September 10, 2018

Meet Trailblazer Marissa Ashcraft

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Ashcraft.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It could have started a thousand ways. My grandmother was an art teacher and my favorite part about my visit was always her cabinet of infinite art supplies, However, it was only during my sophomore year in college that I realized my affinity for sewing specifically. During Instagram’s boom, I followed a lot of Insta-blogs and was so romanticized by the vast wardrobes of my favorite bloggers. However, as a college student, I rarely had the funds to justify the designers I coveted. I realized that other women, like myself, must feel this way.

So, with wise words from blogs and YouTube, I slowly taught myself to sew with my first machine, a Singer. As I completed more projects, I realized that I needed a space to catalog my creations. Thus, my blog, One CrafDIY Girl (pronounced one crafty girl) was born. A lover of puns, my blog’s name is just that! My last name is Ashcraft, and my friends often call me “mashcrafty”. Combined for my love of DIY, I coined myself the “CrafDIY” girl! My blog started as a space to inspire myself and slowly grew into a place to teach others to travel, create and (of course) sew! Now, three years later, I can rarely go shopping without trying on clothing and thinking “i could make this”.

One CrafDIY Girl now serves to teach women and men that couture fashion is attainable and that sewing has a role in every modern household!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a full-time nurse, part-time grad student and blogger sometimes I feel like I have my fruits in too many baskets. Luckily, my blog has always been an outlet for creativity and stress relief. It has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people; creating experiences and relationships I never could have imagined. However, dividing my time always serves to be a barrier to my growth. While clique, I never feel like I have enough time in the day. I recently got the best advice from a fortunate cookie. It said ” you are the architect of your own destiny”. The way I interpreted was “just do it”. Don’t wait for tomorrow to do something you’d love to do today. By slowly filling your life with things you enjoy, you make less and less room for the things you may consider mundane.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about One CrafDIY Girl – what should we know?
Currently, I am a full time nurse and part time creative. On my blog, One CrafDIY Girl, I take my DIY creations on my adventures through New England. My intention is to romanticize and convince my audience that sewing is not just for grandma’s quilts. Making sewing and DIY more relatable will inspire more women to dust off that old sewing machine and gain a new skill. While I am a Jill of all trades at the moment, I hope that my readers see me as a relatable adventurer who fills her wardrobe with a mixture of her own creations and high quality local brands.

From a quick glance at my Instagram, @onecrafdiygirl, you’ll see that I love quintessential New England. Along with being hopelessly beautiful, New England is home to many small business owners who are creatives like myself. I have met so many on my journey as a blogger, and I hope to introduce my readers to more local businesses, hotels, and creatives. I love sharing the creative community that makes New England so beautiful.

I’m most proud of the connections I’ve obtained in 3 years of having my blog. One CrafDIY Girl started as a creative outlet to my life as a nurse, and now it is a sanctuary for myself and other women looking to gain a valuable new skill or go somewhere outside their comfort zone.

Recently, my readers have inspired me to go outside my comfort zone as well! I’ve found many of readers love to watch me create, but rarely have time of their own to do so. Many of my readers have reached out in hopes, I would create the item for them to wear. I’d love nothing more than to see my audience in pieces exclusive to One CrafDIY Girl. I hope this upcoming fall to introduce my readers to a line of items that are exclusively New England made.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
As I stated in my previous response, I think one of the biggest barriers in blogging is being a Jill of all trades. Women today have to wear many hats; a mother, a partner, a sister, a businesswoman, a cook… the list goes on. I know for myself I often find a struggle to balance work, blogging, creativity and self-care. With the dawn of the social media age, it sometimes is impossible to create the illusion of a well-balanced life. My advice to young women looking to gain a new skill or start a business is to be easy on yourself. Good things take time. Finding the balance is a challenge every day for everyone!

Just the other day, I realized I don’t have one single friend without a side hustle. With a statistic like this, it’s easy to realize that your struggle to fulfill your dreams is never in solidarity. Often, there is someone feeling just as misguided as you. Finding them and connecting can leave you with a renewed vigor!

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