For this installment in our Small Business Interviews Series, we are interviewing New England Open Markets’ very own Em Peacock! Not only does Em and their wife, Allie, run their fiber arts business Leaf Pile Studios, but Em also works on the administrative side of NEOM. You can find Leaf Pile Studios this Saturday, June 7th at the Boston Pride Market, a special edition of the Boston Open Market!
Read on to learn about how Em’s business got its start, advice they have for fellow queer-owned small businesses, their favorite piece they have created so far, and more!
Please introduce yourself! What is your name & your business name? How do you identify?
My name is Em and I run Leaf Pile Studios! My pronouns are they/she and I identify as nonbinary and as a lesbian! I co-own the business with my wife, Allie (she/her), who is trans. Allie is a crochet artist herself and runs Petal Pile Studios.
Where are you based out of?
West Boylston, MA
How long have you been running Leaf Pile Studios? How did your business get its start?
I started Leaf Pile four years ago, almost by accident. I have always had a love of fiber art and oil painting. During the pandemic, I started to use my background in oil painting to develop my unique, painterly style of needle felting. I needle felted a portrait of my sister’s Dalmatian for her birthday, and my mom posted the photo on Facebook (like moms do). I suddenly got a flood of commission requests, and Leaf Pile Studios was born. About a month later, a friend invited me to vend at a market her fiancé was running, and after that, Leaf Pile grew rapidly.
How would you describe the mission of Leaf Pile Studios?
My passion is to bring whimsy into people’s lives, all while keeping this historic art alive. My original work draws inspiration from nature, my needle felted earrings are made with functional embroidery hoops designed for doll houses, and my kits are fun, unique, and accessible! Almost everyone I meet has never even heard of 2D needle felting, never mind tried it. By offering hand-designed and hand-packed kits in addition to my own original work, I hope to spread my love of needle felting and make it accessible to everyone.
Do you have any advice for queer-owned businesses who are just starting out?
Starting a business as a queer person offers its own unique set of challenges, but you can and will find spaces that will accept you for who you are and center and celebrate your voice. Do not try to limit yourself and your business because you think that conforming to a specific mold will help you further your business. You are your business’s best asset, and you owe it to yourself and your business to be authentic.
What is your favorite aspect of vending at in-person art markets?
I love getting to teach people how to needle felt at our little trial station! So many people think needle felting is too hard or too complicated or takes too long and it’s so fun to watch people discover the joy of felting right at a market!
How has New England Open Markets impacted your business?
NEOM is the reason I was able to go full-time with my business. Their mission of centering and uplifting diverse voices gives me a space to fully be myself and pursue my business in a way that is authentic to who I am.
Being a queer owned business, there were many opportunities that I was blocked out of, even being in Massachusetts in the 2020’s. I had a church fair withdraw my acceptance after learning my wife (who is trans) would be in attendance. Being a part of New England Open Markets, where my queerness is not only accepted but celebrated, has made all the difference.
In addition to vending, you also work for New England Open Markets - please tell us more about that!
I became involved on the backend of New England Open Markets in 2023, helping with public relations and social media. Later that year, I became the lead on-site manager of the Harvard Square Open Market after the previous manager left, and then in 2024 I was the lead on-site manager of the Boston Open Market. This year, I’m excited to be working on the backend of NEOM, serving as the Director and handling permitting, expansion, and grant work.
Please tell us about your creative process - where do you find inspiration? How do you go from inspiration to a finished piece?
Most of my work, both original work and kit designs, are inspired by nature. Needle felting is a highly textural art, so I draw much of my inspiration from things in nature that have interesting textures and patterns that can be replicated well with wool.
What does your workspace look like?
My workspace is a creative mess! I wish it were neater, but it is full of bin after bin of rainbow colored wool. I am very lucky to share a studio space with my best friend, housemate, and fellow small business owner & artist Mia Whittemore, so I am constantly surrounded by both of our work and another creative to bounce ideas off of!
Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve created?
My favorite piece I’ve ever created was my first large scale original, a 24-inch buck that I felted the night before my very first market. It now hangs in a nursery!
What advice would you offer to someone interested in learning needle felting?
Have fun with it! Needle felting is such a forgiving medium, if you mess up, you can just take it out and start over. There’s no need to worry about making it perfect.
Outside of running Leaf Pile Studios, what do you enjoy doing?
Outside of being a professional artist, I am a very non-professional poet and spend every Monday at the @dirtygerund open mic. You can also usually find me wandering through botanical gardens and reading Greek mythology retellings.
Where can you be found online?
leafpilestudios.com & @leafpilestudios on all socials!
