FAF: Mary of By a Thread

Recently I was chatting with quilters/sewers from my Quiltsy Team and Mary volunteered to be interviewed.  So, I went to browse through Mary's shop, By a Thread and I was really impressed. Her products are made of top-quality fabric with an excellent eye for details.  Her products are practical creations to improve the everyday life.  By a Thread is full of gorgeous batik covers and other useful items.  What a huge inspiration to me! I love her beautiful creations.

 

What originally gave you the idea to create such an interesting Etsy shop?

I learned to quilt from a friend when I moved to Vermont, about 8 years ago.  I like making beautiful things that are also useful.  That’s why I started applying quilting to everyday items.  I started making purses and selling them to co-workers and at the occasional craft fair.  I found Etsy when I was looking for a way to sell excess inventory.  Etsy made it easy to set up an online shop.

Ideas are often so hard to implement—tell us a bit about how you started and what were your first steps in creating your niche in the Etsy and handmade community.

I found that the forums, blogs and seller’s guide on Etsy, were invaluable to me starting out.  I had a lot of questions, but could get most of them answered by searching the forums.  I also had a lot of friends who cheered me on.  My first customers on Etsy were friends who supported my business.

Could you share some tips on how someone would go about growing an Etsy shop or online presence? 

Creating and posting new items regularly seems to be the most important thing.  You read that advice over and over in Etsy publications because it’s true.  I’ve found it helpful to give myself quotas and goals so I keep track of how I’m doing with this.  This past fall, I noticed that for every 5 items I posted, I sold at least one item. (Not necessarily the new items.)  In December it was closer to selling one for each item I listed.  I love December!

What is your main hurdle in running your Etsy site to date?

Confusion.  There are so many products I could make and so many ways I can market my business, that it can be overwhelming.  I got a lot of help with this by taking the Business Turnaround class at www.ittybiz.com.

Tell us about the most interesting item you’ve ever made.

I worked with a friend to make memory quilts for his two grandchildren.  He selected photos that we printed on fabric, and I made quilts with them.  They are family heirlooms that those children will probably have for the rest of their lives.

How do you promote your business?  Facebook, Twitter, blogging, or other?

I use facebook, twitter and pinterest.  I have an email list and send out weekly mailings.  I don’t have a blog, but I write posts for other blogs.  I’m a member of several teams on Etsy.

Describe the process of creating one of your handmade items. 

When I buy fabric, I always launder it first, so it won’t shrink in future washings.  I have standard measurements for items I make, so I use them to cut out the fabric and batting.  I use cord in a lot of my products.  I sew that into loops for buttons, by hand.  If I use cord for purses, I hand sew the ends so it doesn’t unravel.  I generally sew things in such a way that the seams are turned inward. (rather than using binding to finish edges)  I free-motion quilt all my products, then sew up final seams and hand sew buttons. When I appliqué, I use iron on appliqué, then quilt over it.

What do you love most about making your products? 

There are 2 things that I most love about doing this.  I adore all the gorgeous fabrics that are available these days, especially batiks.  It’s a treat to be able to buy so many of them and make useful, beautiful products.  I also love the feedback I get from customers.  I love hearing that a product I sold, brought happiness or was the perfect gift for someone they love.

Fun Facts:

List 3 adjectives that describe you.

Creative, persistent, curious

What is your favorite food?

Do I have to choose between cheese and chocolate?

If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why?

I suppose I have the personality of a small bird.  I flit from one thing to another and back again.  I’m always busy.  I love trees and I love to sing.

In conclusion, I recommend that you treat yourself to a leisurely stroll through her shop.  You may find a treasure you never knew you needed!  Just click on this link and you'll be there:

By a Thread.

FAF:Aske Terry Art Quilts

While browsing Etsy for inspiration one day, I came across this beautiful bargello.  It is so bright and cheerful!  So, I Favorited it of course, then went to the shop to see what else is there.  It was such an interesting and eclectic set of quilts that I was intrigued.  So, I asked Terry if she'd like to interview so that I could learn more about her.  She agreed to an interview...  Hurrah!  Now you too may learn about her creative talent.
 

What originally gave you the idea to create such an interesting Etsy shop?
I wanted to share my art quilts with a wider audience, and my Etsy shop allows me to do that, and make some money too!  Also, I find that having the Etsy shop motivates me to keep creating and to finish each project I start. 


Ideas are often so hard to implement—tell us a bit about how you started and what were your first steps in creating your niche in the Etsy and handmade community.
I started quilting in 1998, and as soon as I discovered the concept of art quilts, I knew I had finally found my creative niche.  My style is contemporary.  Some of my quilts are pieced, some are fusible appliqué, and some are a combination of techniques.  I love bright, intense, complex colors. My favorite color is chartreuse; you’ll find at least a bit of it in almost every one of my quilts. I often use dark backgrounds, as they make the bright colors “pop”. 

I seldom have a problem turning my creative ideas into finished art quilts – although the design always evolves during the creative process, and the final quilt is sometimes quite different from my original concept.  



Could you share some tips on how someone would go about growing an Etsy shop or online presence?

Take advantage of all the Etsy resources - the Seller Handbook, forums, workshops, etc .   Teams are a great resource – I’ve learned so much from the members of the Quiltsy Etsy Team.  Good photos and interesting descriptions are so important!  However, I would also say don’t try to do everything at once, just start and then tweak as you go along.  And most importantly, make what you love, not what you think others want to buy.


 
What is your main hurdle in running your Etsy site to date?
 
Not enough time to create new items.  First of all,  there will never enough time to convert all of my ideas into finished quilts.  I have a part-time day job, so my quilt business is not my primary focus.  However, even a part-time business requires some time spent on listing and renewing items, paperwork, marketing, etc. 



Tell us about the most interesting item you’ve ever made.

Last year I added appliquéd fabric portraits to my repertoire.  The first one I did was a partial face.  Then I was commissioned to make a custom portrait of a little boy.  It was my first complete facial portrait, but I think it turned out very well, and the boy’s grandmother loved it!

What is the structure behind the scenes—how many people do you have working on your shop at the moment?

 It’s just me – hence my comment about not enough time!  When I first opened my Etsy shop, my husband did all the set up of the shop, took the photos, wrote the descriptions and listed the items.  That gave me more time to create art quilts.  But once I had built up a bit of an inventory, he turned  over the administration of the shop to me.


How do you promote your business? Facebook, Twitter, blogging, or other?

I must admit that I don’t do any of these - yet.  I do send out a periodic newsletter to a group of contacts.
I also enter my quilts in juried shows and submit my quilts to magazines.  I have had quilts accepted at the Canadian Quilters’ Association National Juried Show and the International Quilt Festival, and published in Quilting Arts Magazine.

 

Describe the process of creating one of your handmade items.

Here’s the process I use to create portraits.  I start with a photo of the subject.  Using photo-imaging software, I change the photo to gray-scale then 'posterize' it so that there are 5 to 6 levels of value. I then select 5 or more fabrics with appropriate values, often using surreal rather than realistic colors. The fabrics are applied with fusible applique, then stitched with coordinating threads. Thread-painting enhances the hair, eyes, and other details.



What do you love most about making your products?
I love designing my art quilts, and selecting fabrics.  When I am working on a quilt, I love searching through my stash to find the 'perfect' fabrics.  Often, when I'm selecting the fabrics, the colors change dramatically from what I envisioned in the design phase, but that’s part of the fun!






Fun Facts:


List 3 adjectives that describe you.

cheerful, perfectionist, creative




What is your favorite food?

Definitely savory, not sweet.  I love seafood and pasta.


If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why?

I don’t really see myself as a specific animal, but I am fascinated with the look of the Great Blue Heron – so tall, slim and graceful – eventually I’ll make an art quilt featuring this beautiful bird. 

I certainly had fun reading your thoughtful answers Terry!  Making portraits out of quilting seems like magic to me: unfamiliar and amazing all at once.  Wow.  Thanks for sharing your process too!
Be sure to treat yourself to a few  minutes and browse through Terry's amazing shop.