Meet Jennifer Armentrout | Owner, Threaded Lines Quilt Shop

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Armentrout and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think about Work/Life Balance a lot. My business keeps me very busy and I work at home just as much as I work in the shop. I tend to save my computer work for home and visit with customers when they come to the shop. The shop is a Happy Place for them, and me too honestly.

Work/Life Balance was easier when I had my kids at home. You think it would be harder, but I never wanted to let them down, so I was there for them. I was there when they got home from school and there for their events. Now that my last one is going off to college, I am devoting much more time to the business than ever before.

Our hours are open longer and I am doing more shows. My husband helps some evenings and weekends and it is pretty much all we talk about.

However, with a some minor health issues coming up, I am rethinking how much energy I put into the business and how much stress I allow. I am mediating daily, going for short walks and longer when there is time, stretching, journaling, reading – literally scheduling the time for those.

As I have gotten older, I have discovered, no one is going to give you time. You have to take it. So, if from 8:00 am to 9:00 am is my mediating and exercise time, then so be it.

My husband and I have started dating again which is amazing – not just dinner, but walks in the park with a picnic, baseball games, library visits – things we did when we dating. It is definitely bringing that work/life balance into perspective.

Some weeks are better than others, but I communicate to my staff when I need a break and my husband is starting to communicate when he needs my time – not work shared time.

What should our readers know about your business?
Before I started the quilt shop, I was a maker. I sewed scout patches on uniforms and made more T-shirt Quilts than I can count, but I loved making bags and anything that used fabric and thread.

It bothered me that I could not find the type of fabrics I loved in any stores around here, so I set out to fulfill that need – a modern quilt shop – with bright, fun, colors and lots of solid colored fabrics.

I did just that! We started with a 300 square foot office space and were only open a couple of days a week (still had kids at home). This space was on the 3rd floor of a medical building, so quite unusual. Business was not going well at the time, getting the word out was difficult and the location, though great for me and my kids, it was bad for business. Covid changed all the that. The first week of the shut down, I cried. I literally thought I would lose my business.

But, it was actually Covid that put me on the map! Everyone was sewing again. Masks, quilts for donation – you name it. People started sewing. I went Live on Facebook and sold fabric to sewers all over the country! I have customers in every state – even Hawaii and Alaska.

By 2021, we had outgrown our space and expanded into bag making supplies as well as fabrics. Busting at the seams, I decided to move into a 1,500 sq ft warehouse in Montgomery. We added air conditioning and filled the space up!

Things were going well, I added 2 employees and quilt shows were starting back up. In January of this year, The Fire Department shut us down for a paperwork issue – no violation. We were closed for a month and a half. We were not allowed in the building and could not rush the paperwork. It almost killed the business. I snuck in to fill on-line orders and did Live Shows from my house just to keep the business afloat.

This was incredibly difficult to not close completely – I felt defeated. Getting back open did not bring immediate relief, either. Rumors went around that we went out of business or I stopped allowing customers in the shop. It has taken a while to bring back that trust in them. They are coming back now.

But, in all this, I got covid and was out of the shop for 2 weeks, then our Facebook Page was hacked and we went from almost 4,000 followers to 200. I was feeling that there forces against me running this business.

All it takes though, is one customer. Just one customer smiling, telling you about their project, being excited for perfect color they needed for me to remember what I am here for. Through all the struggles with managing the finances, marketing, buying, creating, etc, that is all it is down to – customers. They make our days shine and many become friends – a family of sorts, with quilts in common.

That is what we are about – sharing the joys and frustrations with sewing and providing that welcoming space where it is not just about shopping, but sharing a journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would have to catch and Astros game – Club Level. The stadium is amazing and it is something everyone, even non-baseball lovers enjoy. The Miller Outdoor Theater is a must for any friend of mine – a night under the stars, a truly relaxing way to spend the evening. Up here in Montgomery, we would go antique shopping, maybe browse a festival. We would rate the best salsa and margaritas, and hit the Waterwall for photos and Bellagreen for their delectable goat cheese salad.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is to my husband – he encouraged me to start this business, is all the muscle around here, a sounding board, and does it all with a smile.

My staff, Donna and Carol are ROCKSTARS!! I know it is cliche, but my business would not be where it is today without them. They open when I am not here and are amazing at helping customers find the right color of fabric or talk them through a sewing technique.

Website: https://www.threadedlines.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threadedlinesqs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Threadedlinesqs

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdtk6Do-jidHMAlI99cBE0Q