Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Herbert.
Hi Madison, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve always thought of myself as a creative person and have enjoyed dabbling in various artistic endeavors since I was quite young. When I went to college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to major in and after taking classes all over the academic spectrum, I realized I wanted to pursue the arts. I enrolled in industrial design school and the rest was history…well, not really. Once I graduated and started freelancing, I took up sewing handbags and accessories as a hobby. In 2016 I formed the structure of Thread & Canvas Co. and in 2017 officially launched! I stopped pursuing freelance industrial design around this time to focus on my business and it’s been this way ever since. I’m originally from Seattle, so my business was born there. We moved to the east coast in 2019 and have been in this area ever since!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I look back with rose-colored glasses, I think it’s easy for me to remember things being a lot smoother than they were. I had to figure out taxes, marketing, pricing structures, and more on my own. It really felt like 95% of my day was spent on my laptop instead of where I wanted to be at my sewing machines or sketching new handbags. For a long time, fear and doubt were just regular emotions when thinking about the long-term success of my business. As the business grew, I was able to outsource some of my biggest pain points to professionals (like taxes or photography) which has helped the stress tremendously. I still think I spend a large part of my day on my laptop, but the time spent creating keeps growing as time goes on.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I handcraft handbags from my two favorite materials to work with – waxed canvas and leather. I started working with both of these materials years before I opened my business which is what inspired me to actually pursue designing and making handbags. There’s nothing I love more than shopping for new leathers I haven’t worked with before or choosing fun colors of waxed canvas to bring into the shop. I have a couple of handbag designs that have been in my shop since the opening of my business (though they do continually evolve), but each season I love to bring in some fun new ideas.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I really appreciate getting to share the story of my business with readers. One of my favorite aspects of my business has been meeting customers in person during live event shows, especially during the holiday season. During the pandemic, my business has been 100% online and I’ve really missed getting to talk to people face to face. It’s such a different interaction when speaking to someone about the quality of a product or how it’s made when you’re in person versus on a computer screen. I can’t wait to be a vendor at live shows in the future, and I hope to meet some of you in person!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@threadandcanvasco.com
- Website: https://www.threadandcanvasco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threadandcanvasco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threadandcanvasco
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@threadandcanvasco?
Image Credits
Vanessa Bennish Photography
