How I got here

I do not make quilts.  I do not sew.  I have no creative hobbies whatsoever.  I am Co-Owner of a quilt shop and I love it! How did this happen, you might ask.  Here's the back story.

In 2008 I completed my 29th year as an executive headhunter.  I was managing the Charlotte Office for a 'boutique" search firm when the Great Recession hit with full force.  Business fell through the floor, and in January 2009 the Charlotte Office was closed, I lost my job and my family's health insurance.  No problem, I thought, I'll just find another job - at 60 years old, as a recruiter, during the worst recession since the Great Depression - sure.   My wife Judy is an avid quilter and had established several small businesses selling craft products at shows.   She decided to start a business selling quilting supplies at quilt shows in order to pay for health insurance until I found a new job.

A year later I was still looking, had no prospects and Judy, supportive as ever, said  "Give it up! Nobody is going to hire you at your age. Join me and we'll build a bigger business".  So there it was.  I finally got hired.  It was by my wife, but only after she checked 3 references. (just kidding about that last part).

At this point I should mention that I'm an art lover.  That's one of the main reasons I'm so enamored with the world of quilts.  What quilt artists can do with fabric and thread is truly amazing, and I'll share some of that as we go along.  If you're ever passing through Paducah, Kentucky, I strongly recommend that you visit the National Quilt Museum there.  It's well worth it.

During the past 5 years Judy and I have been vendors at over 70 quilt shows, including the largest in the world in Houston, Texas (61,000 in attendance).  We've dodged tornadoes in Kentucky, floods in Indiana, and made it through snow storms. Most importantly, we've met some wonderful people along the way.

In 2012 we renovated a mill worker's house built in 1927 and opened a brick-and-mortar shop - Judy Lea's Quilt Studio in Concord, NC.  The renovation of that building is a whole separate story which I'll get into in a later post.

My blog will detail our adventures, share a good amount of info about the world of quilts and quilting, and touch on what it's like to be a small business owner in 2014.   I hope you'll enjoy the stories as much as I've enjoyed the journey.