On today’s episode of the While She Naps podcast we’re talking about product development with my guest, Annie Unrein.
A creative lifetime quilter, Annie Unrein of Patterns by Annie and ByAnnie.com has been designing patterns and teaching since 2000. With a focus on practical and useful projects, Annie’s patterns appeal to sewists of all ages and levels.
Annie is the creator of ByAnnie’s Soft and Stable, an innovative product she designed to add body, stability and a professional finish to purses, bags, home dec items, and more.
A popular instructor, Annie teaches online and also travels worldwide to teach. She loves sharing techniques for making sewing bags and purses easier while yielding professional results.
Annie is based in St. George, Utah, where she and her energetic team operate the popular website ByAnnie.com. They are your source for patterns, Soft and Stable, handbag zippers in over 48 colors, purse hardware, mesh, vinyl, and more.
Annie talks about her path from working as an accountant to homesteading in Alaska to becoming a designer and product developer in the quilting industry. An early adopter of computers, Annie taught herself to code and began selling sewing patterns online in 2001. Since then she’s grown her business into a one-stop-shop for bag makers. She now sells over 1,000 products, including several products she’s designed herself.
Annie is perhaps best known for Soft and Stable, a foam stabilizer she developed that’s now sold in quilt shops nationwide. We talk about how she came up with the idea for this product and the stages she went through in bringing it to market.
During our conversation, Annie refers to:
And, of course, I ask Annie to recommend great stuff she’s loving right now. Annie recommends:
- growing succulents (see her pot of succulents above)
- ByAnnie’s Lightweight Mesh in 7 fun colors
- woven jacquard ribbons from Renaissance Ribbons
Keep up with Annie on Instagram and follow her on Facebook for the latest news.
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This episode is sponsored by Modern Patchwork Magazine, a publication from F+W media known for its fresh and contemporary quilt patterns, in-depth designer profiles, and inspirational articles. Whether you are just beginning to quilt and love the modern look, or are a seasoned quilter looking for contemporary patchwork projects of every skill level, Modern Patchwork is the magazine for you. And now it’s available six times a year AND as a subscription. Visit Quilting Daily for more information.
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Great interview with one of my favorite people.
Thank you for listening! Annie was a joy to talk to.
I just stumbled upon this interview. So thrilled to hear a bit about Annie. I love By Annie patterns! I lived in Alaska 43 years and was surprised and impressed she and her husband homesteaded there. Amazing woman!
Thanks for listening to the show! Annie is definitely a very impressive person 🙂