Biz-ymama interview: Mom N Mia Quilts

~ Biz-ymama interviews other biz-y mom's to get a behind the scenes look at how they run their business.~

1. What is the name and the online contact info of your business?
Mom N Mia Quilts - http://momnmiaquilts.etsy.com/

2. How did you come up with it?

I'm a mom, and my nickname is Mia. Plus my mom and I love sewing and crafting together, so it was a given - Mom and Mia = Mom N Mia, and quilting is my favorite thing to do! Thus, Mom N Mia Quilts

3. What is your business?

I make a high quality line of baby gift items (burp cloths, bibs, car seat strap covers, etc), fun creations for kids like my Wrap It Up Crayon Rolls (TM) and Creative Kids Art Buckets (TM), and also specialize in custom quilts and bedding as well as other home decor items. My items can be found in my Etsy shop and in boutiques across the US, in Australia, Ireland and soon in Switzerland.

4. When did you start your business?

I started an Etsy shop in March 2008, but have been in business for 10 years.

5. What made you want to pursue your own business? How did you do it? 

Creating things from beautiful fabrics is my passion and escape! I grew up helping my mom make things for craft fairs but never overly enjoyed it - In fact I tried to avoid it, and managed to do so for most of my high school and first year at college. I made my first quilt on the floor of my college dorm room with a hand-me-down Singer sewing machine. After that I was hooked. I started making blankets and quilts for friends and family and haven't stopped. I still love quilting and specialize in custom quilts. When I was pregnant with my daughter I started making bibs and burp cloths because I couldn't stand the ones I could get in the stores - they were all either too small or not absorbent enough or just ugly! I have a major addiction to pretty fabrics, and love that I can incorporate them into my creations. My business has grown from making things for myself and family/friends to quite a success. I started out small and through word of mouth was able to grow my orders, and being on Etsy has opened up a world-wide market for me. I only do 2 or 3 "craft" shows per year.

6. What is your daily life/ schedule like?

A typical day for me:
6:30 - wake up and shower
7:30 - wake up and dress kids (2 and 4 years old)
8:00 - rush out the door for daycare/work, drop off kids, fight traffic
8:30-5:00 - work - I'm an exec legal assistant for a large hospital system; try to check in on Etsy and email few times during the day
11:30-12:30 - run errands, usually trips to fabric stores and post office; remember to eat lunch
5:15 - leave work, rush to pick up kids from daycare
6 - 8:30 - make dinner, spend time with kids, baths, etc
8:30-9:30 - check Etsy and email, print out orders, pull fabrics, etc for orders to be filled until time to put older daughter to bed
10:30-11:30 (or later): sew and package orders
midnight - hit pillow for a few hours of shut eye before starting it over again!

7. When do you find the time to work? .
I work at my full-time job M-F, 8:30-5; I squeeze in time during the day to check messages/emails/Etsy; I sew for about 1-2 hours each night and on the weekends when we aren't running around. Sleep is over-rated!

8. What are your future goals?
I would love to do Mom N Mia Quilts full time. Within the next 18 months I will be taking more solid steps to transitioning towards that goal.

9. What is the hardest thing about what you are doing?
Juggling work, kids, and at least some sleep in 24 hours each day. There is never enough time for all the things I'd like to do. I have hundreds of creative ideas in my brain, but no time to get them done!

10.What advice do you have for other working mommies?
- Take life one day at a time.
- Remember that no matter what, family is most important. My husband and kids are always Number One, no matter what.
- Once in a while you just have to step back, take a breath, and walk away for a while
- Don't forget to take some time for YOU once in a while, even if it is just a trip to the salon for a pedicure or a Vanilla Latte run!