Meet the Maker - Ohana Trends

Over the coming weeks we'll be introducing you to some more of the makers in the Sewing Sisterhood. 

First up is Naomi from Ohana Trends, a talented crafter who makes soft toys, mug rugs, hair accessories and many other gorgeous finds.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hello :D My name is Naomi and I am the vivacious and creative brain behind the facebook page that is Ohana Trends.  I am a mummy to two little children, Hannah (Miss H) who starts Prep next year and Oliver (Master O) who is my Heart Kid.  Oliver was born with CHD (Congenital Heart Disease) in April 2009.  He was diagnosed with Pulmonary Valve Stenosis (PVS) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD).  He goes in for his second heart procedure next year, to close one of the holes in his little heart.  Having had such a special little guy enter into our lives, has seen me and my husband grow and strengthen as individuals, encouraging us to both to more, to go above and beyond, when we can.

We are very blessed to have to gorgeous children in our lives and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Other than sewing, what do you do?

Hahahaha…I am a full time High School Teacher.  I have been teaching for over 10 years and I specialise in many areas, with my main areas being English, History, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Visual Arts and Drama.  It is my full time job and Ohana Trends is my creative outlet and my chance to relax away from work.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Good question….From my son and other children with CHD at present.  I am currently sewing hearts for the month of August and donating the purchase price of these hearts to Heart Kids.  My family and I would not be able to cope as well as we do, if it were not for this fantastic organisation that raises awareness of Childhood Heart Disease in Australia.

Aside from that, I get my inspiration from the colour that I see in the world.  The more colourful and vibrant the fabric the better! I also get my inspiration from my children.  I ask them what they like and they happily tell me…I then make everything that I sell on my page for my kids first…they are my product test bunnies :) 

What does sewing, crafting and handmade mean to you?

Sewing, crafting and handmade are about being unique and in some cases one of a kind (OOAK).  To me, it is about experimenting, creating and playing with a variety of fabrics and notions to make people happy.  At the end of the day, I like to make something that people are happy to walk away with and bring a smile to their face J I also believe that handmade offers a uniqueness, one that you will not get in a chain store and I like to dress my children and give gifts to friends that are unique and different...they show thought :)

Who is your favourite fabric or pattern designer?

Hahahahahahahaha…..Ah……I don’t really have a set favourite persay….but I do love the fabric ranges of Amy Butler, Riley Blake and Saffron Craig.  For patterns, I would have to say Sarah from Dolls and Daydreams….they are so easy to follow and my kids love soft toys!

Who has been your greatest influence?

In crafting…I would have to say my greatest influence in crafting comes from my mum. I have learnt so much from here in relation to hand sewing and finishing my work…having pride in what I create and willingness to give anything and everything a go.

I would have to also say another crafting influence would have to be my close friend Sarah from Skip Chasey.  In fact, Sarah was the one who encouraged me the most to get myself organised and open up a facebook page, to show and share with everyone what I create.  Sarah has such pride in her creations and is so inspirational.  So yeah, my mum and Sarah :)

Where would you like to be in five years?

Hmmmm….well since teaching is my life at present and Ohana Trends is really just a hobby, I tend to see myself moving up the hierarchy at work.  I would like to be a Head Teacher of either English or Social Science and living on the Sunshine Coast.  We presently live in the South Burnett in a town called Murgon.  We are two hours west of the Sunshine Coast and three hours north west of Brisbane.  I would like to be closer to both of our families and moving to the Coast would allow that to happen.  I also see myself probably going back to University to study once more…Speech Pathology.

What handmade possession do you love most?

Hmmmmm…you know what, I have three.  The first one is the baby blanket my mum made for my children, it is still in use today and so beautifully made.  The other favourite possession that is handmade that I love would have to be my key fob made by Sarah from Skip Chasey.  It goes with me EVERYWHERE and people always stop and ask me where they can get one from…I happily tell them to log on to facebook and go to Sarah’s page.  :)  In fact, I think I need a new one! Hahahahahaha.  The final one would have to be the love hearts that I first made for my children.  They still sleep with them every night without fail and when we go away on holidays, they must come with us in the car.

Be sure to check out Naomi's page, Ohana Trends, for information and photos of the hearts that Naomi is making to raise money for Heart Kids during the month of August.