If you need to know anything about me, it’s that I love all things corgi (duh) and all things DISNEY! Corgis are the #1 obsession in my life, and Disney is #2. I take a trip to Walt Disney World every other year, read Disney blogs, listen to Disney music, and watch Disney videos. So what happens when you marry the two things I love together? *cue celebratory music* HEAVENNNNNN in the form of Mickey ears!
Jennifer is the owner of the shop Mousefitters and the creator of all of these custom Mickey ears. She has a senior corgi of her own named Ein, and often uses corgi patterns and fabric on her creations. Read all about Jennifer below!
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Hi Jennifer, can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you make?
I am a wife and a corgmom to one 11 year old corgi Ein! We recently moved to Irvine, CA. from the Bay Area because we wanted to be closer to Disneyland and the So Cal fun & sun! I make corgi themed Minnie Mouse Ears to wear at Disneyland or Disney World!
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What is your background in? Were you always crafty? When did you learn to sew?
I have always been crafty either scrapbooking or adding bling to anything I could think of. I started by buying the Minnie Mouse Ears from Disneyland at least 15 years ago and adding rhinestones, stickers, pins and anything I could to make them my own and stand out. My mom used to sew our Halloween costumes and I used to watch her. Mostly I learned on my own by practicing with a sewing machine later in life when I wanted to try to out new projects.
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Tell us why you decided to start making mouse ears.
I can’t believe I never thought sooner to try to make my own Mouse Ears. But 15 years ago when I would craft on the ones I purchased from Disneyland places like Etsy didn’t exist so the thought never came to my mind. It wasn’t until I got the idea to make corgi themed Mouse Ears, something no one else was doing, that I realized I wanted to make them not only for myself but for all my corgi/Disney loving friends too wear to the Parks.
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What does your workspace look like?
Currently I’ve taken over our high countertop near our kitchen so I can stand while I work, since I sit all day at my day job. I’ve purchased fabric storage from Ikea and rolling storage from Michael’s Craft Store to store the Mouse Ears I’ve made. My must have tool has got to be my sewing machine. It’s nothing fancy just one I picked up on Amazon.
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Can you share details about the process for designing and making your mouse ears? How long does it typically take to sew a pair of ears?
It took time to figured out how to make the process work for me. I watched a lot of videos on quilting and different sewing techniques to find out exactly how I wanted to make them. There are about 4 layers that go into each pair of my ears. I prefer the puffy type of ears instead of the flat cardboard like ones so I had to figure out the right amount of fluff for my taste. I also don’t like them too large so I had to keep working on a proper ear size that wasn’t overwhelming like some can be. I’ve changed them a few times since starting out and I’m sure I’ll keep perfecting them as I continue. When I first started out it took a few hours to make one pair but now I’ve gotten it down to less than one hour.
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What pieces are you most proud of? Which pieces are most popular?
My most popular are definitely the corgi mouse ears, the peach being the favorite! I’m so happy to make dog breed mouse ears for the Parks that are original and that no one else is doing. It is such a tough market, especially in So Cal, but I feel like I am creating Minnie Mouse Ears that no one else is doing and I am very proud of that. It’s extra fun and special to make dog breed Mouse Ears for people to bring to Disney with them because I know how excited I am to have anything with her breed on it!
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Have you done any custom pieces? What have been your favorites so far (most whimsical, fun to make, most challenging, etc)?
I had someone ask me to make mouse ears for their corgi to wear so I did! I also recently had a customer email me that she purchased a mouse ears hat for her son from another seller and that seller never sent them and she was leaving for Disneyland the next day and she asked if I could make them. I had never done ears on a hat before but I did it for her that night and I thought they turned out really cute! I even had my husband drop them off at her hotel on his way to work so her son could get them right away. My favorite to make other than corgi are the Happy Birthday Pom Pom Ears. It’s fun working with the rainbow pom poms and knowing they are for a special birthday at Disney.
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Tell us about your corgi or other furbabies… what are their names, favorite toys, favorite foods?
SGT Buckley- Muse and Head of Security at Corgwn Creations.
My corgi’s name is Ein and she is 11 years old and her Instagram is @Ein_thecorgi. In June 2016 she got IVDD (the degenerative disc disease and lost the use of her back legs). She has recovered very well and is walking like normal, you’d never know she had such a serious surgery! She LOVES her Disney Pillow Pets and her new favorite snack is called Thinkers which are like beef sticks but come in salmon, chicken or lamb flavors. We also have a cute little egg shaped guinea pig named Angel. When we saw her she was pink!! We were not looking to own a small animal right now but my husband just couldn’t resist because of her color. No one knew why she was pink but one person said it is very rare and happens about 1 in a 100. She ended up losing the pink as she grew up and is now white where the pink was but we still love her the same! She received her name Angel after Lilo and Stich, because Stich’s girlfriend, Angel, is pink.
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Do you have any business advice or words of wisdom for other Makers and artists trying to pursue their passion? What have you learned so far since starting your shop?
If you want to create something even though there is already a tough market try to think of a way to make it your own and just go for it and have fun doing it! When I first started last year it was expectedly very slow but then with the help of Instagram, mainly the help of my assistant Ein_thecorgi account, I was able to get my Mouse Ears out there for people to notice them. Then I started to get a few sales a month then a few sales a week. Each time I get a sale of a corgi or dog themed Mouse Ears I am excited that I am able to make something unique and special for a fellow Disney dog lover! I try to only make what is not already out there and I’ve learned that is the most satisfying way to go. My shop started out as predominantly corgi themed but is now turning towards a place for any breed dog lover to find Minnie Mouse Ears for themselves to wear to Disney.
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Are there any exciting, upcoming projects/designs that we can look forward to in 2017?
I am excited to start doing even more different breeds of dog themed Mouse Ear. Next I would like to make Pit Bull Mouse Ears and I am also going to start selling Minnie Mouse Ears for the dogs to wear themselves! I also hope to have a booth at this year’s summer Nor Cal Corgi Con beach day in San Francisco this June 17, 2017. So look out for my booth there! Or you can always find me on Etsy at Etsy.com/shop/Mousefitters 🙂
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