Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Sullivan.
Beth, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started quilting as a hobby 18 years ago. About a year after beginning, I made my first T-shirt quilt out of my old high school and college shirts. My friends loved it and started asking for T-shirt quilts for themselves and their children. When I elected to stay home to raise my kids, I started making these unique memory quilts on the side as a part time business. Now that my children are all in school, I have taken the business full time and also started a lecture tour to quilt guilds on the process of making these special quilts.
Has it been a smooth road?
Balancing family life and business life has been and continues to be a struggle. Raising a family while growing a business is complicated to say the least. The schedule is formidable! Additionally, the learning curve in the accounting and business end has been steep for me. I would much rather sew than deal with pesky paperwork!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Beth Sullivan Designs story. Tell us more about the business.
My company is Beth Sullivan Designs. I specialize in creating custom T-shirt quilts, memory quilts and memory pillows. Most everyone has a box of clothes at the back of their closets that they no longer wear but can’t bear to throw out. I take these special clothing items and turn them into a quilt so the memories can be preserved and enjoyed.
I am known for using unique items. I like to say that I can use anything that can be sewn, washed and made to lie flat. In addition to the normal T-shirts and sweatshirts, I have used pants, sweaters, bathing suits, pajamas, ties, tote bags, socks, bibs, scarves, ribbons, underwear and many other interesting things.
Memorial quilts are the jobs that mean the most to me. Families give me the privilege of preserving some of their loved ones’ clothing in a quilt or pillow. I love the idea that the clothing of the lost loved one can be turned into something that wraps their families up in love. It’s very special to these families and I get a lot of fulfillment by knowing something I created is so treasured.
I love that every quilt is as different as the customers and clothing items. Every quilt is fully custom-made with high quality materials and time and attention to detail. I try to honor the memories in the clothing to the best of my ability.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Everyone will always have T-shirts and clothing that contains memories so I am hopeful that people will always want T-shirt quilts! Through the business, I will also continue to educate people about the value of the fabric arts. Quilting as a hobby has been on a steady decline even as the artistic side of quilting rises to new heights. Today’s quilt artists are simply extraordinary.
Unfortunately, the fabric arts have often been undervalued by the general public. I am hopeful that this trend will change and that more people will begin to appreciate the amazing quilts that I have had the pleasure to see.
Contact Info:
- Address: 315 Lake Street Bellingham, MA 02019
- Website: http://www.bethsullivandesigns.com
- Phone: 508-883-9497
- Email: beth@bethsullivandesigns.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BethSullivanDesigns
Image Credit:
Beth Sullivan Designs
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