of felt.
What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
An Alice in Wonderland mobile
What’s a piece of advice for someone just starting out in your field?
Listen to your customers. They have asked me to make some things I never would have imagined doing, but then turned out to be some of my best work. I think they push me out of my comfort zone.
Does your company have a mascot?
No but sometimes I imagine a giant pincushion shaped like an Olive.
What was your most memorable success?
A dog portrait for a family friend. The dog had long, shaggy hair that I thought I would never pull off.
What was your most memorable challenge?
Making a giant felt fish hat
How did or are you overcoming this challenge?
A lot of ingenuity and trial and error for that piece. I had never made such a large, functional piece before.
What’s next for Olive This Felt?
Branching out from Etsy and launching my own site. Most of my work consists of custom orders so I need a website that features a gallery of my work rather than just listings of things for sale.
The Future for Olive This Felt
What’s your latest project?
Another pet portrait. This time the subject is an 18 year old pup!
Where did the inspiration come from for this project?
Customer photo
Have there been any challenges with this project?
The fur color and texture of this particular pup are proving difficult. I had to special order the felt color and dig out some embroidery floss colors I hadn’t used yet.
Where can we find this project when it’s finished?
Instagram and Facebook
When will it be finished?
It was finished at the end of July!
Go and give Jenny some LOVE! Like, share, or purchase a hoop. Remember, supporting Jenny is supporting a small business and a local maker’s dream.
Here are the links:
Instagram: @olivethisfelt
Etsy: Olive This Felt
If you’d like to purchase an adorable pet portrait, I know Jenny would appreciate it. She works hard on her portraits and deserves our love and support.
Comment below if you have any questions for Jenny or Olive This Felt.
And THANK YOU so much for reading and joining along on our Maker Spotlight. You can see a new maker right here EVERY Monday. I have some AMAZING makers lined up and I cannot wait to share them with you.
xoxo, Lindsey
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