Apiary Designs

Apiary Designs is a wonderful shop on Etsy. Megan and Nancy have bags, aprons, cat activity mats, pouches etc, made from amazing fabrics. There is so much color in this shop - I love it!! Megan and Nancy are from Rhode Island and have been on Etsy for 1 year now!



#1. How did you decide on your shop name?
Megan's husband calls her the "busy bee" because she's always got a million projects in process. The word apiary means a place where bees and beehives are kept, especially a place where bees are raised for their honey. So in this context, Nancy and I are the bees, and our handmade creations are the honey for all of you to harvest!


#2. When did you start crafting?
Nancy has been sewing since she was a child and has been a strong supporter of the Knit and Sew table at her church bazaar for many years. Megan has been crocheting, knitting, and sewing for a few years now. We began concentrating on sewing for Apiary Designs about a year ago, and celebrated our one year Etsy-versary on April 21, 2009.


#3. Are there other crafts you would like to try?
Megan is also a knitter when she can fit in a few rows and would love to try quilting. Both her grandmother and grandfather are avid quilters and she loves displaying their creations on all the beds in the house!



#4. What or who inspires you?
The fabrics we choose inspire us. We try to choose simple designs that will showcase the bright prints we select to the best advantage. That being said, we have definite weaknesses for flowers, fruits, and geometrics!


#5. Do you have a day job?
Yes, we both have day jobs in our family business - an industrial heating equipment sales and service business. Megan is the General Manager and Nancy is the Controller. As you can imagine, Apiary Designs is our creative outlet!


#6. What is the item in your shop you enjoyed making the most and why?
One of our favorite products is the catnip activity mats - cat tested and approved by Megan's two furballs. But our favorite pieces change about as quickly as we can sew! Right now we're busy making a new batch of aprons...