Julie Schlutz took a woodworking class at Palomar College, and discovered a passion for making fine wood pieces that changed her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schlutz had always enjoyed do-it-yourself and crafting projects, but she didn\u2019t discover how much she enjoyed working with wood until she took an entry level Cabinet and Furniture Technology class in 2018 at her husband\u2019s suggestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018You would love this,\u2019\u201d Schlutz said. \u201cI took it and said, \u2018Woodworking and fine woodworking are a thing and I love it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before starting her business, Schlutz had worked as a real estate agent in addition to raising her children: Jennifer, now 7, and Charles, now 5. Since that class at Palomar College, Schlutz started a business called Woodworking Momma creating a variety of pieces from wood, including custom furniture, signs, and decor pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did not love real estate as much as I hoped I would,\u201d she said. \u201cWoodworking is my passion and I\u2019m putting all my eggs in that basket.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schlutz said she was fascinated to learn the ways she could work with wood. She still has the wooden clock, she created from her first class (pictured above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was the hands-on of building something from scratch and learning all the traditional techniques,\u201d she said. \u201cI had never used a table saw and a band saw before. The new things really interested me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schlutz has taken several woodworking classes each semester, and she said she has been impressed with the instructors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe instructors are all so knowledgeable in the field,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are so different in their approach. Some can be focused on custom fine furniture and another segment is the industry side of cabinet making and the bigger projects. It\u2019s nice to see the balance and to have both perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next spring Schlutz will be earning an associate degree in cabinet making and millwork. She plans to get a job with a cabinet maker so she can obtain a contractor\u2019s license for cabinet making, which is required for installing larger pieces of furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She credits Palomar College with introducing her to the world of woodworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never would have known where to go if Palomar wasn\u2019t offering these classes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"