02.29.08
My Interview with Brew, Owner of Couture Brew
Please meet Brew, Owner of www.couturebrew.etsy.com.
Where are you located? I’m in the middle of NoWhere Indiana.
What do you design? I mainly focus on Younger Girls Fashion, Dresses, Shirt & Pants sets, Shirt and Skirt sets. I’ve just recently started doing some Hair Clips and Barrettes along with very Girls Socks.
Where/How did you learn this? I learned to sew from my mother who, it seemed, was always at her machine. I, of course, did pay as much attention as I should have, and I learned from trial and error as well-lol.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Oh, my goodness, there are so many! I’d have to say Pitti Bimbo is a real source of inspiration though.
Where does your inspiration come from? I’ll have to say that my inspiration came from wanting my own girls to dress their own age without having to purchase clothing for them that looked like a miniature copy of an adult or Junior item. I really enjoy little girls who look like little girls in their own right, not just a shrunken copy of their big sister or mom.
What do you do to combat creative block? Well, since we’re still getting snow, I usually go outside and throw snowballs around with my kiddos ~ you’d be surprised how a good smack with that cold snow wakes you up, LOL!
Where do you design your creations? Oh, my goodness…anywhere and everywhere! When an idea strikes me, I have to write it down or it just drives me nuts until I can go start touching my fabric. Otherwise you can usually find me in the studio, I’m not one to draw out a lot of my ideas. I do best when I just start right in with the design process and let it flow from my minds eye.
What does your work space look like right now? Controlled Chaos! I have a place for everything but, I always seem to need something to trip over or move out of the way to get a jolt of “oh, I could use this for…” as I’m touching it.
How does your family feel about what you do? As a whole, they support it. Individually, it just depends on which of the 7 kiddos wants this or that. And my hubby ~ he’s and Awesome guy! He supports me no matter what I decide to do.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Don’t be totally disappointed if you don’t get exactly what you had in mind and be prepared to absolutely surprise yourself. That’s the best way. You can step back and say, “I knew it was gonna be cute but, this is really SWEET.”
Best advice you received when starting your own business venture? Treat it as a business, not a hobby and enjoy it as a hobby not a job.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Flexibility to change my mind and direction any time the mood strikes.
Least favorite? Ugh, there is no one else to blame when I don’t feel like stepping up to the plate.
How do you relax? Cooking, reading, family time.
Favorite color? Greens, not bright green, but all the muddy, mucky shades of olivey greens.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? I think it depends on the season.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Networking! I need to be better organized with my networking skills.
A sample of Couture Brew products. For all products, please visit Brew’s website.
