Why did I open an online store?

I've been quilting for 30 years, so why open an online store now? Well, for most of those 30 years, I worked full time in tech, then accounting, then management, then leadership development after I completed my masters in education at George Washington University.

In 2020, I moved to the magical little town of Anacortes, Washington, on Fidalgo Island. I moved here alone, not knowing a soul, and only ever having been here once before. I just knew in my bones this was the place for me! We're in the NW corner of the state, at the gateway to the San Juan Islands. So, suddenly I had all the time in the world for walks in the protected forestlands, along the water that surrounds the island...and QUILT! And quilt I did. The only problem was, who was I quilting for? In the past, most of my quilts were gifts for friends and loved ones. At this stage of life, there are few babies being born and I have no children of my own to contribute to the cause. But produce I did! I started to play with other techniques, eventually finding my way to art quilts. These can, and do, take many forms. From creative wall quilts that are free form to small wall hangings that represent the nature I love so much. I enjoy them all and create as the mood strikes. 

The downside to all this productivity was that quilts started building up! I have one friend who piles the massive amount of gorgeous quilts she's created on top of her guest bed. I didn't see myself doing that, so I started thinking about how I can share my quilts with the world. 

For the past two years, most of my quilts have been sold to friends who follow me on Facebook (Andrea Cole Designs) or Instagram (#andreacoledesigns) and asked to purchase something I was working on. It was not unusual for someone to claim a piece before I'd even finished it!

Fast forward another year, and my pile of quilts was still accumulating. I live in an extremely artistic area, and art is a THING here. Each year, there is a studio tour in my town where artists open their studios for people to tour and view their work. The first hurdle for me was to see myself as an artist rather than the seamstress I've been most of my life while making clothes. So in 2024, I applied to be on the tour and was accepted! Joy! Joy! It was a lot of work, and I didn't really expect a big attendance, and yet that is exactly what happened! I had far more people visit than I'd anticipated and sold more pieces as well. It was a truly wonderful weekend where I could share my love of quilting with others. Following the tour, I received some commissions which kept me busy, but I still produced more than I knew what to do with.

So, the idea of an online store crept into my thoughts. Why not make my work available to a wider audience? And so I did, with the launch of http://andreacole.store. Now, I have a place to showcase my pieces as they are made and send them off to new homes across the country. It's already so gratifying to know my pieces now live as far away as Maine, Delaware, and Alabama to name a few.

So, here I am. Online. Sharing my work with the world, well a little piece of it. I hope you take some time to peruse my work, find some joy, and maybe even purchase a piece as a gift or even yourself!