“Even as a small girl, I was doing some type of craft project,” Curnutt said.
In 2009, the Curnutt family moved to the area and now lives in Washington Twp. Her husband, George is a member of the U.S. Air Force.
Curnutt continued making handmade crafts and collecting antiques and selling her items at craft fairs. In 2010, she found a small shop available for rent in downtown Waynesville and Sawdust & Stitches was born.
What the business does: "I'm proud to say that my business is a combination of primitives, handmade items and antiques," Curnutt said. "Everything is made right here in the U.S. I have hardly anything in my shop that is made outside of our country. And not only that but I know 95 percent of the artists that now have items for sale."
Though Curnutt started her business with her own handmade wooden and fabric décor items, her love of antiques soon lead to the addition of antique items for sale in her store.
“After a year I was able to expand to a larger location in downtown Waynesville so I was able to add more antiques,” she said.
How the business started: Curnutt said that when her family first came to the Dayton area, she was already a seasoned crafter and antique collector.
“In Germany there is a huge interest in antiques and Americana themed items,” Curnutt said. “They have huge shows in Germany they call bazaars that are held in aircraft hangars and other large buildings. I ended up traveling all over Germany and Europe with my items.”
Curnutt said her husband was always supportive, especially since his multiple deployments left her home with their three children frequently.
“He wanted me to be able to stay home with our kids, and this seemed like a perfect fit,” she said. “I started doing more and more shows and the nice thing about it was that when we were transferred, I could take my business with me.”
After she visited Waynesville for the first time, Curnutt said she loved the quaint main street filled with shops.
“I found a really cute little storefront and talked to George, who was in Afghanistan at the time, and we decided to open the shop,” she said.
Future plans: Though her husband and her oldest son, who is now 25, are both presently serving in South Korea, Curnutt said they plan to stay in Ohio after George retires.
“This is the first place we’ve been stationed that feels like home,” she said. “We love the people here and everyone has always been so welcoming and warm. Our plan is to stay here and we hope the business will continue to flourish.”
Contact information: Sawdust & Stitches is located at 98 S. Main St., Waynesville. Phone is (937) 367-2633.
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