Becky Striepe
Crafter Caitlin Wicker makes super-sweet recycled stuffies out of thrifted sweaters and retro-printed fabrics. By day, Caitlin works “with low-income high school students in an after school college prep program in Chicago.” Making these sweet little critters is her creative outlet after long, stressful days.
Caitlin says she’s been crafting for her whole life, but she fell out of it in college, focusing on art and design instead. She says:
…it wasn’t until after college that I felt compelled to return to crafts. The “death” of my older sister’s childhood stuffed animal, Pinksey (Pinksey was 26 years old; RIP), inspired me to begin designing my own animals.
How sweet is that?
She designs all of her own patterns and says she’s drawn to revamped materials because:
I thought it fitting to utilize materials that had been worn and loved to create new creatures that would be loved. A favorite old sweater, grandpa’s vest, a shirt from childhood: all these materials have sentimental value that transfers to my animals. In additional to sentimental reasons, I find used sweaters to be an eco-friendly and inexpensive material that allows me to keep my prices down.
You can check out all of Caitlin’s creations on her website, or head on over to her Etsy shop!
