Meet Jessica Cherry | Fiber Artist
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Cherry and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, I didn’t start out wanting my craft of crochet to be a business, it was originally just going to be a small hobby, and something I loved to do on my down time! I learned to crochet from my mom at a young age, maybe around 8/9 years old. I learned just the basics, small chaining and then set my yarn and hook down and didn’t pick it back up for many many years!
Fast forward to 2011, I had my first child, and decided I’d love to make her something. And went with a blanket! Watched some YouTube videos and gave it a try. Then 3 kids later, I’ve figured out I LOVE to crochet, its relaxing, I get to create new and fun items with my two hands! Being able to not only create items that are unique and one of a kind for my kids was a new love I didn’t know I had!
Then finding out through posting some of these items on my own personal social media that others are loving what I’m creating and being told “Hey! Thats really cute, can you make me one?!” And after a few times of that happening, I started a Facebook group to just showcase some of my items, learned to read patterns, and I feel my business soared from there! It opened a whole new door of opportunities for not only me gaining confidence in my abilities to create but the possible opportunity that this could become more than just a hobby, it might help support my family!
I’m still new, still starting out. I’ve got goals for myself and my business of having more of a following and sell in every state!
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a fiber artist, I create with my hands, hook and strand(s) of yarn!
The know how to read a written pattern, and bring the pictures, black and white words all to life is something I take great pride in! I love what I do, so that makes my “job” something I love to wake up to and start each morning! Being able to provide my shops in the community the one of kind unique items I’m making is also something I take great pride in!
My road was not a hard one to get to where I am now, I just feel I in a way doubted myself before starting, I was scared I guess you could say that my items would not be liked, and boy was I wrong! My favorite thing to hear is when someone loves what came from my hands. My only challenge I overcame is the fear of putting myself out there. Letting the community know this is what I can do. And hope they loved it all as much as I did!
Biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way, is that as a growing small business owner, you cannot please everyone. And not everyone will like your craft. And that is okay! Your market is out there, and I have to constantly remind myself of that, when one person passes, another my snatch it up!
My biggest thing Id like the world to know about myself, my work and my brand is that I love what I do, and I love to create for others. I hope that in each piece I make, be it a donated item, or commissioned they feel that it was something made with joy, happiness and a love for my fellow person!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, for starters my befriend would love to go eat with me! The first place that we would go try is something she has never had before! There is a spot up in Cloudcroft I love to eat at, The Dusty Boots Cafe has a burger to make your mouth water! Not to mention after such a good meal, you can then drive the short distance to the main street in Cloudcroft and walk through the different shops!
There is a bakery called KennaBelles Kreations bakery! I have personally ordered custom made cupcakes for 2 of my 4 kiddos from here and let me tell you! Not only were they delicious but they were adorable! We would defiantly stop in for a cute little cake pop!
Then to round out the trip, we would come back down the mountain, and find a cute spot known as The Rustic Cafe, Its located in a truck stop, but let me tell you about the bisques and gravy this place offers! That alone will fill you up with the portion as big as the dinner plate it’s served on!
Followed the next day by heading out to White Sands and taking a drive through the park! Taking in the breathtaking white sand. Of course, you cannot go out to the sands, and NOT bring a sled! It’s a must when you go to slide down those great white dunes!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom, 100% she is the reason I even learned from an early age about how to crochet, without her sitting down with me and taking that time, however short it may have been, I likely wouldn’t have the love I do now for my craft. Also, for my kids, once I became a mom, I felt in the beginning that i had a reason to crochet, I wanted to make my kids cute items. And once I realized I could provide that for others, and it brings in an income, my family quickly become my “WHY”. Everything I do have them in the background. Each sale goes into my family, from putting gas into my cars, to buying Halloween costumes! All of that, would not be doable without the support, by my family. Knowledge given to me at a young age by my mom and friends and family that helped me gain my first sales!
Instagram: Cherry’s Crochet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cherryscrochet/
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
