Interview Day 23: Owlette Collective

Name: Jessica Bornick and Britt Willis
Business Name: Owlette Collective
Location: Bloomington, IN and Nashville, TN

What do you make? We make clothing for little ones, like bibs, bloomers and dresses; we also make accessories for busy parents: market bags, quick-change diaper wallets, and take-along crayon rolls to name a few.

How did you learn your art/craft? We both learned to sew in elementary school. Jessica holds a degree in fashion design while Britt is mostly self-taught; when we met five years ago we began collaborating and sharing skills.

Where do you get your inspiration from? In regards to design, we both love vintage details combined with modern style. When Jessica found out she was pregnant, focusing on baby/kid/parent sewing seemed like the natural choice! Britt approached sewing through quilt-making while Jessica took to garment construction; both practices are rooted in tradition. We both have mothers, grandmothers, and so on who sewed for utility or as their trade, so the act of sewing connects us to our past. That is a huge inspiration!

Do you have a "real world" job? Jessica sews freelance: alterations, wedding dresses, drag Madonna costumes, and odd piece work. Britt manages an independent quilt shop and sews for profit here and there.

Your five favorite things:

between the two of us, we came up with:

-sewing, obviously

-Jessica's baby, who will explode onto the scene mid-May!

-herbal medicine (Jessica)

-bread-baking (Britt)

-Dragon Park in Nashville, TN, home to a gigantic mosaic dragon

Who are your favorite artists/crafters?

Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin for her sustainable business model (http://alabamachanin.com/)

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, surrealist fashion designer (http://www.agatharuizdelaprada.com/)

the quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama (http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/)

Where can we find you?
Britt maintains a blog at http://scrapyardfabrication.blogspot.com/ as well as an Etsy of small things at http://shopscrapyard.etsy.com/. Jessica sells her work under the name Parasol at Treehouse Kids in Chattanooga, TN and Serendipity in Nashville, TN.