Introduce yourself and your business.
My name is Angelica Jones and I am the owner and creator of Stitched Con Amor. I'm a part-time manager at a local quilt shop and a full time mom to a 9 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. When I'm not working at Needle in a Fabric Stash in Temecula, CA, or running around doing "mom stuff", I find time to sneak away and sew for myself and my Etsy shop. In my shop you'll find book sleeves, coffee cozies (reusable coffee sleeves that fit Starbucks reusable cups), library totes, and eyeglass cases.
I started sewing when my eldest was a toddler. At that time, sewing had always been a skill I'd wanted to learn. So, when she was born and I became a full time stay-at-home mom, I decided to finally teach myself. With the help of my sister-in-law, and wonderful YouTube tutorials, I learned how to sew. At first I made items for my daughter, which got the attention of some family and friends. Before I knew it I was creating baby blankets and burp cloths for baby showers and gifts.
How did you launch your business & what made you want to start a small business?
After an online brainstorming session with my cousin Jenny, I decided to open an Etsy shop and called it Stitched Con Amor (Con Amor meaning "with love" in Spanish, an homage to my Mexican heritage). When I first started sewing it was purely for the fun of learning something new, but after realizing that I may be able to make a little money doing something I loved, while still being able to stay home with my kids, I felt like starting a small business might be something I could do.
What are some struggles you had starting your business and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest struggles in starting my own business has been getting exposure. In today’s handmade market, places like Etsy and Instagram are inundated with new makers and shops almost daily. I don’t know if I’ve overcome this obstacle just yet but I am constantly trying to make sure my creations and posts are authentic and unique.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
For me, inspiration comes from many places, but mostly from my experiences as a mom. Everything I make helps in my day to day routine as a mom, book lover, coffee/tea drinker, and as someone who’s always on the go. I make things useful to me out of fabrics I like.
What motivates you as a maker?
As a full time mom I feel like being a maker is my “me time”. Not only do I strive to become a better smaller business owner, but I also look forward everyday to sitting down at my sewing machine and creating new things as a way to express myself.
What is a goal you set for yourself as a maker/artist and how did you achieve it?
Last year I wanted to try to sell my work at farmer’s markets rather than just online. So I did all the necessary paperwork and rented a booth at a few markets as a vendor. The experience was very eye opening and I learned a lot (like the fact that I needed much more stock when selling in person). But I hope to carry my experience over to this new year and to give it another try, in hopes that I can have a more successful market experience.
What is your favorite part of being a maker?
Growing up I'd always wished I could paint or draw. I envied those who could create with their hands. When I learned how to sew and create with color pallets made of fabric I finally felt like I was scratching that artistic itch I'd had for so long. I get to play with fun fabrics that catch my eye and express myself through sewing.
Do you have any tips for new makers/ small business owners?
I don’t think I’m qualified to give advice to small business owners exactly, seeing as how I’m still new to it all, but my advice to new makers would probably be to just have fun with it. Try something new and see where it takes you. I’ve tried some things that I didn’t like but have also tried a lot of things that I ended up loving. Think of every new experience as a learning opportunity. If you’re too afraid to try something new you may not discover what you’re great at.
What are some hobbies or interests you have outside of your small business?
When I'm not sewing or working on the back end of my business, I love to read. Reading was another thing I didn't pick up until I had kids. But I love to immerse myself in YA, Fantasy, Dystopian, and Sci-Fi books. I also love to cook and create new things for my family to enjoy. I've always been a lover of food, so when I decided to go vegan 4 years ago, I had to relearn how to cook and bake my favorite dishes. One of my guilty pleasures is to bring a dish to a party and trick people into trying and loving vegan dishes. I'm not saying that everything I cook is ridiculously delicious but I do love to share my favorite dishes with people who normally wouldn't have tried them knowing they were vegan.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I have a background in music. Throughout middle school and high school I played the piano and sang in choirs, and in College at Cal State Long Beach I sang in choirs and studied Music Education. I also sang in a local choir before having kids and still love music.
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