Etsy Alberta Street Team Blog: Team Member Feature

2012/02/02

Team Member Feature - Magpie Quilts (Ann)

Ann - Magpie Quilts

1. Name (first only) and city/town you live in?

My name is Ann and I live just outside of Calgary city limits on an acreage with my husband, a cat, and 5 horses.

2. What you sell and why?

I sell quilts of all sizes, from potholders to bed-sized quilts.

3. When and how you got started?

I've been quilting since my kids were small, about 25 years and enjoy the creative process. Over the past few years, I've discovered the online quilting community and am totally inspired by the creativity that is out there. Somewhere along the line, I heard of Etsy, checked it out, bought a couple items and then started my online shop, followed by a business facebook page and more recently a blog.

4. How did you decide on your shop name?

I have a family of magpies that live in the trees in our yard and I enjoy watching them. I thought about how magpies are known for finding odd things and collecting them and how closely that was related to my love for collecting fabric. I Googled Magpie Quilts and thought there was a chance that I could do well in searches for my shop name and so Magpie Quilts was born.

5. Is there an item in your shop you enjoyed making the most and why?

Making quilts from scraps is one of my favourite things to do. Every piece of fabric holds a memory, whether it was found in someone's cast offs or bought while travelling. There are many beautiful matching lines of fabrics out there, but sometimes the beauty is found in the unexpected piece that is found in the scraps.

6. What’s your favourite part of the selling experience?

I love selling online! The Etsy community is so supportive (and especially the Alberta Street Team!) I love that I don't have to keep regular store hours and still be open 24/7. I've done a couple custom orders and am enjoying sharing the creative process with a customer. And it's great to get up and go to work in the next room and in my PJ's if I want.