Etsy's Handmade Blog
Handmade Portraits: Built by Wendy
Story by weirdwolf
Published on July 18, 2008 in This Handmade Life

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(music by Jukeboxer, Lineland)

Without role models to guide her, self-taught fashion designer Wendy Mullin of Built By Wendy went from selling her handmade dresses in her front yard to owning four stores across the U.S., running a successful clothing label, collaborating on pattern designs for Simplicity and authoring the Sew U book series. As part of Etsy's Handmade Portrait series, Wendy took time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about how she's built her business from scratch. Her sense of style and process are rooted in making garments by hand, and though she's not an Etsy seller, Wendy's beginnings are similar to many handmade clothing makers getting their feet wet in businesses on Etsy. Her passion, hard work and drive got her where she is today.

Wendy did a lot of drawing, arts and crafts as a kid living in the Chicago suburbs. Her mom, a seamstress, saw that she had an artistic tendency and encouraged her to explore. In high school she focused her creative energy toward photography and video, but with a sewing room back at home, she always found herself making things. During college in Kansas in 1989, Wendy started selling her handmade clothing in record shops where she worked.

After moving to Manhattan and showing her work at Steven Alan's showroom, Wendy got quite a bit of press for her clothing and guitar straps. She now has shops in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you like clean lines with a bit of fun nostalgia, you should have a look at her collection at Built By Wendy.

You can watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits, and we'd be so thrilled if you'd subscribe to our free Etsy iTunes podcast.

If you're into how-to books, join us on Monday, July 21, 2008 in the Virtual Labs to meet Crafty Mama author Abby Pecoriello. More details here.

Tags Annabel Mehran, Built By Wendy, business, clothing, design, fashion, Handmade Video Portraits, Jukeboxer, Lineland, Melodie Mc Daniel, Patterns, Sameena Ahmad, sew u, Tara Young, THIS HANDMADE LIFE, video, weirdwolf, Wendy Mullin
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27 comments     Login to add your own!

July 18, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. TeenAngster

I LOVE Built by Wendy. Her clothes are so amazing! What a great behind-the-scenes look at her process and where she came from. Great video.

July 18, 2008 at 2:31 p.m. Chillionaire

So inspiring! Her designs are awesome and the Manhattan store is sooo cute

Fabulous video!

July 18, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. pookeh

i ADORE built by wendy. thank you so much for this video. you made my friday!

July 18, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. papermenagerie

Built by Wendy is the best, and I so love her patterns and "Sew U" book. It's great that she hasn't lost touch with her handmade roots.

July 18, 2008 at 4:23 p.m. MissDandy

This was a real treat to watch - I admire Built By Wendy so much! Truly inspiring!

July 18, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. jamieribisi

Very interesting. I loved hearing her story.

July 18, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. shopgoodgrace

I love Built By Wendy & have many of her patterns. So thrilled to see this Etsy article about her. :)

July 18, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. ledthread

Ah yeah cool. I used to live around the corner from her LA shop. Wendy is definitely an inspiration. And thanks for including my stuff in your Related Items!

July 18, 2008 at 7:46 p.m. Schmutzerland

I really really really love that she used her gambling money to buy craft supplies! What an inspiring story!

July 18, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. littlehabanero

love! built by wendy,i was really excited to see this.

July 19, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. MissCrowland

That was really inspiring.

July 19, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. ZuliDesigns

This was an awesome video and story. I love to hear about self made successes! Wendy seems down to earth and definately creative! Makes me love her clothes even more!!

July 19, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. reiter8

Thanks so much for this great video portrait! I have been a fan for some time and it's great to hear how it all started.

She's so calm for having 3 stores, books, and seasonal lines!

A real inspiration!

July 19, 2008 at 10:19 p.m. voudrais

I love built by wendy! This story and video was so inspiring because my dream has always been to design and make fashion happen with my hands.. and it's so so inspiring to hear that someone made it that far without big name schools like Parsons or FIT, etc..

(her fall winter collection's inspiration was soo cute too!)

July 20, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. thetinies

Love love LOVE her clothes, and I've got a couple of her patterns that I can't wait to get started on.

July 20, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. sparklinglotusdesign

What a great story..would love to check out one of her shops! Thanks for the video!

July 20, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. leolucaescobar

Thank you for this. So inspiring!

July 21, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. catecorcoran

Yay, Wendy Mullin! Thank you so much for this video interview. What a great idea.

July 21, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. lovemaryxoxo

Encouraging story.

July 21, 2008 at 7:51 p.m. fernfiddlehead

This was super-fantastic. Wow. I am in awe.

July 22, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. yellowspringscrochet

What an inspiration!! Thanks!!

July 22, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. SusyJack

This was great. Whenever I get down, I'm gonna think of Wendy, out on her front lawn, doing her thing.

July 23, 2008 at 12:58 a.m. emilyfrances

Many congrats to Wendy for making her dream come true. I have so many exciting thoughts in my head now (and I can't wait to get back in my sewing room!)

Also - a broken spoke's trench coat is quite amazing.

July 23, 2008 at 1:55 a.m. LittleSparrowNest

Wow!!!!
Such an awesomely inspiring short..
This one really struck a chord with me..
Her story is the epitome of what you get when you don't give up and go for it all the way..
thank You for this!
xoxo
gsg
the Sparrows Nest

July 24, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. topsyturvydesign

Rad portrait!
Wendy is a Dynamo!

July 27, 2008 at 1:27 p.m. purlhandknits

This one was so interesting! Thanks for the great portrait Etsy!

Sept. 25, 2009 at 5:59 p.m. artnestshop

EEEEK! I have loved Built by Wendy for nearly 10 years now - I remember when her shop had ONLY guitar straps~ She is such an inspiration and her book gave me the confidence to start sewing clothing or sewing anything for that matter - it was such a treat to learn even more about her story - Thanks ETSY!!!

Susannah @ Art Nest

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