The day Mary turned 65 was the day she decided to announce her new business. Her long-time passion for quilting could wait no longer! Mary wrapped up her job as an accountant with a small manufacturing company and was diving full tilt into a new venture.
She had saved up her money and bought a quilting table sewing machine. Her husband Brian helped her renovate the basement into a proper workspace.
Over the years Mary had established herself in the local and regional quilting circles. She had even won awards for her work. Her best quilt sold for $1,100! She has worked out cutting, sewing and assembly methods that reduce the time spent on each quilt while still making each one special and unique.
In addition to being able to work as many hours as she wants, when she was not using her robotic sewing arm table she could rent it out to other quilters. While quilters spend a lot of time and talent on the decorative quilt tops, they need a way to sew the filler and backing to the top. They want the robotic quilting table for the hard work that doesn’t require any artistic talent.
Now that Mary is even more popular with other quilters, she is also beginning to supply special threads and fabrics and other quilting supplies. She has had to open a small boutique shop in a popular district to keep her customers happy. Wayfinders Business Co-operative has been able to supply her with a realtor to help select the best location and building, an accountant and a consulting merchandiser. Her blogs on Wayfinders site have even persuaded members to pick up the craft of quilting!
A key piece of Mary’s success is being able to sell her quilts through Wayfinders’ online marketplace. As Wayfinders grew it reached from Alberta to Western Canada to international markets. It turned out that the Japanese developed a crazy taste for Canadian pioneer-style quilts!