A printmaking graduate from the Ontario College of Art and Design, Michelle Galletta is the founder of Kiriki Press. The idea was inspired by Michelle wanting to make her niece Madeleine an embroidered doll but couldn't find a pattern anywhere. Michelle decided to learn how to embroider so she could make her a set of three owl dolls to play with.
It was difficult to find contemporary embroidery patterns that weren’t overly simplistic, let alone embroidered doll patterns, so Michelle ended up designing her own. As she was making Madeleine’s owls, she became fascinated with embroidery: the vibrant colors, the countless variety of stitches, and the calming effect it had on her.
After several years of improving her embroidery skills (and a ton of design work), Kiriki Press was born. It was developed in the hopes of giving others the chance to make something precious with their own hands. Kiriki Press was launched in December 2012 with seven patterns, and the collection has grown over the years and is currently expanding to include a range of other DIY products.
Michelle was chosen as a featured seller on Etsy and has been a contributor to Mollie Makes books and magazines. The company has been featured in Uppercase, Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Bust Magazine, and Homespun, as well as many other print publications and craft blogs.
Here, Michelle takes us inside her shop and shares how she moved from her prototype dolls into full production. She also talks about how she transitioned from what she thought was her dream job into starting a business of her own. Michelle shares her experience at her very first show, how she handled business growth through the pandemic, and where she finds inspiration.
What’s Inside:
How Michelle moved from prototype to full production
Michelle’s experience at her first show
Where Michelle finds inspiration
