We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leanne Dougherty a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Leanne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

My business has really just grown organically over many years, taking lots of twists, turns, and detours…its most recent manifestation, Moth and Rust Handmade, started about 6 years ago. I’ve always focused on crafting with textiles–from designing and sewing costumes to knitting–but I wanted to start doing so in a way that was more sustainable. Since it’s really a micro business, it didn’t take much to launch–I started by setting up just a few items in an Etsy shop.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

As I mentioned before, I’ve always been involved with textiles–sewing, knitting, spinning, weaving. For some reason, I’ve always been drawn to cloth and fashion. Once I started bellydancing in 2003, I turned my skills toward dance costuming and put those designs on eBay. But even as that interest waned, I still had a lot of interests where I could draw inspiration.

I went through a phase–(to which, incidentally, I seem to be returning!)–where I was really into patchwork and hippie “spinner” dresses. I made a lot of those. I also developed a love for prairie-inspired fashion. And, I have a really difficult time focusing on things…I’ve experimented with a lot of different craft techniques, some of which didn’t work out, some which I could probably give another try.

So with lots of fabric scraps (I won’t throw them away!) and a love of creating, I started Moth and Rust Handmade as an outlet for selling unique, one-of-a-kind items that use up those scraps. I do use new materials for my custom-made bloomers and some other items, but no matter what, one of the core values of Moth and Rust is waste not. The patchwork styles and weaving (think yarn from fabric strips) lend themselves well to this principle. I’ve also written knitting patterns, which is a nice form of passive income for me, and enjoyable for other creatives!

This leads me to another core value of Moth and Rust, which is fostering that creativity in others. That’s why in addition to patterns for sale, I began blogging free patterns and tutorials. It’s really so amazing to be able to contribute to the community in this small way, and it is one of the best feelings when someone takes the time to let me know that one of my patterns helped them create what they were wanting to make!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I know this has been said before, but I think the most effective strategy for me in growing clientele is simply producing good work. Glowing reviews are worth a lot. And though not as common, you could even get a viral shoutout on TikTok! (This actually happened to me last year….!) Along with that, of course, is good customer service. Doing your best work is always a good policy.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I use a variety of platforms like Etsy, Ravelry, Spoonflower, and Redbubble (each for a different type of item), and I’ve experimented with various others as well. I’m not an expert in any of these, but I would say, for a business model like mine (small, craft-based, not a lot to invest, and not much SEO/marketing knowledge), I would start with a platform rather than paying for my own website. For a crafter, i.e., someone without a huge inventory, I would start off by experimenting with Etsy. This way you can work on finding your style develop your skills without having to invest in a website right away.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mothandrustdiy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/moth_and_rust
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/mothandrusthandmade
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/moth_and_rust
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mothandrustdiy