Today I would like to introduce you to Crystal Humble of So Humble Beginnings. She is a fellow Air Force wife and work at home mom.
SHB: Aprons, Quilts, and Children’s art items
LL&Co.: Where are you from?
SHB: Military Wife and Kid (but I Claim Pauls Valley, Oklahoma)
LL&Co.: Do you have a day job?
SHB: Mom, and Running my business! I have a brick and mortar shop and online store as well.
SHB: Life!! Other Artists. There are sooo many great and talented women out there!
LL&Co.: How did you get started?
SHB: I was living overseas. I decided that I wanted to start "doing" something crafty again. So I drug out my old sewing machine and went at it. Now I have WAYYYYYYY too much fabric (if there is such a thing) and a WHOLE room full of machines and doo dads.
LL&Co: Where can people find your products? 
SHB: Make what makes YOU happy. Create what you enjoy. Don't stress over the "rules" of sewing. There isn't always a WRONG and a RIGHT way to do something. Now sometimes there is an EASIER way.
SHB: My husband is in the USAF going on 14 years now. I have 2 boys who are just fabulous. We love to travel even if it’s just for a short weekend get away. We are a very close knit family. My boys are each others best friends, as are my Husband and I.
LL&Co. What does a typical day look like for you?
SHB: I get up, make myself a cup of coffee, and sit to pilfer through the MASSIVE number of emails that came through while I was sleeping. Make the boys breakfast, I do this every morning, and trying to keep up something NEW everyday is a challenge. Then once they are off to school it’s a decision of going into the shop, sewing up an order, or organizing and sorting supply orders which ship out all over the world. What happens that day is decided by which of those three tasks is currently the most demanding at the time.
LL&Co.: Describe your creative space.
SHB: It’s a JUNGLE!!! Its organized CHAOS! I have a "spare" bedroom upstairs that i have taken as MINE. It looks out onto our loft upstairs, which is the boy’s play area, so i can still be close to them while in there working. I have a Serger, Pfaff QE 4.0, Singer XL100 embroidery machine, and a Tin Lizzie 18 Long Arm Quilter. I have 4 bookcases FILLED with fabrics. A Makeshift cutting table and a closet full of fabric and other crafty items. I’m not really sure if the carpet in there is the same color as the rest of the house...since I don't see it too often!! LOL I mounted a TV in there to help not make me feel like I’m in a One Woman Sweat Shop at times.
LL&Co.: Do you have other hobbies?
SHB: I love to bake, scrapbook, photography, and traveling!
LL&Co.: How did you come up with your shop name?
SHB: A long time ago, when my oldest was a baby, I wanted to open a Children’s Shop. We lived in the Panhandle of Florida at the time and there were NO baby shops. With my last name being HUMBLE, I thought HUMBLE BEGINNINGS would be a great BABY store name. We'll THAT never happened...my oldest didn't sleep for 2 years, so there was NO way I was going to be able to do ANYTHING! So when I started my sewing business 7 years later, I just used the same thing but added a SEW to the beginnings...and voila.
LL&Co.: How do you promote your work?
SHB: A lot of my work is promoted by word of mouth. I like to pride myself on GREAT customer service and flexibility. I will ALWAYS make it right! However I have been struggling lately with the idea of advertisement. How to REALLY get my name out there to the rest of the world, and as of yet I haven't come up with any Great solutions.
LL&Co.: What are some of the goals you have for your business?
SHB: I would love to just have a nice steady stream of clients. I would love to be a GREAT blogger (which I am not). I would like to become an artist that is featured places, that get's known for just that one great shtick. Last but not least...I want to have my own Brick and Mortar shop...when we finally land wherever the Air Force lets us land!
LL&Co. What is your favorite item in your shop right now?
SHB: Right now I think it is still my Cherry Quilt! I LOVE this thing. I get giddy every time I look at it and the Free Hand Cherries I stitched on it! I am very proud of how it turned out!
Looks like a fun little shop!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Mary Jo for the opportunity to be a part of your blog! It was fun...wish i could have found a good picture of my whole workshop...that was CLEAN!! lol it does exist somewhere!
ReplyDeletehere is a link to my online shop. where you can save 25% through Valentines Day. Use FEB25 and it will take 25% off your total order at check out.
ReplyDeletewww.sewhumblebeginnings.com