As the holidays creep up on me, I’ve found myself more & more interested in the stories behind the makers. As we gather in the OMHG community and converse each day, and put together brilliant collaborative projects like MakerMail, I feel an intimate bond to my fellow makers that fills up my soul with goodness & want to share that with the world! I reached out to my fellow MakerMail friends & did a series of interviews to help bring that feeling of closeness & intimacy to the person behind the craftsmanship.
Today, I am sharing my interview with Magda from Twisted Thread & Hook, maker of fine home goods. I hope you enjoy this peek into her story! I think learning the story behind the maker makes the purchasing process so much more personal, which is what MakerMail is all about!
Tell us a bit about yourself & how you got started with Twisted Thread & Hook
I live in a beautiful Hudson Valley in New York. I have a wonderful husband and adorable 2 kids. Currently, I’m a work at home mom and enjoying my time with kids. I learned how to crochet when I was little and I’ve always liked to create things with hands. I decided I wanted to share a bit of my passion with others and that’s when I created Twisted Thread and Hook. It actually started as a fine thread jewelry shop, but one day, I found a rope rug and I realized, I love it so much, that I had to change the direction of Twisted Thread and Hook. The name “Twisted Thread & Hook” is really just a way to describe what I do – I play with a hook and twist threads (many many threads twisted into a rope) to make something unique and one of a kind.
What inspired you to try crocheting with rope, and how did your first few attempts go?
When I was growing up, every summer vacation my family would spend on a boat, sailing. I’ve always enjoyed being on a water. One day, I saw a post online featuring a rope rug, I started researching it but could not find much information about it. Eventually, I found an online place where I could buy good quality rope, I ordered many, many feet of it and made my first rug. I did break my huge hook while working on it, but when I was done, it looked better than I imagined and I was truly hooked. It just came naturally to start designing my own rugs, many with nautical theme.
Tell us about your products, how have they have evolved & your product line grown since you first got your start?
I started with large, cotton rope rugs. Shortly after I introduced smaller rope bath mats. Then I started thinking of other ropes and jute rope caught my eye. It’s 100% natural, like cotton rope, but has such a different texture. It just looks amazing as a entryway rug or doormat. I also wanted to have something more gentle for the little ones, so I started making fleece rope rugs as well. Eventually, my rope craziness took over even more and I expanded into even more rope décor items such as curtain tiebacks, coasters, baskets and and even Christmas ornaments.
What is your favorite product to make?
I enjoy making all of them, otherwise, they would not make it into a listing in my shop. My favorite changes, too. I like to switch around between things I work on. However, currently, my favorite thing is cotton bathmats.
What is your most popular product?
Monkey fist knot curtain tiebacks are presently the winner. I’ve had orders coming for them from many places in US, but also UK and Australia.
What’s a typical day for you as a maker?
As much as try to have a routine, I cannot get into one, so each day is quite different. They do definitely start with getting my kids off to school, then a short time in front of TV to watch some latest news and drink my coffee. After that, my favorite thing is to work on orders, or creating new designs. But sometimes, I spend a whole day on a computer working on my online shop, the accounting part of the business (which is my least favorite task) and marketing.
What has been the most challenging part of running your own business? The most rewarding?
The most challenging part is to stay organized and on top of all the tasks a business entails. I would love to spend all my time crafting, but there is so much more that needs to be done when having a business. The most rewarding is definitely the flexibility it gives, allowing me to spend time with kids when they are out of school.
How do you like to relax when you take a day off?
If it’s a family day off, then I love to spend time on outdoors activities or making crafts with kids. If it’s just me, well, I craft. Often it’s crocheting, but I love to learn new crafts as well.
What bit of advice would you give makers just starting out on their creative journey?
Make your product unique, be an expert in it and most of all, believe in it. You need to have a passion for what you do.
Aside from MakerMail where can people find you & your products?
If you want to see some of my products in person, you can find them in these two shops:
The Modern Dream in Saugerties, NY and The Treehouse in New Paltz, NY
And of course, I’m online:
WEBSITE | ETSY | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | G+
Thank you for letting us look into your world Magda! Support Twisted Thread and Hook this winter by shopping small and cheer on the OMHG community of makers by signing up for MakerMail before November 17th and making your own movement of moments.
