Our Stick Of The Week! is Amy Johnson. Amy is in the NOW as owner, designer and seamstress at Amy Sews, custom creations for princesses, vampires and everything in between. At Amy Sews, Amy likes to do the unexpected and strives to be different from other seamstresses.
Amy Johnson
Amy is an army wife of 17 years and a mother of two kids, Aryn (13) and Adam (8). For Amy, there are two things she loves most in this world, "My kids. Everything I do is for them. I also love taking on a challenge and finding that it's usually not as hard as I thought it would be!"
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On The Wall).
My Noodle is a home based micro business I call Amy Sews. I have been sewing since I was about 10 years old. I learned to sew from my mother who learned from her mother. I am #2 of 6 kids and the oldest of 4 girls. My mother sewed to keep us in clothing.....jeans, tops, dresses and even panties! I learned that I could sew and make what I wanted and be different from everyone else at school. I was raised in an LDS home and we practiced dressing modestly. Sewing was a way for me to quickly alter clothing patterns to make them cute and modest at the same time.
My Noodle is a home based micro business I call Amy Sews. I have been sewing since I was about 10 years old. I learned to sew from my mother who learned from her mother. I am #2 of 6 kids and the oldest of 4 girls. My mother sewed to keep us in clothing.....jeans, tops, dresses and even panties! I learned that I could sew and make what I wanted and be different from everyone else at school. I was raised in an LDS home and we practiced dressing modestly. Sewing was a way for me to quickly alter clothing patterns to make them cute and modest at the same time.
Pink Heart Button Pillows
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Embroidered baby bib
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I sewed for my daughter as a baby and when my son was born and living in Germany with the Army, I started sewing baby quilts for all of my friends. It was a that point it turned into a noodle. When we got back to the states I was told about Etsy and thought it would be perfect for me. At Amy Sews, I have totes, pillows, baby bibs, teddy bears, Christmas stockings, coffee and can cozies and quilts in various sizes. I have also made the jump into doing markets and craft shows. It's a lot of work but I love seeing someone walk away with an item that they love!
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
I would say that my noodle is al dente. I have a lot to improve on. I struggle with getting my pricing correct but my wonderful hubby helps me with the numbers. I need to narrow down the number of items I make and focus on my best sellers.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I have been asked for advice from other moms about doing what I do and I tend to be overly honest. At times, my business can take a lot of time away from my family. Sometimes, I sew for 8 hours and I'm up at 4:30 am almost every Saturday to set up my booth at the local market. My recipe looks like this,
1 cup determination.
1 cup perseverance.
2 cups of love for the craft.
1/2 cup patience for customers who ask for the impossible and don't understand why it costs so much.
1/2 cup of support from my family.
Fold gently and let chill. Pour and spread evenly into pie pan and serve with a twist of humor. If I can't laugh at myself, then I am working too hard.
I would say that my noodle is al dente. I have a lot to improve on. I struggle with getting my pricing correct but my wonderful hubby helps me with the numbers. I need to narrow down the number of items I make and focus on my best sellers.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I have been asked for advice from other moms about doing what I do and I tend to be overly honest. At times, my business can take a lot of time away from my family. Sometimes, I sew for 8 hours and I'm up at 4:30 am almost every Saturday to set up my booth at the local market. My recipe looks like this,
1 cup determination.
1 cup perseverance.
2 cups of love for the craft.
1/2 cup patience for customers who ask for the impossible and don't understand why it costs so much.
1/2 cup of support from my family.
Fold gently and let chill. Pour and spread evenly into pie pan and serve with a twist of humor. If I can't laugh at myself, then I am working too hard.
Amy Sews Teddy Bears
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
My decision to throw my noodle came with a lot of encouragement from my husband and extended family. They all believe in me and my talents and encouraged me to take the next step into the craft market. At the time, I lived in a small town out in the middle of Texas and used that platform to get my booth and shop the way I wanted it to be.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I see inspiration everywhere. I love to look at things and say "Those colors are amazing together" or "wouldn't that make a beautiful quilt?" But I like to take my work in a modern direction. My family and I are big nerds and we love to watch Star Wars, Star Track, The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings and Dr. Who. I like to add a bit of the strange and modern to my work. I was told by an older gentleman that I had too many skulls in my shop. I laughed and planned to add more!
My decision to throw my noodle came with a lot of encouragement from my husband and extended family. They all believe in me and my talents and encouraged me to take the next step into the craft market. At the time, I lived in a small town out in the middle of Texas and used that platform to get my booth and shop the way I wanted it to be.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
I see inspiration everywhere. I love to look at things and say "Those colors are amazing together" or "wouldn't that make a beautiful quilt?" But I like to take my work in a modern direction. My family and I are big nerds and we love to watch Star Wars, Star Track, The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings and Dr. Who. I like to add a bit of the strange and modern to my work. I was told by an older gentleman that I had too many skulls in my shop. I laughed and planned to add more!
Skulls Lavender Sachet
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Hot Guys Vampires And Werewolves Pillow Case
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I think that being a mom gives me a better insight to my work because I can read people and say "I think you would like this fabric, or this pattern or color." I also like to know that my items will hold up to all that family life can throw at it. I expect my blanket to be dragged through the yard and the baby bibs to be washed a thousand times.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
I can juggle my mamahood now mostly because of the fact that I have been doing this for so long that my kids are used to it! My Daughter is 13 now and that is also a tremendous help. She may protest and complain, but she helps me by babysitting her younger brother when her father and I are at a market most Saturday mornings. I also love that I can stay home and sew and be here when they get home from school. That means a lot to me. My kids used to complain that they wanted to go to the after school care activities and I said, "Aren't you lucky that I get to be home with you instead?" They were not always convinced.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My ultimate pasta dish is made with my Husband. He loves to think about his retirement plans for after he gets out of the Army and my little business has a lot to do with it. Like I said before, we are big nerds and love to go to Renaissance festivals in costume but I was always disappointed at the lack of kids and youth sized costume options that were offered.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
I can juggle my mamahood now mostly because of the fact that I have been doing this for so long that my kids are used to it! My Daughter is 13 now and that is also a tremendous help. She may protest and complain, but she helps me by babysitting her younger brother when her father and I are at a market most Saturday mornings. I also love that I can stay home and sew and be here when they get home from school. That means a lot to me. My kids used to complain that they wanted to go to the after school care activities and I said, "Aren't you lucky that I get to be home with you instead?" They were not always convinced.
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
My ultimate pasta dish is made with my Husband. He loves to think about his retirement plans for after he gets out of the Army and my little business has a lot to do with it. Like I said before, we are big nerds and love to go to Renaissance festivals in costume but I was always disappointed at the lack of kids and youth sized costume options that were offered.
Amy and family in costume
The plan is to purchase several booths at various festivals across the country and set up my shop with kids and youth costumes for sale. It's odd but it's something we dream about and I'm looking forward to making that happen.
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