Check Out Christie Poyo’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christie Poyo.

Hi Christie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I first opened my Etsy shop in 2011. I started out making beaded jewelry and teething necklaces. I enjoyed this, however I felt that I was trying to make art out of items that were meant to be more practical which led me often to think that I hadn’t truly discovered my medium yet. I stumbled into the world of fiber art early in 2020 when we were stuck at home, and I desperately needed something to keep my hands busy. I took a chance and bought my first weaving loom, a sweet medium-sized loom that allowed me lots of room to experiment and learn. I fell in love with the soft textures and vibrant colors of the materials I could use such as wools, yarns, fabrics, velvets, silks, as well as the ability to weave with essentially any malleable material I could think of! The possibilities of exploration in this art form felt, and still feel to me, endless- limited only to the depth of my imagination. Finally, I had found a way to express my love of color, texture, and beauty and felt I had found my niche in the art world. I am continuing to expand my exploration of the vast facets of fiber art, most recently by learning to spin my own yarns on traditional drop spindles as well as my very recent acquisition- a new spinning wheel! What comes next? Maybe a llama and moving to a farm…

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The struggles feel like they’ve been essentially of my own making. I’ve found the fiber art world to be such an encouraging and supportive community. People are generous with their knowledge and experience, which has helped me greatly as I am mostly self-taught. One of my greatest struggles is managing my space and materials well. I have a minimalist mentality; I don’t like to have supplies and extra inventory in every corner of my workspace. I tend to be all or nothing- it can be a struggle for me to know when it’s time to keep a piece that hasn’t sold for a while or take it apart for parts or switch out old materials which I haven’t used for a bit and bring in something new. I am learning to make space both mentally and physically for things to be messy and disordered and be at peace with it. I love simplicity, but with weaving and spinning, lots of materials are needed and I’ve discovered another side of myself that is much less organized and even comfortable with the messiness of the process. It’s been an area of growth for me, allowing space for things to be out of order and watch them come together in a new way. It feels like a place of moving away from perfectionism and into a more open space of understanding and forgiveness.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a self-taught fiber artist. My main focus is creating decorative woven wall hangings. I have dabbled in needle felting, and most recently I have begun spinning my own yarns which I hope to add to my inventory in the near future. I feel a childish freedom when I create, and when I’m weaving especially, my work is coming from a place of delight and playfulness. I am grateful for the ability to create from a place of joyful enjoyment. 

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I’ve had so many people be supportive of this journey, close friends, and family. I am so grateful to each of them for caring about me and helping me to grow my business into something viable. People have given me mentions, shoutouts, positive reviews and purchased my work for themselves or as meaningful gifts for their loved ones. I am deeply thankful for you!!! I am thankful for my husband, who often doesn’t quite know what to make of my creativity being the logical one in the relationship, but he enjoys watching it unfold and loves me so well along the way. Also, my two children have been especially encouraging. At ages 4 and 6, they love to be in my studio space and watch me work, and I learn so much from their honest observations like ‘Mommy- that looks like a rainbow!’, ‘Mommy, that’s so pretty, I like how it’s soft like that’, and my personal favorite ‘Mommy, wow! You did a great job on that one!’

Pricing:

• Prices for woven wall hangings range between $15 – $550
• Hand Spun Yarns range between $10 – $55

Contact Info:

• Email: feathersandgreen@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/acranberryday
• Instagram: @acranberryday

Image Credits:
Bobbi Jo Brooks Photography Corrie Keplinger A Cranberry Day Photos