FAST Member Interview- Melody of Oh Baby dotcom

If you’re a member of FAST and would like to be featured in the weekly interview, visit this thread in the yahoo group to get the questions, then send your answers (and a picture or two if you’d like) to me at merigreenleaf[at]yahoo.com (or a convo to merigreenleaf). These will be posted in the order I receive them.

What is your name?
Melody Tuli

What is your Etsy shop? Does your shop name have a meaning?
Oh Baby dotcom
Generally “Oh” is the first thing I say when I see something adorably cute on a baby, toddler or child. “Oh…that’s cute, or Oh how sweet!”

Besides your Etsy shop, do you sell anywhere else? Do you have a website or blog?
http://ohbabydotcom.bravehost.com
Yes. I have a website which I created myself having a background in computer graphics and web development, before I began selling on Etsy. My website isn’t really set up for sales yet. So I’m currently selling on Etsy.

How long have you been making art/crafting?
I’ve been artistic in some form or another since I was a child. My father was also very artistic. He taught me from an early age to make things rather than buying them.

What was the first thing you remember making?
Probably a handmade mother’s day card which my father helped me produce.

What kind of fiber arts do you do?
I design and create hand knit and crocheted items for baby, toddler and children.
Sizes from newborn to children.

If different from the previous question, what was the first fiber art thing you made?
I believe when I was a child, I crocheted rug for my mother using recycled plastic grocery bags.

What’s your favorite thing to make?
Designing my own patterns and creating cute Tunisian crochet knit jester hats.
I found a love of this Tunisian (Aka: Afgan Stitch) this year.

(Click the below link to read the rest of the interview and see more pictures)

Where is the craziest or most interesting place you’ve ever crocheted, knitted, felted, spun yarn, etc?
I don’t know how interesting but probably in public it would be a doctor’s office, or hospital waiting room.

What is your favorite place to work?
On my sofa in my family room, generally while listing to something on t.v., or the radio.

What inspires you? Where does your inspiration come from?
New fashion trends, colors, the season.
Or just some new idea for collections in my head. I may first sketch my piece out in Photoshop so that I won’t forget my design idea. Then later go and create it.

Do you prefer a specific type of fiber?
I like the 100% cottons. But for selling and my buyers wear I’ve been working in acrylic.
I’d also like to try some alpaca and wools soon.

Is there any other kind of art (fiber-related or not) that you’d like to learn?
Oh YES! I want to learn the Fair Isle pattern in knitting and also to make fine cables, someday. I want to learn it all. I love learning new patterns.

Tell us a bit about yourself- where do you live, what’s your job, do you have a spouse/children/pets, any other hobbies, that kind of thing.
I’m a south Florida transplant from the Hoosier state. My husband, kitty and I have lived here for the past 16 years. I first began making baby items for my family and friends. We don’t have any children and for me I received a great joy from making others happy. I also enjoy herb gardening, women’s tennis, cooking, computer graphics and genealogy research.

Tell us one quirky thing about you (or one thing no one knows about you).
I talk to my cat and I just know she understands every word I say to her.

Do you have any advice for other fiber artists?
Do what you love doing, perfect it and stick with it. Don’t get too discouraged like I do from time to time. Research and see what the latest trends are, but also stay true to your art and what you like.

Tags: etsyfast, member interview

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 6:45 pm and is filed under featured member. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.