Supermuch was born out of a love for sewing, outdoor apparel, and all things vintage.
I grew up in a creative household, guided by my adventurous and free-spirited mother who encouraged me to find inspiration in everyday things, and to make stuff with my hands—an art otherwise known as crafting.
I learned to sew from a line of matriarchs back in Maine: my mom taught me, and she learned from my grandmother—an avid quilter who also happened to make stuffed animals for her kids. I didn’t do much crafting in my college and post-college years, but in 2016 I picked up a Singer sewing machine at my wife’s suggestion and started to sew again. The creative juices were flowing.
It started with gifts for friends’ kids. Maybe I was feeling sentimental, or maybe I just knew tiny people were a friendly audience. I sewed old patches on sweatshirts, made custom flags out of vintage grain sacks, and then made my first foray into stuffed animals. The common denominator was making something new out of something old—and bringing people joy along the way.
My first stuffed animal used fleece from an old L.L. Bean jacket that I no longer wore. It turned out fleece was the perfect medium: soft, colorful, forgiving—and abundant. The early prototypes were…funky. Proportions were off, carabiners were not kid-friendly (nor parent-approved), and bunnies aren’t as easy as they look. But after several iterations and some candid focus groups, the first line of Supermuch stuffed animals came to life.
At risk of stating the obvious, this is a passion project. I have a day job in advertising, but when I’m not making commercials about beer and high-speed Internet, I dust off the old Singer. I launched this site to see if people are interested in my creations. If so, I’ll keep making ‘em. If not, I’ll make more for my kids—and continue doing my part to keep stuff out of landfills.
And one final, but important thing to add. I’ve recently partnered with Lori, a local seamstress, to help speed up production. She's the best! Lori started her career in fashion at the age of 4 hand sewing clothes for her teddy bear. At 13, her mother showed her how to put in a zipper, a sleeve, and then left the room allowing Lori much creative freedom. After hitchhiking to San Francisco in 1974, Lori worked as a cutter for various local fashion designers in the 80's and 90's, and has made many of her friends’ wedding dresses and childrens’ costumes. Her dog, Rolo, is a local celebrity known for her raincoat made from a Trader Joe's shopping bag. Lori's love of sewing has never dimmed and she is having fun sewing bears again.
Hope you love these little creatures as much as I’ve enjoyed making them.
Thanks supermuch,
Crain
**Why Supermuch? When I gifted one of the early stuffed animals to my friends’ son, Lewis, he exclaimed, “I love it supermuch!” That enthusiasm, playfulness, and spirit is exactly what this brand is about.