Interview with Primitive Crafts Maker: Kathy Kittredge

Kathy Kittredge has been selling and collecting antiques for twenty-five years. Early on she discovered the joy of making primitive crafts from old quilts. After years of being submerged in the world of antiques and primitives, she learned about the online handmade marketplace Etsy while watching the Martha Stewart Show. Soon after, her own Etsy shop, Kittredge Mercantile, was born.

“I collect primitive painted furniture, samplers, yellow ware, early lighting, quilts, tin cookie cutters, stoneware, baskets, game boards, birdhouses, and Cornish ware,” Kathy states with pride. “I’m lucky that I got started antiquing, it lead me to discovering crafting.”

Kathy’s crafting has led to a very satisfying career. “The best part is making my own hours. I love painting in my sweats at 12:00 p.m. while watching Oprah. You can’t get much better than that.”

Kathy’s specialties, at the moment, are handmade cloth dolls and painted Americana. “All of my cloth dolls are inspired by the designs of others. I love buying patterns and making dolls of all kinds. My hand-painted Americana items are inspired by our American flag. I love to paint flags on everything from baseballs to birdhouses to baby shoes.”

When asked what advice she would give to anyone who loves making primitives and thinks they’d like to make a career of it, she has this to say: “Make what you love and others will love it too. It might take awhile to find your niche. Stick with it. I have come full circle. Twenty-five years ago I started making items from old quilts and now I’m back at. I love what I do and feel blessed everyday that my husband thinks I have a job.”