We can’t wait for you to hear about Kelsey of Studio Twenty Six in today’s feature! If you are parents or excitedly expecting, Studio Twenty Six makes the most amazing baby blankets and accessories. We love Kelsey’s mindset behind her brand, wanting her pieces to be a useful (and beautiful!) part of each family’s lives. Her blankets not only look so cozy, but are great to use for almost any age. And as Kelsey says, wanting a blanket that wouldn’t be quickly outgrown by her son was one of the reasons she started her brand! Keep reading to learn more about her start and the fun products she creates!
: Tell us a little about yourself.
: I’m Kelsey. I’m a 27 year old Iowa Native. When I’m not “making” I’m a wife, mom, bookworm, animal lover, and full-time sales territory manager.
: We love your Etsy shop, Studio Twenty Six! How did your store start?: I have always had a love for creating and an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a little girl I remember going to my grandmother’s house and she would let me help her hand stitch her Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. Ever since then I found a love for sewing, but it wasn’t until college that I got my first sewing machine as a Christmas gift. I worked on a few small quilts over the next few years, and it wasn’t until I became pregnant with my son that I really started picking up a passion for sewing all kinds of fun baby things for his room. As I searched for the perfect blankets, sheets, etc. I found it was hard to find something that fit my style and didn’t scream “baby”. I wanted his room to be modern and unique with a style he could grow with and wouldn’t feel outgrown when he transitioned from baby to “big boy”. I had so much fun creating everything, and with encouragement from my mom I decided to turn my new found hobby into a business. I spent my maternity leave putting together my first wholesale order, and as my wholesale business started to increase, I decided to take the plunge and open my Etsy store 6 months later in February 2016.
: Your new WILD collection is so cute. What was the process behind creating this line?: Selecting fabrics and creating new collections is my absolute favorite part of this business. I begin each collection with a word I want to convey. For my first collection, I chose WILD as my word as the woodland style seemed to be something I was really gravitating toward during that time. It’s important to me that I am excited about each thing I create. After choosing my word a spend countless hours selecting and editing fabric options.
: What made you decide to make and sell baby accessories?
: Being a mom myself I personally enjoying shopping for all things baby, and I really enjoying creating items that will become a part of my customers memories and pictures of their children that they will look back on as they grow.
: You’re a Momma yourself to a precious little one! How do you accomplish your business & Mom goals and keep work/life balance?
: I don’t! Haha, kidding, kind of 🙂 This is a constant struggle for me and the number one reason I decided to take my business in a new direction offering ready to ship collections. Aside from being a mom I also work a full time day job, so finding time to sew and work on my business always comes after bedtime. I am learning it is okay to say no sometimes and not take on too many new projects. By offering my items ready to ship, I am able to work when I have the time and keep it more enjoyable rather than trying to keep up with incoming orders.
: You also create alongside your husband. What is great about working with your hubs?: My husband does get in on the sewing action from time to time when I have a large wholesale order to fill. He is never super excited, but I am so lucky that he is willing to step in and help me out when I need it, and be supportive of my business endeavor. While sewing might not be his favorite thing to do I think he would agree that it is fun to sit down and work on something together. We really enjoy sometime away from phones, tvs, and distractions to just sit down and enjoy eachothers company while we are working.
: You currently sell your products at a local shop where you live in Iowa. What was it like to see your products being sold in another store?: Seeing my products sold in another store is really exciting. The store they are sold in is actually owned by my mom. I remember after the first order went to her, I would text her everyday wondering if anything had sold. I was so nervous about if my products would actually sell, and if she was just giving me the benefit of the doubt seeing as I was her daughter. Things began to sell very quickly, and now people travel from all over to her shop just for my products. It is a really great feeling and I am lucky I had that platform available to me. We have since had offers from other stores to carry our products that we are currently exploring.
: We love your plush baby blankets. What are some of the other items you sell on your shop and what special handmade aspects do they feature?
: In addition to our blankets we also make burp cloths, bibs, headbands, and hair clips. Each bib and burp cloth is created with the most absorbent materials we can find. Our burp cloths were truely a live saver with my son, who spit-up all the time!
: What is your favorite thing about getting an order, making it and sending it off to its new home?
: My favorite part of getting a new order is honestly when my customers share pictures of their new items in action. I just love seeing where everything ends up and how it becomes a part of my customers daily life.
: Any advice?: This sounds cliche, but life really is too short. If this is your dream than make it happen!
Castle Foundations 