In this episode of Homespun, host Misty Doan welcomes Rena Dearden, owner and designer behind The Rustic Horseshoe, known for her charming stuffed animals and ride-on toy sewing patterns. Rena shares her inspiring leap from a career in law enforcement to building her own creative business, sparked by a beloved childhood stick horse. She opens up about the challenges of leaving a stable job, the perseverance it took to make her dream work, and how she turned an early, imperfect creation into a thriving pattern line beloved by makers worldwide.

Key Episode Highlights:

• How Rena transitioned from police work to running a creative business from home

• The sentimental story of the stick horse that inspired The Rustic Horseshoe

• How strong, skilled women in law enforcement reshaped Rena’s view of sewing

• Lessons learned from selling early creations and refining designs

• Rena’s hands-on, pencil-and-paper approach to designing stuffed animals

• Why sticking through financial and emotional challenges made all the difference

• The shift from product deadlines to a more flexible pattern-based business

• Why anyone can create with the right steps and mindset

• How Rena stays inspired and playful in her work