Today I'm introducing you to Kim from Cloth by Kim.
LL&Co.: What is your specialty?
CBK: Cloth Diapers, mama pads, and things that go with them!
LL&Co.: Where are you from?
CBK: Originally Indiana, but in Texas now
LL&Co.: Do you have a day job?
CBK: I'm a SAHM, so I have a round the clock job!
LL&Co.: What inspires you?
CBK: I think that my friends inspire me the most. I think it's important for me to have a creative outlet in life, and this is it for me! I enjoy creating things and I really enjoy when I can sit down and create something new! I also love when people ask me if I can make something new because it inspires me to know what people want. I know what I like, but not everyone is like me :-)
LL&Co.: How did you get started?
CBK: I got started when my sister really wanted to use cloth diapers but couldn't afford them. A friend offered to show me how to make them for her at 1/3 the cost of buying new. At first I wasn't sure if I like it, but after I created my own pattern I was hooked!
LL&Co: Where can people find your products?
CBK: Right now most people find my products through word of mouth, but I recently started a FB fan page along with a HyenaCart store! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cloth-by-Kim/159415790772611 http://hyenacart.com/ClothbyKim/
LL&Co.: Do you have any advice for people who would like to sell their own hand made items?
CBK: Find your own niche, and see if people are interested. While I was thinking about making cloth diapers I was discouraged and was telling a friend that I didn't think that I could do it because there are so many other WAHM's. She encouraged me, so I got started and my friends started spreading the word! I started getting contacted from friends and family of friends and family! It's been exciting to see how much people want to buy from me because they know a friend of mine.
LL&Co.: Tell us about your family.
CBK: My husband and I have been married for 9 years, and we have four beautiful children! Our boys are 8 and 6, and our girls are 3 and 1. We homeschool our children so they are around all day while I'm working! Many times I teaching math while cutting out material :-) We started using cloth diapers when our oldest was about a year and a half and haven't looked back since! We are currently in the middle of trying to adopt from our state's foster care system, so my heart is really burdened for those children who don't have a mom or dad to hold them.
LL&Co. What does a typical day look like for you?
CBK: After breakfast the kids and I do chores, then we do some school. Depending on how much I need to be involved with their school, many times I will be cutting out material or sewing a few easy things. After that we have lunch, then is rest time! I usually try to get a lot of work done during rest time unless there is something else that needs to be done. After rest time I usually start working on dinner. After dinner we have family time, then the kids go to bed. If I need help DH will turn on the TV and press snaps while I sew. I love when he helps!
LL&Co.: Describe your creative space.
CBK: My creative space tends to take over the house! I started by having an area in the guest room, but I felt like I needed to be downstairs so I could keep an eye on the kids. Right now I have pretty much taken over the dining room so the kids are doing school in the kitchen. But if I'm interested in something on TV I'll move into the kitchen where I can watch while I work. Unless I need to sew and someone else wants to actually hear the TV!
LL&Co.: Do you have other hobbies?
CBK: Yes, I scrapbook and recently got into digital scrapbooking!
LL&Co.: How did you come up with your shop name?
CBK: I wanted to keep the name open so I could do many different things. Since everything that I make is out of cloth, I decided that I liked Cloth by Kim :-)
LL&Co.: How do you promote your work?
CBK: Mostly through FB, but my friends also really help by letting other people know what I'm doing.
LL&Co.: What are some of the goals you have for your business?
CBK: My biggest goal is to raise money for my friends who are adopting. Our adoption has minimal costs since we are going through the state, but I have many friends who are adopting internationally. Half of my profit goes to friends that are adopting. If I ever run out of friends that are adopting then I'll start advertising for new people to feature so I can help them out too. My second goal is to keep the costs low so more people will start using cloth. I know that the startup costs can be high so I try to keep things as low as I can.
CBK: Good question! I guess I can't say all of them :-) I think right now my favorite are the mama pads because they're cute, easy, and quick!
