From Passion to Profession: How Ana Blickenderfer Created Sew That!

For a lucky few people, a beloved hobby and talent evolves into a lifelong passion and career. Ana Blickenderfer is one of these people. At age nine, Ana learned to sew from her mother, a talented seamstress. When she was 16, she decided to learn how to quilt.

Ana’s skill developed to where she could sew almost anything – often saying, “Well, I can sew that!” That eventually inspired her business name, Sew That!, which she officially started in 2008 in a spare room out of her own home. Ana’s mission statement, which became, “Do what you love” was exemplified over the coming years. After almost 15 years of running her business out of her home, the 580-square-foot area no longer suited her business needs. An old barn stood on her property, and Ana knew it would be the perfect place for the expansion of Sew That! Her vision was clear: the old tack room for retail, the milking parlor for rentable overnight rooms, and the two haymows for an office space and workspace. She would rebuild approximately half of the barn into a classroom, and the high ceilings and rafters would perfectly display her beautiful quilts (her quilts have won many awards, even on the international level, and they are often photographed for cover art on quilting patterns).

Her dream encountered a major obstacle when she began seeking contractors to rebuild her barn, which was over 115 years old in some areas. However, “crews of 20 men wouldn’t even look at it.”  So, with passion and grit, she pursued her goals on her own. With the help of her family, Ana spent long hours in the Iowa winter cutting new lumber, pulling wire, pouring concrete, building walls, and constructing her dream from the ground up while also maintaining some of the barn’s history.

“No one has invested as much in this barn as me. Not in time, money, blood, sweat, or tears. I know every part of this barn,” said Ana.

Successfully completing the project, the completely redone barn holds:

• A retail space for all a quilter’s needs. Ana has shipped materials as far as Australia and New Zealand.
• A small event venue where Ana hosts weekly classes. The venue also works well for other non-quilting events, such as parties and meetings.
• A rental space complete with a kitchen and laundry area for quilting retreats, which take place nearly every month. Ana has hosted people from as far away as Alaska. The space can also be rented by any large group of travelers.

Visit Ana’s website icansewthat.com or her Facebook page at facebook.com/SewThat to learn more about Ana and Sew That! Shoppers can buy materials online or in-person, sign up for online or in-person courses, and view what her rental space has to offer for quilters and non-quilters alike.