Where did your brand name come from?
I love puns and word play, and of course it’s always fun to substitute “Kat” in any word with “cat” in it – Katastrophe, Kataclysm, etc. “Katatomic” is the opposite of “catatonic” – there’s no way my stuff will put anyone in a stupor. It’s my aesthetic, with an energy pop.

What prompted you to craft professionally?
I’d just discovered needlefelting, and I felt like I’d found my “thing.” It took some serious encouragement from my BFF to go “next level,” but I decided to enter the craft scene with a focus on making felt stuff, because I really didn’t see too much of it out there. I wanted a challenge, and wanted to see if I could make a name for myself making really cute stuff. I had no idea how seriously I would take it. I still don’t know, actually, but let’s face it: It’s all about the Benjamins. Or in my case, the Washingtons and Lincolns.

Describe your design philosophy in three words:
Squee-inducing cuteness.

What is the one tool you would buy if you had an unlimited budget?
A fancy Bernina sewing machine, although I’d probably be too intimidated by it to take it out of the box. Le sigh.

What is your favorite motif or theme currently?
The quatrefoil! I love it so much it hurts me at my core. So classic, yet modern and fresh. Pretty much the opposite of what I make, so it’s a nice change of pace.

What do you think sets crafting apart from other forms of artistic or professional endeavors?
I think about this often, actually. I really dislike the perceived notion that crafters are the junior cousins of artists, like our work isn’t as important or relevant. Crafting just is what it is – it’s not necessarily open to interpretation, like fine art can be, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t fantastic design elements or craftsmanship involved. I don’t necessarily feel like crafters are trying to make a statement, per se – here’s a wallet, here’s a plush animal, here’s a hair accessory. But so many things that crafters make – at least the crafters I know – are beautiful, clever, well-designed pieces that just happen to have, perhaps, a more practical place in the world (of course, in arguing with myself as I am wont to do, I’d argue that fine art has a practical place in the world. This is where I just sorta give up the explanations and definitions and labels, and pick up a needle and thread, because I am really not sure that I actually answered this question.)

Oddest injury you’ve ever received while crafting?
Like a lot of people who sew, I have a habit of putting pins and needles in my mouth to hold while I’m doing something else. On more than one occasion, I’ve managed to thread a taste bud through the head of a needle and get it stuck there. I don’t know how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but I can tell you that a taste bud threaded through the eye of a needle is an angry taste bud. Ow.

And finally, what advice do you have for anyone just starting out?
Ask questions, seek help when you need it, trust your gut, and just freakin’ go for it. Make something because you love to make it, and you’ll be happy.

Interview by: Beqi Brinkhorst