Where did "Makes by Maddy" come from?

Dreamed up during Covid, developed in a dorm room... 

When people ask how I began monetizing my crochet skills and started my small business, my mind always wanders back to 2020. It was a time of lockdowns, the world on pause. 

I was about to graduate high school and was isolated in my room due to quarantine. Like so many others, I faced uncertainty and change; I’d just lost my retail job as the pandemic’s impact spread. 

Like so many others, I felt lost and confused. 

With endless free time as an unemployed graduate, I turned to crochet for entertainment. Day after day, I’d sit for hours, crocheting and watching Netflix, with nothing but quarantine time on my hands. Before I knew it, I had a growing pile of handmade tops and projects, but nowhere to wear them and nothing planned for them.

A close friend of mine had started selling her own line of tie-dye, screen-printed clothing through Instagram and was getting a lot of love for it. It made me wonder: would people want to buy my crochet pieces, too? With no job and college costs on the horizon, I decided to give it a shot.

I sold my first crochet top for $20, convinced I’d priced it too high. I had no clue what I was doing and there weren’t many places to turn to for guidance. As people started reaching out and orders came in, I’d drive around town dropping off packages to local buyers—partly as an excuse to get out of the house, and partly because I barely knew the first thing about shipping.

I vividly remember the day I hit 500 followers. At the time, I had no idea I would continue building my crochet for the next 5 years, throughout college and countless life changes. I am thrilled to have a platform to connect with other creators and those who appreciate Fiberworks. I am grateful for the community I am a part of and value all the experiences I have earned. 

I wanted to start a blog so you guys can be a little closer to me! I want to share my story and learn from other creatives. If you have any ideas feel free to comment & I hope you enjoyed this extra little snippet of Makes by Maddy. 💜

Stay happy, 

Makes by Maddy

Makesbymaddy@gmail.com

Instagram: Makes.by.maddy