Personal Background

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  (location, age, educational background, …) Who is behind Red Monkey Quilt Company?

My name is Tammy Goff, and I’m the owner of Red Monkey Quilt Company, an online quilt shop specializing in modern quilting fabrics, curated bundles, and creative kits. I’m currently based in central Florida, where the bright colors and sunshine seem to fit perfectly with my love of bold, vibrant fabrics.

I’m in my 50s, and quilting has become the perfect blend of creativity and entrepreneurship for me. My educational background is in business and management, which has helped me build and run my shop with a strong focus on organization, customer service, and creating a great experience for quilters who visit my website.

Quilting Journey

How did you first get into quilting? When did you decide to turn this passion into a business by opening your shop?

I first started quilting around 2005. I’ve always enjoyed creative hobbies, but quilting really captured my attention because it combines creativity, color, and craftsmanship in such a unique way. I also love that quilting is a creative outlet where the end result is something both beautiful and practical—something that can be used and enjoyed for many years.

Like many quilters, what began as a hobby soon became something I was completely immersed in. I found myself constantly thinking about fabric combinations, patterns, and new projects, and I loved learning more about the quilting community and the incredible designers who bring so much creativity to the industry.

As my interest in quilting grew, so did my appreciation for high-quality fabrics and thoughtful fabric curation. I realized that one of the things I enjoyed most was helping others envision how fabrics could work together in a project. That naturally led me to the idea of starting Red Monkey Quilt Company, where I could share my love of modern quilting fabrics and help inspire other quilters.  Opening the shop in 2019 allowed me to combine my education background with my passion for quilting.

Shop Story and Style  

What’s the story behind Red Monkey Quilt Company? When did it start, and how would you describe its personality, style, and size?

In terms of personality, Red Monkey Quilt Company is fun, colorful, and welcoming, but also very thoughtfully curated. I want the shop to feel inspiring while still being informative and helpful for quilters at any stage of their quilting journey.

Red Monkey Quilt Company is a small, independently owned online shop, which allows me to stay very hands-on with the fabric selection, bundle creation, and customer experience. That personal touch is important to me, because quilting has always been about creativity and community, and I love being able to share that with fellow quilters.

Product Offerings  

What types of fabrics do you focus on? How do you offer them to customers—by the yard, as kits, or with custom options?

We carry a wide variety of fabric styles but tend to lean into modern prints.  Offering fabric by the yard, pre-cut bundles, and custom kits.

Special Collections and Products  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

We pride ourselves on having a wide selection of Tula Pink and Allison Glass fabrics as well as a nice selection of wide backing fabric.

Inspiration and Trends  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

We closely follow sewing trends to keep fresh fabric in stock while keep some traditional options available.

Additional Services 

Do you offer any other quilting-related services, like pattern design, long-arming, or classes?  

We pride ourselves on the custom beginner friendly quilt kits we keep in stock.

Online Presence

Where can people find your shop online? (Website, social media handles, online marketplaces). How do you use online platforms to connect with your audience and fellow quilters?

We can be found under Red Monkey Quilt Company on Facebook.  www.RedMonkeyQuiltCompany.com

Upcoming News and Projects  

Are there any exciting new projects, events, or collaborations coming up that you’d like to share with the community

We are excited to have recently started our very first Block of the Month and are already planning our follow up project to be launched in the next couple of months.

QuiltInk Experience

How has QuiltInk been useful for your shop or customers? Any favorite tools or ways it’s made things easier?

I am excited about being able to re-color patterns, but am still learning about all of the capabilities.
Digitized patterns!

Personal Background

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  (location, age, educational background, …) Who is behind Olive & Elle Quilt Co?

Hi there! I’m Danae, the face behind Olive & Elle Quilt Co. I live in Pittsburgh with my husband and our five kids, where life is full, creative, and wonderfully busy. Quilting started as a quiet hobby tucked into the margins of motherhood, but it’s grown into a meaningful part of how I tell stories and mark the seasons of our lives. Outside the sewing room, I love reading, skiing, traveling, and gathering with family and friends.

Quilting Journey

How did you first get into quilting? When did you decide to turn this passion into a business by opening your shop?

It all began with two dear friends who offered to teach me after I mentioned I was curious about quilting. What started as a simple lesson turned into a weekly ritual. For over a year we gathered to sew, talk, and build friendship alongside our skills. Somewhere in those afternoons, I fell in love with fabric and texture, and with the quiet satisfaction of turning small pieces into something beautiful.

Quilting remained a cherished hobby through the busy years of raising five children. As my kids have grown and begun leaving the house, I felt ready for a new season and something meaningful to pour myself into beyond full-time motherhood. Opening a quilt shop felt like a natural next step. It blends creativity and community, and it allows me to create the same welcoming space my friends once created for me.

Shop Story and Style  

What’s the story behind Sew Margabo? When did it start, and how would you describe its personality, style, and size?

The name is especially meaningful to me. Olive and Elle is named after my two daughters, Olivia and Elle. They inspire me endlessly. Watching them grow into strong, thoughtful young women has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.

They inspire me daily with their big dreams, bold ideas, and willingness to go all in. I always thought I was the one teaching them about confidence and chasing their goals, but the truth is they have taught me even more. They remind me to reach higher, try the brave thing, and not overthink it.

Naming the shop after them felt like bringing their spark and spirit into every bolt of fabric and every quilt that leaves my table.

Product Offerings  

What types of fabrics do you focus on? How do you offer them to customers—by the yard, as kits, or with custom options?

Our shop focuses primarily on curated quilt kits designed to take the stress out of choosing fabrics. I know how overwhelming it can feel to stand in front of endless bolts and second-guess every decision. Quilt kits simplify that process so makers can skip the hesitation and move straight to the joy of sewing.

My goal is to help quilters feel confident from the very first cut, knowing their fabrics work beautifully together and that they can simply enjoy the creative process.

Special Collections and Products  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

We’ve built our reputation on the exceptional quality of Art Gallery Fabrics, which remains our core offering. However, we’re entering an exciting new chapter! Over the next few months, we’re diversifying our inventory to offer a broader range of textures and styles, giving our customers even more creative versatility

Inspiration and Trends  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

I’m constantly inspired by the makers in our community. I look at current design trends in home decor and fashion and then find fabrics that bridge that gap. I love finding those unique pieces like the specific colors or textures that help my customers take their quilting to the next level.

Online Presence

Where can people find your shop online? (Website, social media handles, online marketplaces). How do you use online platforms to connect with your audience and fellow quilters?

Website: oliveandellequiltco.com

Instagram: oliveandellequiltco 

Pinterest: Olive & Elle Quilt Co

Upcoming News and Projects  

Are there any exciting new projects, events, or collaborations coming up that you’d like to share with the community

I am actually working on something very close to my heart right now which is my very first original pattern! It has been such an incredible process to move from quilting with these beautiful fabrics to designing the blueprints for them. My goal is to create something that really speaks to the makers in our community and I can’t wait to share more of that journey with everyone soon.

QuiltInk Experience

How has QuiltInk been useful for your shop or customers? Any favorite tools or ways it’s made things easier?

What I love most about Quilt Ink is how it empowers our community. It is such a helpful tool for visualizing a quilt before the first cut is even made. We use it to share a much larger variety of color way options than we ever could with physical samples alone, which gives our customers the creative freedom to find a look that perfectly matches their personal style.

Personal Background

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  (location, age, educational background, …) Who is behind Sew Magarbo?

I’m Precious Lopez, the founder of Sew Magarbo in Ashburn, Virginia. I’m a proud young 47-year-old mom of four grown kids, and I started Sew Magarbo in 2010—back then it was literally a basement dream. Over time, it grew into a 3,000+ square foot studio where we teach sewing and creative arts to kids (ages 6+) and adults at all skill levels.

What surprises people is I didn’t come from an art background at all—I taught myself in the beginning because I had this pull to create and build something with my hands. As the business grew, I started investing in certifications and licenses, and honestly, I’m still learning all the time. There’s always more to master, and I love that.

So when people ask who’s behind Sew Magarbo—it’s not just me. It’s our whole community. Our students, our customers, our team… we learn from each other every day, and I’ll be the first to say I learn so much from them. My job is to keep the space welcoming, skills-first, and full of color. Even the name comes from my Filipino heritage—magarbo means colorful, decorative, and a little flashy in Tagalog—and that’s the energy we try to bring into everything we do.

Quilting Journey

How did you first get into quilting? When did you decide to turn this passion into a business by opening your shop?

My heart has always been in bag-making and garment construction, so quilting wasn’t my first lane. Sew Magarbo originally focused on sewing education and sewing machines — that was the core. But every ‘angel’ who came to help me along the way was a quilter, and they kept showing me how modern quilting can be: bright, cute, and nothing like the old-school quilts people picture.

The real ‘boom’ moment for me was fabric — specifically Tula Pink. Her Chipper collection grabbed me. I remember thinking, ‘How else can you put this many different fabrics into one project and make it work?’ That’s when quilting clicked as this fun, creative puzzle… and I was in

I opened Sew Magarbo in 2010, but it didn’t start as a quilt shop. It started as sewing education and sewing machines — in my basement — with four students at a time. The classes grew so quickly that we outgrew our townhome, and that’s when I knew it had to become something real. We moved the studio from the basement into a retail space so we could serve more students and build a true creative home for the community.

Quilting became a bigger part of the shop later, especially as my team and my second daughter brought modern quilting into the mix — and suddenly, it was a full-blown quilt shop. But the mission has stayed the same: skills-first teaching, a welcoming community, and growth that’s been built stitch by stitch.

Shop Story and Style  

What’s the story behind Sew Margabo? When did it start, and how would you describe its personality, style, and size?

It started in 2010, and today Sew Magarbo is a 3,000+ square foot studio in Ashburn, Virginia. The personality is vibrant, welcoming, and a little playful — ‘kitsch with elegance’ is a good way to put it. The name comes from my Filipino heritage: magarbo means colorful, decorative, and a bit flashy in Tagalog, and that’s exactly the energy I want people to feel when they walk in. It’s warm, modern, and community-driven — a place where beginners feel safe, and experienced makers still feel inspired.

Product Offerings  

What types of fabrics do you focus on? How do you offer them to customers—by the yard, as kits, or with custom options?

At Sew Magarbo, we focus on modern quilting fabrics—cute, bold, and inspiring—plus the solids and blenders that make everything play nicely together. You’ll find a mix of modern and traditional collections from brands like Free Spirit, Moda, Andover, Cotton + Steel, Ruby Star Society, and Tilda.

We love giving people options, because not everyone shops the same way. We offer fabric by the yard, fat quarters, curated bundles, quilt kits, mystery kits, and some precuts—plus we’ll happily help you build a custom pull for your project if you want that ‘tell me what goes together’ support.

And we’re not just a fabric shop—we’re a full sewing home base. We’re an authorized BERNINA and Janome dealer, we have in-house certified technicians (no outsourcing), and our sewing classes are truly skills-first. So whether someone needs cute fabric, a machine, a repair, or confidence at the sewing table—we’ve got them.

Special Collections and Products  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

Our complete line of Tilda Fabrics and hybrid fabrics! (meaning they are good for both garments and quilting)

Inspiration and Trends  

Are there any collections, brands, or unique products you’re especially proud to carry?

I choose with my students and my community in mind first. I’m always asking: Will this make someone feel excited to start? Will it help them grow their skills? I’m drawn to fabrics that feel happy and modern—great color, great print, and that ‘I have to make something with this’ feeling. I also love pieces that mix well, so customers can build a stash that actually gets used, not just admired.

Do I follow trends or themes? Yes—but I filter trends through what Sew Magarbo stands for. We lean into modern, playful collections, strong color stories, and mix-and-match prints that work beautifully in quilts, bags, and garments. We also pay attention to what our makers are asking for season to season—fresh florals, bold geometrics, cute character prints, and the solids/blenders that pull it all together. If it’s inspiring and practical for real projects, it belongs here.

Additional Services 

Do you offer any other quilting-related services, like pattern design, long-arming, or classes?  

From Basic to Expert sewing lessons on both quilting and garments, yes!

Online Presence

Where can people find your shop online? (Website, social media handles, online marketplaces). How do you use online platforms to connect with your audience and fellow quilters?

The best place to find us online is our website: https://www.sewmagarbo.com. We do have social channels, but honestly, we’re a little old-school.

We’re not super active online right now, and that’s partly because Sew Magarbo is really an in-person experience. The real ‘us’ is in the studio—meeting makers, helping choose fabrics, teaching skills, and cheering people on at the machine. If someone wants to get to know Sew Magarbo, the best way is to come visit, take a class, and feel the community for themselves.

Upcoming News and Projects  

Are there any exciting new projects, events, or collaborations coming up that you’d like to share with the community

We have a lot happening right now, and it’s all centered on serving what our community needs most. With the big box store gone, we’re working hard to fill in the gaps—especially by bringing back strong, basic sewing classes so beginners can get real skills and real confidence again.

And yes—we always have events. Our Bobbins + Bubbly gatherings are a favorite, we host StitchWise events, and our clubs keep the learning (and the fun) going all year. If you want to see what’s coming up, our sewing clubs and event community live here: https://www.sewmagarbo.com/sewingclubs

QuiltInk Experience

How has QuiltInk been useful for your shop or customers? Any favorite tools or ways it’s made things easier?

QuiltInk has been a game-changer for us. It completely removed the need to purchase expensive software, and it makes it so much easier to help customers visualize fabric choices and feel confident before they cut into anything.