Honey Stitches – Melissa Coffey

Hi, my name is Melissa Coffey and I am a Keepsake Maker and the owner of Honey Stitches, based in Convoy, Co. Donegal.

I help people to hold on to their most treasured memories in a creative, yet practical way by transforming pieces of clothing that hold sentimental value to my customers, into beautiful handcrafted Quilts, Blankets, Bears, and Cushions.

I’ve been sewing most of my life, completing an Associate Diploma in Fashion Design in the Dublin Institute of Design in 2012, whilst working as a healthcare assistant for older people.

Honey Stitches

Soon after my daughter was born in 2014 I stumbled upon Memory Quilts on Pinterest and was determined to create one from her first little clothes, and I did. I chose several little outfits that held memories of many special moments of joy, tears, firsts, lasts, celebrations and family. I put my heart into that little quilt. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it reignited my passion for sewing. I set about making Memory Quilts and Cushions, and later custom dresses and other clothing, for friends with babies and young children, perfecting my technique along the way!

It wasn’t until early 2017 that I decided it was time to get serious about turning my passion into a business and attended a few events run by the Donegal Women in Business Network. I decided to focus solely on creating Keepsakes from clothing as I love being able to bring joy and comfort into others lives.

As quickly as my daughter has grown, so has Honey Stitches. Not only have I been commissioned to create quilts from babies clothing, but also large quilts to display gig t-shirts, and some very special bears and cushions to remember loved ones who have passed away.

I attended the Start Your Own Business Course in the Donegal Local Enterprise Office to get some guidance and started attending some networking events. I launched my website in September 2017, and have recently accepted that I can’t do everything myself and have sought the skills of the very talented marketing guru and fellow member of the DWIBN, Emma Boylan from Outside the Box, to help me grow my business this year.

You can find me at The Courtyard Shopping Centre’s Craft Fair in Letterkenny on the first Tuesday of each month and The Forum Indoor Market in the Millenium Forum, Derry on the first Saturday of each month.

www.honeystitches.ie

www.facebook.com/honeystitcheskeepsakes

www.instagram.com/honey_stitches