How it all began – my idea of the perfect eco-friendly environment
I am proud to be a woman/veteran small business owner! After I completed a 26-year Air Force career, I embarked on the next adventure in life, running a small sewing/quilting business. It was a natural transition since I grew up in a family that had a small business selling sewing machines. I have been sewing for most of my life. Going to shows with my dad as a kid, I would sew straight lines on different fabrics, even yard sticks!
Over the years I learned to read patterns and made some of my own clothing. Early in my military career I apprenticed with a local seamstress, on the weekends, to learn alterations. My next interest was in making tote bags and creating one-of-a-kind items, I created and self-published five of my own patterns. I enjoyed quilting as well, which led me to an interest in long arm quilting. To share my passion for sewing, I taught quilting and handbag classes for a local shop.
Growing from making alterations to making tote bags
Green Envy Creations was created out of my passion to make my own green/eco-friendly tote bags for grocery shopping. Having a designer grocery bag was going to make other shoppers “Green with Envy” of anyone with a designer eco-friendly grocery bag. Although I had a great concept, my idea quickly vanished with the mass production of manufactured “recyclable” grocery bags that were sold very inexpensively.
As I continued searching for my creative niche, I wanted to stay true to my desire for contributing to an eco-friendlier environment. When I found my passion in making one-of-a-kind products and providing long arm quilting services, I looked to use and offer natural products wherever I could.
The Evolution of Green Envy Creations
My creative journey continued as I made one-of-a-kind quilted retirement/promotion gifts for co-workers. One day, I was commissioned to make a retirement t-shirt quilt for a dear friend that was retiring from the Navy. The inner joy that I felt, and the recipient felt when I was finished, was an amazing feeling and sparked my passion to make t-shirt quilts.
Creating that first t-shirt quilt gave me the opportunity to be eco-friendly by recycling something old that would ordinarily get thrown away, into something new again that brought joy and had meaning to someone. I continued to make t-shirt quilts that represented someone’s career, culmination of life, childhood, hobbies/passions, etc., it provided me with a feeling of inner joy that I could bring happiness to someone’s life with something that I created. That joyful feeling of creating falls in line with the moto for Green Envy Creations long arm quilting: “I put as much love into quilting your quilt as you did piecing it”.