AERN home > Success stories > Homespun Quilts, Butler, Alabama, Spring 2008

Family Makes a Business of Quilting

On November 9, 2007 June Buchanan opened the doors to Homespun Quilts in Butler, Alabama with the help of her brother and sister-in-law and the resources provided by the Alabama Entrepreneurial Research network. Homespun Quilts specializes in handmade quilts custom created for any customer's needs and wishes, and the business also carries a large selection of fabrics and other materials any serious quilter would need. The store is located at 120 Mulberry Ave. in Butler, serving the Demopolis, Linden, Thomasville, and Butler markets, and also Meridian, Mississippi.

Buchanan and her brother and sister-in-law, Jackie and Lisa Soper, started the business as a family enterprise. Lisa helps with the store while husband Jackie focuses on sales and public relations. Together Buchanan and the Sopers have 20 years' experience in the quilting business, according to their website www.thehomespunquilts.com.

June Buchanan stocks store shelves at Homespun Quilts. She and her partners Jackie and Lisa Soper are the owners of the business at 120 N. Mulberry Avenue in Butler. Their many years of experience were boosted by the business technical assistance available through Choctaw County's AERN partner.

As the family was organizing to open their new location, they relied heavily on the resources at the chamber of commerce to help build a Web site and a plan to get their doors open. Buchanan said that starting a business was both expensive and hectic, but she is optimistic it will pay off in the end. Buchanan had previously operated a quilting shop our of her home but felt that it would be better for her to move the business. "The quilting part of the business was doing pretty good,but it I was going to sell other stuff I needed to be closer to the public so they could see it," she said.

The choices of custom-made quilts include college logos, NASCAR, hunting and fishing motifs, and replicas of old-time quilts. Buchanan said the biggest selling items are Alabama and Auburn themed quilts. Buchanan said that last year she made about 36 Alabama and Auburn quilts. "Every quilt I make, I make by myself," Buchanan said.

Prices depend on what type quilt the customer orders. For example, a collegiate quilt will usually cost around $300 for a king size, $275 for a queen size, and $250 for a full size, but a quilt that requires more handwork could cost as much as $400.

On average, Buchanan says her quilts are in the $250 to $300 range and she can usually have an order ready in about three days. Business seems to stay steady year round with a small drop in demand during the summer months.

Besides custom made quilts, Homespun Quilts offers fabrics and other accessories, such as threads, rulers, cutting mats, needles, and sewing machines needed for sewing and quilting. The fabrics come in different colors and patterns that include polka dots, stripes, and floral designs. Fabric prices range from $2.99 to $7.00 a yard. "We have a good price range on our fabrics and a good selection," Buchanan said.

Homespun Quilts also offers classes in how to quilt and how to incorporate a variety of techniques. "We can teach you to quilt if you're a beginner or help you learn an advanced technique," Buchanan said.

AERN partner Nancy Gibson, executive director of the Choctaw County Chamber of Commerce and Community Development Foundation, said, "Homespun Quilts' business is really about family puling their resources together to make an American dream come true. Business planning and start-up are crucial to the success of any business. The AERN center will continue to provide quality business support to any business, both new and existing. In today's economy, planning and preparation are vital. Each year the AERN center provides workshops in continuing education to foster growth in small business development. We are excited to say that we have been a part of this business start-up. The role of the AERN center is technical support. If you are thinking of going into business be sure to give us a call."

AERN puts modern business tools in the hands of local entrepreneurs in 14 rural Alabama counties. Through partnership with chambers of commerce and other agencies, AERN provides local access to the computing, information, training, library, and other resources of The University of Alabama. For the AERN site in your area, see http://aern.cba.ua.edu.

- Contributed by Jonathan Stinson

From AERNews, Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring 2008