Blanket Coverage

Indie Mom Turns Sewing Habit Into Thriving Business

Like all new moms, Jill Bredow used soft blankets to welcome her babies into the world. Like me, she made them herself. Like me, she didn't care whether anyone else liked them. Like me, she just wanted to make her kids feel loved. The similarities end there. When people saw my blankets, they said, "How nice." When people saw Jill's blankets, they pulled out their wallets.

Open life. Insert business, AllyZabba, that is. Here is some of Jill's story, and pictures of some blankets that almost make me want to have another child just so I can wrap him or her up in one. I said almost.

dM: Tell me a bit about life before AllyZabba and how the business started?

Before starting the business, I was a third grade teacher. I enjoyed spending my days with children and my colleagues in education. When I became pregnant with my first child, I was sad to leave that part of my life, but excited to have the opportunity to stay home and focus on my family.

The business started when my friends liked the blankets I made for my daughters. Everyone said we should sell them so that's what we did. I thought it would be a good way to subsidize my sewing addiction. Little did I know — with little effort, we sold 20 blankets the first month.

dM: What do you love about being Indie?

I love the flexibility it gives me. When I fall in love with new fabric, I can make a handful of blankets and offer them for sale at the website that same week. This gives me immediate feedback. My daughters will celebrate thier fifth and second birthdays within the next several months and I enjoy being able to put their needs first during the day, yet still be in the business world.

Since starting AllyZabba I have been blessed to learn from many other Indies through various websites and discussion groups. I am continually amazed at the community of women who will help with any business question or problem. It truly is an honor to know and learn from each other.

dM: What is your biggest Indie business challenge and how do you overcome it?

The biggest challenge has been seeing the business through its various stages of growth. I opened the business with material purchased from a local fabric store. Back then, I only needed to make a few blankets in each color. Today, I buy custom designed material in large wholesale lots and work carefully to ensure the quality of the cutting and sewing process.

Being a small business owner means being challenged to wear many hats. I am blessed to have a husband who is an expert in many fields, so he is my webmaster, new accounts manager, and all around tech guy. Even with such great support, it's still a challenge because each stage of growth requires that I find new, relabile people to partner with and also learn a whole new aspect of the business.

dM: What are your future plans for AllyZabba?

We are happy with the way AllyZabba has grown in the 18 months since it opened. Future plans include attnding more trade shows so we can meet personally with retailers and discover new wholesale opportunities.