VIVIKA DENEGRE: It was such fun to
meet you on that cold winter night.
Gathering and sharing with other
passionate creative folks was one of
the nice surprises of that event. How
do you nurture your relationships and
keep the fresh handmade aesthetic of
your brand alive?
KRISTIN AXTMAN: That was such an
amazing evening! I’ve reconnected
with so many of the people who
were there, but honestly, I had to
force myself to go. I knew I would
enjoy it, but I’m a bit of a homebody
so have to be intentional about
going to events and connecting with
others.
VD: Some of the most creative people
I know are shy, but fi nd their voices
when they are with their tribe. What
inspires your creative passions? Is
it people, community, location, or
something else?
KA: I love Brooklyn! When our
family decided to leave the Pacifi c
Northwest a few years ago, I was
very deliberate about living and
working among other creatives. So,
yes, the people with whom I share
this community are integral. I love
learning about other cultures and
walking the streets of New York City
constantly fuels that. I am inspired
every time I leave my apartment.
VD: Tell us about your background.
Did you start your creative journey as a
child or fi nd you way as an adult?
KA: I come from a long line of
makers and do-it-yourselfers from
rural North Dakota. I knew it as
normal that people sewed clothes
and gardened. I also thought
everyone’s dad welded, woodworked,
dug wells, fi xed vehicles, and
erected buildings. As my perspective
broadened, I realize that watching
my parents work hard and tackle
large projects has made it possible
for me to do the same.
When my son was a month old,
my husband and I left New York
City and moved to fi ve acres in the
Pacifi c Northwest. We designed
and built a Japanese timber frame
house by fi rst cutting the trees,
then milling the logs on our own
sawmill. We worked each day, and
in the evening we would read and
research to teach ourselves the skills
needed for the next phase of work. It
was exhausting and extraordinarily
gratifying to spend a few years doing
this. Along the way, we planted
gardens and an orchard, and raised
ducks, chickens, lambs, and goats,
providing 95% of our own food.VD: Tell me about your current career
sourcing, selling, and teaching in the
quilting and handwork community.
KA: For most of my professional
life, I have been an Organizational
Development Consultant, using
behavioral psychology to re-design
organizations. I launched Brooklyn
Haberdashery in 2016. When I am
not playing with fabric—printing it,
dyeing it, stitching it—I like to walk
and taste my way through the world,
comb fl ea markets, garden with my
husband and son, and ride my Dutch
bike in our adopted home town.
I’m pretty sure it’s my upbringing,
but I make most things up as I go
along. I’m fairly confi dent about my
intuition and business skills but less
so with the art and design world. I
had a limited formal art education.
All my instruction in handwork was
all from my mom, grandmothers, or
Girl Scout leaders. We just fi gured
it out. I don’t remember meeting
anyone who was an artist until I was
an adult.
I’m a little self-conscious that I don’t
know what I don’t know, but I just
move forward and try to keep in
mind that I make things MY way
and they don’t have to be the RIGHT
way.