Today we’d like to introduce you to Beverly Martine.
Hi Beverly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started sewing at the age of seven – making clothes. When my grandmother died, my mom found a grocery bag full of quilt blocks. Many were made on old newspapers so we knew that dates everything was created. She then learned how to quilt and consequently, I also learned. When I was in the Army, I almost always had some sort of handwork that I was working on, especially during field exercises or deployments (I was in a very deployable Military Police unit). After my first baby was born, I became a stay-at-home mom and this lead me to quilt more.
The quilting also became a social connection to other women, which I needed. As we moved around with the military (my husband was still on active duty), sewing and quilting helped me make friends and find new connections wherever we went. After we moved to Cache. Oklahoma I was raising five teenagers and my husband had been transfered to Fort Riley, Kansas. Once again, I only had surly teenagers to talk to and I needed adult contact. I had purchased a long-arm quilting machine and was working from home. This was going well, then I heard that the quilt shop in a neighboring town was closing. I decided to sell a rental property and start a quilt shop. It has been a wonderful adventure for the last 14 years. Now my daughters are assuming more and more control of the shop.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth ride. I basically jumped in with very little knowledge of retail operations and I have made many mistakes. But one thing about the quilting community is they are very helpful and supportive, and I have learned so much from sales reps and other shop owners. I am so thankful.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Quilt N Bee is a full-service quilt shop. We sell fabrics and supplies to make quilts. We teach classes on quilting, bag making and general sewing (by appointment). We also sell fabulous Janome Sewing machines so we teach machine operations. It is our goal to make sewing and quilting fun and easy for everyone. It is amazing how we all enjoy creating! One of the things that I can say is that we honestly use and believe that the products we sell are the best ones out there. When a new product comes out, we order one or two and use it before it ever gets out on the sales floor and to our customers. So, you could say we ‘vet’ all the products that we sell. Some do not make the cut and we do not bring those products into the shop. It is a joy to help someone grasp the basics of quilting and help them succeed.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I love what I do and want to help everyone learn to quilt and sew. Creating is a wonderful release.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@quiltnbee.biz
- Website: www.quiltnbee.biz
- Instagram: @quiltnbee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QNBCache
- Twitter: @quilt_n_bee
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