Today we’d like to introduce you to Evangeline Stanford.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Evangeline. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was very young my mother taught me how to sew and I loved it. After college, I sewed less and focused on my corporate career in accounting. Then my mom and I started making quilts together to donate to shelters and I felt a lot of satisfaction from doing this with her.
As I began to travel I visited Africa several times and loved the beautiful native fabrics. I decided to combine my sewing skills, my home decorating hobby and my love of African fabrics to create my business. Each item I design and create are one-of-a-kind. My goal is to build my business so I can dedicate my time to doing what I love and retire from corporate America in the near future.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting your own business is never easy. The purchasing and bookkeeping were easier for me and I love designing my products but establishing the business and beginning the marketing were more difficult since I had no experience with this aspect of the business. I am very lucky to have friends that assisted me to get my business name and products out to the public and taught me some very important marketing skills.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
SOHL Quilts specializes in African fabric quilts, pillows and shower curtains (coming soon). I began making my own African bed quilts and received a lot of positive comments on my designs. I checked the internet and was not able to find African style bedding and bath items and I knew that this was my opportunity to fill a void. Each quilt and shower curtain is a one-of-a-kind item so your purchase will never be duplicated.
SOHL stands for “Supporting Our Home Land” and 5% of each sale is donated to an orphanage in Africa. Currently, donations are going to New Hope Center in Swaziland.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least about our city?
I love the diversity of this city. With all of the festivals in the Chicagoland area in the summer months, there are many options for me to show and promote my African décor products. A Chicagoland publication, such as yours, also allows me to share my business with a much wider Chicago audience.
Pricing:
- Quilts $220-375
- Pillows $33-50
- Shower Curtains $60-80
Contact Info:
- Website: SOHLQuilts.com
- Phone: 615.479.6080
- Email: SOHLQuilts@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sohlquilts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOHLQuilts/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
