MCreativeJ
Des Moines, Washington
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:
Melissa: MCreativeJ
Melissa Galbraith is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ. She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state, where her mother instilled a love of making things by hand at an early age. Drawing on her love of the desert and plants, Melissa creates whimsical and modern embroidery patterns and decor. She loves sharing her love of embroidery with fellow makers through her embroidery kits, Pattern Club, and virtual workshops.
Let us know more about your business name - how did you come up with it?
MCreativeJ came about as a bit of a joke. Before we were married, my now husband used to joke that 'creative' was my middle name. So when I went to pick a name for my small business, I figured why not sandwich 'creative' between my two initials and MCreativeJ was born.
What is your signature style / item? How did it become so?
My embroideries, kits, and patterns explore natural elements like landscapes and plants through pattern, texture, and color. I was drawn to embroidery because of the different textures you can create with thread, almost like painting.
What makes your business unique to the industry?
MCreativeJ turns a vintage craft into a vibrant and modern art form. No longer is hand embroidery considered something your grandma did. Creatives and makers can take a mindful break from their busy lives to enjoy the tactile experience of making by hand. MCreativeJ designs are beginner-friendly, vibrant, and they're something they'd be proud to hang in their home, office, or even give as gifts, when they're finished stitching.
Photo Courtesy: Melissa Galbraith of MCreativeJ
What's been your biggest roadblock when it comes to business and how have you been able to overcome?
I originally started embroidering because it was a small portable craft I could take anywhere. As I started turning my passion into a small business, I quickly ran out of space. For the first 5 years of MCreativeJ, I worked out of half a living room in a tiny one person apartment. This meant I couldn't hold a lot of stock and had to keep things very compact. Now that we've moved into our house, I'm thankful to have a whole room dedicated to MCreativeJ where I can work and prep kits to ship items even faster.
How has your business had to adapt amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic? What are you doing to navigate the situation?
At the beginning of 2020, I wanted to focus on teaching and creating embroidery kits. I coordinated with many local maker spaces to host in-person workshops and had big plans to travel to teach and vend at craft fairs. These plans clearly didn't happen. But I was able to pivot and turned my in-person workshops into virtual events. They were such a fun way to connect through craft that I have even more planned for 2021!
Because most in-person craft fairs were cancelled, I pivoted to focus on wholesale instead of retail sales of my embroidery kits. Since so many people were looking for at-home craft options, this ended up being an excellent fit and you can now find MCreativeJ kits, patterns, and decor in more than 35 stores nationwide!
What is your favorite part of what you do?
MCreativeJ has grown to so much in the last year and I love all of it- well minus taxes, no one likes that! From connecting with fellow creatives to seeing someone have an a-ha moment in a workshop to creating new kits and patterns, all of it is enjoyable in its own way. I try to do a mix of these items each week so that my day-to-day is never the same.
What is your *must do* local activity?
I live pretty close to Seattle, WA and I love doing all the "touristy" things, they never get old! From walking Pike's Place Market to grabbing a flavored ginger beer float at Rachel's Ginger Beer on a warm sunny day, to seeing an outdoor movie, or taking the ferry to another island. There's so many adventurous ways to explore Seattle and the surrounding area.
Where to find MCreativeJ:
Website: https://www.mcreativej.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcreativej/