Locomotive Clothing - feature #46

photo credit: Ophelia Photography

Name: Locomotive Clothing Co. (Jay and Aaron Matte)

Website links: Locomotive Clothing | Etsy | Twitter

What do you make?

We make sweet and unique streetwear, adorned with screen print, applique and spray paint. Everything from historically inspired t shirts with a touch of whimsy, to edgy spray painted hoodies to super cute toddler train and tractor items.

What or who inspires you?

Right now we are pretty inspired by everything Canadiana, hearts, pop culture references, circus imagery, history, science and always, trains.

How did you get started?

Jay started spray painting vintage items in a seedy East Vancouver back alley years ago and sold it in local boutiques. When we met in 2007, we decided to partner up in life and in craft and began screen printing and started our Etsy shop.

What are your favourite materials to work with?

We love it all, canvas and felt appliqué, screen printing, the computer (we create some of our graphics digitally). Jay also loves to experiment using spray paint on clothing. It takes a lot of technique and time but the look is really sharp and it washes surprisingly well.

What is the hardest and your most favourite part of crafting?

We just love creating, but there are too many ideas and not enough time! We keep plugging away though. Our most amazing moments have been walking down the street in Vancouver and meeting people who are wearing our clothes. This one guy we met during Car Free Day on Commercial Drive was wearing our Traveler T-shirt. He bought it at the Spring Got Craft and his girlfriend said we "wears it, like, every day." That was great to hear. Selling items all over the world through our Etsy shop is amazing as well. Our hoodies and t shirts are in Japan, Norway, Italy, Australia. So cool.

List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

We love www.booooooom.com: It is local and global at the same time. He has an incredible eye for style and for what is current. Poppytalk is another obsession of ours. She is another example of a spot-on eye for style. For informative (and super accessible) local arts and culture, we can't forget about Vancouver is Awesome.

Jay has been skateboarding his whole life and we have to include Color Magazine for style, great skate coverage and an all around excellent website.

Bikeexif.com is also Jay's pick, he is a huge motorcycle aficionado and it is a fantastic blog, mostly catering to the Cafe Racer and Bobber community.

Do you have any advice for those in the biz?

Yes!

1. Make what you love.
2. Never underestimate the power of the amazing community of crafters out there. We have met the most incredible, generous and helpful people in the crafty community in Vancouver. Don't be afraid to help or to share information. We have put ourselves out there and have been given so much incredible advice and support.
3. Customer service is KEY. It is so important to be timely, organized and courteous.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?

Both I think. We don't think about it too much. We are makers of things.

(photo images courtesy of Locomotive Clothing)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Hand & Shadow - feature #45

Kove Handmade - feature #44

Sam Bradd - feature #43

Katrinshine - feature #42

Penelope Brown - feature #41

Laura Bucci Handmade - feature #40

Track and Field Designs - feature #39

Irit Sorokin Designs - feature #38

Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37

Divesin - feature #36

Flight Path Designs - feature #35

Plantscapes - feature #34

Olive - feature #33

Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32

Kim Werker - feature #31

Haiiku - feature #30

Smidgebox Designs - feature #29

heyday design - feature #28

Smeeta - feature #27

ACageyBee - feature #26

Maked - feature #25

Firefly Notes - feature #24

Florence Ann - feature #23

Him Creations - feature #22

Jenny Hart - feature #21

district thirty - feature #20

tinywarbler designs - feature #19

telly designs - feature #18

Cabin + Cub - feature #17

Rachel Hobson - feature #16

Green Couch Designs - feature #15

Tanis Alexis - feature #14

Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13

Fibre Manipulator - feature #12

Sam Made - feature #11

All Things Paper - feature #10

Owl + Pussycat - feature #9

Bliss in a teacup - feature #8

It's Your Life - feature #7

Faythe Levine - feature #6

Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5

pomomama design - feature #4

GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3

Bueno Style - feature #2

The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Kove Handmade - feature #44

Name: Kyla Leslie / Kove Handmade
Website links: Kove | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

What do you make?
kove is primarily a line of knit and crochet scarves, cowls, warmers and wraps. There are a few necklaces and clutches in the mix as well.

What or who inspires you?
The line is heavily influenced by the west coast. I love living by the mountains and next to the ocean, so those textures inspire my work. Versatility is important to me, so I strive to incorporate functional elements like hoods and double sided buttons into the designs.

How did you get started?
I would say it was a combination of time, obsession and curiosity that lead me to launch kove. Reconnecting with a craft I had learned as a youngster (crochet) and using it to create something contemporary and wearable was something that I wanted to put out in the world. I opened my Etsy shop on Valentine's day this year, and ended up realizing a dream I didn't know I had.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I mostly use a chunky wool / acrylic blend of yarn, which is super soft to work with. I also love the contrast of incorporating hardware into my fibre jewelry.

What is the hardest and your most favourite part of crafting?
The biggest challenge is time - which I suppose is true of any small business owner. I wish there were more hours in the day to just sit and design. But the best part is seeing people enjoy what you've made, and make it their own.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Etsy: I've recently become addicted to buying vintage clothes on Etsy.
Twitter: To connect with others in the (virtual) handmade world.
Poppytalk: For design inspiration.
101 Cookbooks: For meal inspiration
ffffound.com: For all kinds of inspiration



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Love what you do, do your best work, and really get to know who your customers are.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Probably a crafter or designer.

(photo images courtesy of Kove)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...
Sam Bradd - feature #43
Katrinshine - feature #42
Penelope Brown - feature #41
Laura Bucci Handmade - feature #40
Track and Field Designs - feature #39
Irit Sorokin Designs - feature #38
Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37
Divesin - feature #36
Flight Path Designs - feature #35
Plantscapes - feature #34
Olive - feature #33
Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32
Kim Werker - feature #31
Haiiku - feature #30
Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

things to do :: Got Craft?

illustration by The Beautiful Project

Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair is kicking off the 4th annual Spring show with 55 local, handmade vendors and a DIY table hosted by Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge to make your own crafts.

Got Craft?
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
10:00am to 5:00pm
Royal Canadian Legion – 2205 Commercial Drive (at E. 6th Ave)
Admission $2.00 (kids 10 and under are free)

Did I mention there will be swag bags? The first 30 people through the door will receive a handmade tote bag filled with goodies from all of our vendors! Here are some sneak peeks from hudsonny, Owl + Pussycat, telly designs, kove handmade and Bliss in a teacup.

Also, check out these lovely posts including....
Hold Handmade, heyday design and telly designs feature on Scout Magazine

Girls of Got Craft feature on Handmade Evolution

A round up of Got Craft vendors on Poppytalk

Buy handmade write up on Granville Magazine

For more information and a full list of participating vendors, please visit our website. See you there!

Smidgebox Designs - feature #29

Name: Lesley Stenning from Smidgebox Designs
Website links: Etsy Shop, Blog

What do you make?
I sew handmade this + that. I know that sounds like a pretty broad term, but that's the best way for me to sum up what I make!!

I make fun tote bags and fabric buckets for adults and for children. I make many different accessories for babies + tots, including cloth play blocks, wee chef apron sets, and cozy blankets. Many of my items can be personalized with a child's name or initials. I am also planning a line of housewares which I hope to introduce fairly early in the new year.



What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by so many things. We're pretty lucky to be surrounded by some amazing scenery here in Vancouver, and I find the colours of the seasons very inspiring. My family is a great source of inspiration. My two kids are super fun and energetic, and watching them learn and grow inspires me to make new, fun things for children. My husband is an incredible artist, and i love seeing the new art that he produces, kind of keeps me on my toes! Finally, I'm inspired by the amazing fabrics that I choose. The vast array of colours + designs are amazing, and I love mixing patterns in different and unexpected ways.

How did you get started?
Well, I've always been a creative person. I've loved drawing for as long as I can remember, and my mom taught me to sew when I was quite young. I always took art class in school, and also loved woodwork and pottery. Working with my hands is essential. After a few false starts in my post secondary education, I ended up taking an architectural drafting program at BCIT, and fell in love with the detailed and technical side of art. I worked in the industry for a couple years before I had children. When my son was born almost 5 years ago, I stopped working for others and turned my creativity back to myself. I started off making greeting cards and tags out of cut paper, combining collage and paper quilling. i loved doing that, but it was rather time intensive. I bought my first sewing machine when my son was about 1, and I haven't looked back. Someday I hope to introduce a stationery + paper goods division to smidgebox designs, but for now, sewing is keeping me very busy!!



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I am a self-professed fabric addict. I can still remember when I first discovered the world of designer cottons online, and I was instantly hooked. I have a pretty healthy stash going on, and it's all I can do not to buy more and more. I love mixing fun designer cottons + japanese import fabrics with denim + wool felt.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part for me at the moment is that I have way too many ideas and designs floating in my head, and yet I haven't even got a fraction of the time I'd need to pump it all out. I love being able to be at home with my kids, and am trying to enjoy every moment of that before they are both off to school. Time sure flies. My favourite part of the crafting process is seeing a final product realized in my hands. But the best feeling has got to be getting wonderful feedback from a super happy customer, or seeing people's faces light up when they receive one of my items as a gift for their baby or for themselves. That is pretty great.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Etsy: for obvious reasons. It is a total treasure trove of goodies just waiting to be found.

Sew, Mama, Sew: great source of sewing inspiration, also lots of tutorials. oh, and a fabric shop, of course!

Room 6: one of the best shops in vancouver. it's the first place I go when i need a gift [other than etsy!]

Poppytalk: who doesn't love to read poppytalk? design, art, handmade. all good stuff! and i love love that jan is from vancouver, writing one of the most popular blogs in the 'sphere.

PaperNStitch: another fun curated online marketplace, and a great blog too with lovely finds and great tips. I like Brittni's sense of style, and enjoy her posts.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
I am a total newbie, as I just opened my Etsy shop in May this year, so I'm not sure that I'm in a great position to give advice :) However, I have found that it's important to have a presence online other than just your shop. If you had a brick + mortar shop, you would spend lots of time and energy promoting yourself and your business in person, so the same applies online. What you have to decide is how far you want to go. Start a blog, a facebook fan page, a flickr account, or join twitter. You could choose all or one of these, but I do think it's important to be out there and get seen, and meet some peers. Not to mention, there is a fantastic community of people just waiting to welcome you. The handmade community is incredibly supportive, and if you're looking for more advice, or a sounding board for ideas, you don't need to look too far.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I think there is a lot of overlap with those terms these days. We're not talking about grandma's craft corner here, although there is such a resurgence of this type of crafting [crochet, knitting, sewing, quilting, etc.] that it's hard to say even that. I guess what I feel is that in the past several years, craft and handmade has become so hip and current. And the quality of work that is being produced is absolutely incredible. So I definitely think that craft and art should be somewhat interchangeable. That being said, I'm not sure I'd consider myself an artist in the traditional sense. If you could see me paint a picture you'd know what I'm saying, it's definitely not my forte. But I do consider myself an artist in the sense that I am creating works with my textiles, and I hope that they are appreciated as being beautiful and functional, both.

(photo images courtesy of Lesley Stenning / Smidgebox Designs)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

bobby pins

Hair clips are back in stock plus new fabric covered bobby pins! Check out the new packaging using the pen blender tutorial by bliss in a teacup (via poppytalk).


I'm loving the sailor ones. I made an extra pair. You know.. one for the craft fair.. one for my own use :D

Want a pair? Drop me a line!