The Mill City Times Interview: Julie Steller, Owner/Creative Director of Steller Handcrafted Goods

Article by Becky Fillinger 

Looking for unique, locally handcrafted gifts?  Want to hear of a business that is busy during the pandemic? We talked to Julie Steller about keeping her staff employed during the pandemic and her new venture with local nonprofits.   

Q:  Tell us about Steller Handcrafted Goods.

A:  Steller Handcrafted Goods is a small, local company based in NE Minneapolis. We are known for our repurposing of quality wool and cashmere sweaters, Swedish Braid jewelry & Nordic designs as well as our impeccable workmanship. Our products are sold in our shop, on our website and in other stores around the country. I am a late bloomer in the business world - even though I have been a maker my whole life I did not start Steller Goods until my mid 50's!

Julie Steller

Q:  You’re an upcycler of textiles. Do you have tips for others who might like to begin a creative upcycling journey?

A:  It is great fun to hunt for lovely textiles and think about how one could give them a new life of usefulness. I fell in love with a pair of repurposed wool sweater mittens, and that started me on my journey. Once you begin repurposing, you begin to see all kinds of opportunities. I even repurposed a huge piece of the Metrodome roof!

The plan for the Metrodome roof panel was to use it for durable mitten palms, but it was so slippery (Teflon-coated fiberglass!). We ended up making patches to put on mittens made in Minnesota Twins, Vikings and U of M Gopher colors (the three teams who played in the Dome). We made key fobs, too. It was a lot of fun. We still have some Twins and Gopher mittens and key fobs available.

Steller Nordic mitten

Q:  When did you open your studio? Anything new with your product line?

A: I worked out of my home for many years, moving from kitchen table to extra bedroom to the entire basement! In November of 2019 we moved into our studio at the Waterbury Building in NE Minneapolis. We were so excited to be a part of the Arts District and have a small storefront in the space we share with Janel Schelzel and Salted Artist. Unfortunately, when COVID-19 hit our building was shut down and I was back to my house. We also had to stop production as we saw all of the stores that carry our products close and all our fall events get cancelled. This was a heartbreaking time, especially when I had to tell all of my seamstresses that they were furloughed. 

Dog collarsI must say that what came next was quite a whirlwind: suddenly there was a need for face masks - LOTS of face masks. Because we are a small business we were able to pivot, and soon were making 100's of cotton face masks! My team was amazing, wholeheartedly throwing all their energy into meeting the need. This enabled me to hire my whole team back, plus three more people! Because no stores were open, we set up a self-serve Front Porch Shop at my house as well as on the website. It was a bit of a whiplash experience, from despair to frenetic production! 

Another amazing development is that we have been asked to partner with two local nonprofits - Support The Cities and Involve MN - to make neck gaiters for people facing homelessness this winter. Last year they bought them off Amazon, but decided to see if a local business could make them for less – turns out we can make them for half the cost! If I hadn't had the experience of scaling up to make 1000's of face masks I think I would have said "no" to this need, but because of all that has transpired we said "yes" and have already begun sewing the 8,000 neck gaiters they are raising funds for. As face masks are now more available, that work has slowed; so this is a huge blessing for my team (17 women and one man!) to provide work for the next few months. 

Some of the team have pivoted back to the products we are known for: mittens, elf hats, purses and cashmere wrist warmers. Our shop is open three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10a-3p) and by appointment, for safely distanced shopping. We are rebooting our website and all new product goes up the end of this week, just in time for this crazy cold snap!

Cute elf hat!

Q:  Do customers make suggestions for new products? BTW, I would love a lanyard for my keys made of the Swedish braid.  

A:  We love doing special orders for folks using sweaters that are dear to them but no longer wearable. This memorabilia work is often very moving, taking a sweater that belonged to a loved family member and creating mittens, hats or purses that will be a reminder of that person. We do this work year-round, with November 15 the deadline for being finished by Christmas.

We also love to hear ideas for new products (especially if they involve Swedish braid!). Our Face Mask Lanyards idea came from one of our customers, and now we can't live without them!

Q:  How can we follow your news?

A:  Website: www.stellergoods.com, Instagram and Facebook.

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About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.