Cool Tricks

Cool Tricks is a wonderful Etsy shop that features potholders, quilts, ornaments and much more! Toni uses some amazing fabrics! She has had her shop on Etsy since August. She also has a wonderful blog:
One Minute's Worth. I actually found Toni through her blog and a give away she did for some amazing potholders that are now in my kitchen! LOL (yes - I won) I love them and they are made so well, the fabric is gorgeous, and the are the perfect size and thickness!


How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?
This is not my first shop on Etsy, it's actually my fourth functioning one. I change my mind a lot when it comes to names. I am Cool Tricks because of my granddaughter Emma. She is almost 2 and once in a while she will say, "Cool tricks, cool tricks!" in her little baby voice while trying to do somersaults and cartwheels. I just thought it was adorable. Then I learned it comes from some popular kid show. That almost ruined it for me as I do not like that sort of T.V. as a rule.

When did you start sewing? Who taught you?
I started sewing when I was about 7 I think. My mom would let me play with her sewing machine, an old Singer she got when she and my dad were married. I wouldn't use the foot pedal, just turned the wheel manually and sewed little squares of fabric and stuffed them. Of course the fabrics in the mid 60's were not very cool by today's standards. She also taught me to embroider which I did for years, decorating my clothes in High School and beyond.

Where do you sew? Do you have a picture? If not, what does it look like?
I share a sewing space with my back porch/laundry room. It connects to the garage as well and is the runway for my dog to get to his yard. It is a busy place to say the least. I do have grand plans for a larger space when all my kids move out. Maybe I will reclaim the upstairs and have the spare bedroom in the back porch instead.

What would you love to add to your sewing space?
I would love to add an ironing board that folds up to the wall. Mine is in the way all the time. Also a table that doesn't have to be in the corner. That way both my Pfaff and Juki would be accessible for those moments when I need to switch off.

Do you have a day job?
I have a sort of day job, I watch one little girl, the daughter of a friend of my daughter. She is three, the same age as my other granddaughter Kate.

What's your supply addiction; is there a specific color or type of supply you can't pass up?
My supply addiction is cute fabric. Sometimes I can't pass by something ridiculously expensive because I love it too much. For example I got some Out Of Print Gnome fabric for way to much but am not begrudging it at all as it is just too charming.

Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
I enjoyed making the Popsicles quilt. It is bright and lovely and has so many memories tied up in it. I was going through the grieving process after my mom died and it helped me think of good memories of Mom.