Shop Talk with Brooklyn Makers: In the Seam

Welcome to Shop Talk, our regular series highlighting some of the fantastic Brooklyn-made products (and their makers) available in the BHS Gift Shop, open daily from 12pm to 5pm!

Ronda J. Smith of In the Seam

For people who create, inspiration can come in many forms. For Ronda J. Smith of In the Seam, it came in the form of her cat Keywan, who had a bout with illness some years back. Ronda, who makes pillows using her personal photography, started by simply snapping pics of her pet, and before she knew it a company was born. Keywan pulled through and is still posing for pics at the age of 14, and In the Seam is now providing comfy ways to celebrate everything from your beloved pet to your favorite NYC landmarks.

We recently caught up with Ronda to chat about how she came to be in the pillow business and what else has inspired her fun creations...

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

I was born a raised in Michigan, moved to Florida for college at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and lived in Miami for 10 years before relocating to New York.

What do you make?

I make pillows using my photographs. I also make custom pillows using user supplier images.

How long have you been at it?

I made my first sale was almost four years ago. I had made my first pillow a few years before that and thought for a while that it was a good idea.

What is the story behind how you developed your product?

My cat was sick, so I was photographing him a bit more. Inspired by my loves of photography and sewing, I decided to print the image on fabric, cut it out, and sew a pillow. Yes, he is still alive at age 14!

Walk us through a typical day…

On days when I work at my In the Seam studio, I leave my apt at 9am (I drive and that's what time street cleaning comes). When I get to my studio, I respond to emails, print POs and organize myself for the day. I usually have a plan for the week, but each day something always comes up so I've learned to take it day by day. Most days I print, sew, cut, respond to emails, develop new pillows, make them, photograph them, list them, and try to remember to post to social media. On days when I work on-set as a freelance photographer, I show up to the studio location (usually in Manhattan somewhere), shoot products mainly for ecom and the web, go home, then drive over to my studio and work there until around midnight, when I drive back home.

What are you doing when you’re not working?

Thinking about work, ha ha.

How has NYC inspired what you make and how you make it?

I have an entire NYC series/collection of pillows. This city has so much to see and photograph. I could shoot, cut out, and make everything in NYC into a pillow.

If not creating, what else would you be doing?

Making and photographing food!

For more In the Seam products, visit the BHS Gift Shop, open daily from 12pm to 5pm! You can also learn more on their website, intheseam.com.