When Carmen Marti bought a new sewing machine and gave her 25 year old Singer to her daughter Jamie Halleckson, little did she know what it would lead to. Carmen has sewn since the age of five, when her grandma and mom taught her to sew Barbie clothes. As a single mom, Carmen stitched up many outfits and toys for her only child, Jamie. She had always hoped that one day Jamie would show an interest in sharing her passion. Well, along came Etsy and the 25 year old Singer sprang to life. Jamie and Carmen have been stitching up kitchen and household delights ever since.
They run their Etsy business from two locations, 120 miles apart. Jamie lives in a suburb of St. Paul and Carmen lives in northern Minnesota. The name City Chic Country Mouse is an accurate characterization for the personalities and lifestyles of these two women. Carmen uses her expertise in pattern making, design and sewing, while Jamie has her hands full with marketing, photography, listing, shipping, accounting, and now blogging, too! She is currently a student in the online blogging course offered by Holly from decor8.
Buttons by SLGdesigns
Jamie adores this print from Shanon of SLGdesigns. It hangs in her sewing room and is also the wallpaper on her laptop downloaded from Kindred. Jamie contacted Shanon about the possibility of doing a photoshoot at her home. Shanon kindly agreed and came over to take photos of the mother-daughter team in action. How wonderful to meet a local Etsy artist!
One of the influential factors in starting an Etsy shop was the discovery of a unique store in NE, Minneapolis called Crafty Planet. Jamie and Carmen fell in love with the unique fabrics and atmosphere of this eclectic shop. The owners, Trish Hoskins, along with Rebecca Yaker (known for her sock monkey apparel) are in the process of writing a book, 101 One Yard Wonders, which will be out in October 2009. Jamie and Carmen will have two of their patterns included! 
Photo by SLGdesigns
These two women work together when determining which fabric combinations work well for each of their designs. Jamie is now learning the secrets to sewing that her mom has always longed to teach her. The logistics can at times create challenges for the duo, such as when a customer requests a specific fabric, and that fabric just happens to be at Jamie’s house, or when the item to be listed has just been completed and is ready to be photographed is at Carmen’s. These ladies do get together for what they call “marathon sewing sessions” once or twice a month. It is here that you see how well this mother-daughter team works together.
In order to accomplish as much as possible during a marathon, they plan easy meals that can be eaten all weekend long, such as soups, salads or slow cooker recipes, and stock up on dog treats for their fur babies. They say that their best ideas come out of these marathons. It’s obvious watching this mother-daughter team that the two are closely in sync and have a mutual respect for each other’s ideas.
Little Chicks by Whisker Graphics
Once the name for the business had been decided upon, a banner, avatar and business cards were needed. The ladies saw this chick from Whisker Graphics and immediately knew this was the style they wanted. Whitney worked with them to develop a cohesive look for their entire shop, including a shop banner, blog header, business cards, and packaging.
In addition, this mom and daughter team has ventured into the wholesale market. After receiving several inquiries, Jamie decided to put together a brochure that could be sent to potential wholesale purchasers. The very first wholesale order came from a shop the ladies often purchase their fabric from, fabricpalooza, for her lovely new shop in North Carolina.
When starting their Etsy business Jamie and Carmen had no idea where it would lead. They have discovered a wealth of information and expertise in the Etsy community, and they have formed many new friendships while building their business. They always knew they wanted to have some sort of business together, but they had no idea how fulfilling and fun this “little” Etsy business would be!
More Mother-Daughter Stories | Classic Gifts for Mom
103 comments
Sign in to add your ownzombuki says:
How sweet :3 a very inspiring story!
3 years ago
alibli says:
Congratulations Ladies!
3 years ago
SusanFaye says:
What a great story about family teamwork!! Now if only I could just get my son to paint cat ladies....
3 years ago
pouch says:
oh my goodness, that fabric shop *faints* I love the badge by allegrae too!
3 years ago
adoreneko says:
Wonderful inspirational story and just in time for Mother's Day. Thanks!
3 years ago
waisze says:
This is a great article. It just warmed my heart. Lovely items ladies!
3 years ago
OhFaro says:
Fantastic story. Cheers to Carmen and Jamie.
3 years ago
EpicBones says:
amazing!!! i've learned so much from my mom and aunt who are both artists. beautiful story
3 years ago
dlkdesigns says:
What a beautiful mother daughter story :)
3 years ago
littlepinkpebble says:
wow~!!! Great mother and daughter team~!! Anyone want to tag team me ; )
3 years ago
ladaworks says:
Great story. I wish my mom was closer...she lives in Europe.
3 years ago
timesandchimes says:
Another great mother/daughter shop! Just like my daughter and I - spending time together doing what you love! Congratulations!
3 years ago
woollypuppy says:
Great article!
3 years ago
4TheSparrowsNest says:
Just in time for Mother's Day! I get a lot of my creativity from my mom, and while we aren't in business together, I owe my gifts and talents to her genes and her loving support.
3 years ago
Mattamorphis says:
That's so sweet *tear*
3 years ago
lovelygifts says:
Very nice article
3 years ago
dogties says:
How Fun!
3 years ago
DalkullanJewelry says:
What a wonderful team! That would be so terrific to share my Etsy adventure with my daughters -- maybe someday. So much great advice, thank you so much for this inspirational story. Congratulations on your success, CityChicCountryMouse!
3 years ago
Clementinyclothing says:
What a great article! I hope to one day do the same with my daughter.
3 years ago
VintageCreate says:
Wow! This is a terrific article. How inspiring! I love the items you selected, too.
3 years ago
clothpaperstitches says:
What a nice Mothers' Day kind of story. Thanks for sharing!
3 years ago
paisleybaby says:
I love this story! So many similarities between this story and our story - we also started with Barbie clothes and an old Singer. Congratulations and Happy Mother's Day!
3 years ago
emmarts says:
Great team! Lovely article.
3 years ago
Lunatiger says:
Very cool article!
3 years ago
ShaggyBaggy says:
What an inspiring story
3 years ago
ModernMetalJewelry says:
Wonderful story for Mother's Day!
3 years ago
andrewsreclaimed says:
Thank you, what a great way to start the day. Heart warming and inspiring. Three cheers for all of our mommas!
3 years ago
inajuicebox says:
Wonderful article! I have so many great memories of my grandma teaching me how to cross stitch, latch hook and loved helping her make clothes for my cabbage patch dolls. <3
3 years ago
JessicaPoundstone says:
What a neat story!
3 years ago
PoleStar says:
Very sweet!
3 years ago
StephanieFizer says:
such a sweet story!
3 years ago
worksofwhimsy says:
Nice story. Love the Etsy addict button. The mice are sweet, but I love mice, as you can tell from my avatar :)
3 years ago
odiliafu says:
Wonderful story!! Thanks for sharing!
3 years ago
tootsweethandbags says:
wow, that's awesome. i dont think my mother and i could work that well together :)
3 years ago
mykonos says:
love the buttons!!
3 years ago
haannh says:
Wonderful and sweet!
3 years ago
slgdesigns says:
Congratulations you two! It was fantastic to meet you and I LOVE your aprons, as well as everything else that comes from your crafty minds. =)
3 years ago
AzitasSurprises says:
i love the etsy addict button.
3 years ago
BabbidgePatch says:
lovely story!
3 years ago
worksandfinds says:
Great story. Congratulations to both of you.
3 years ago
BeadfullyYours says:
Very inspiring! Thanks for sharing.
3 years ago
CutieDynamite says:
How sweet! That fabric store....yum.
3 years ago
Mimiandlola says:
What a great story! It's great to be partners with your mom! Mimi and Lola is a mother/daughter team. We feel truly blessed.
3 years ago
bellasparty says:
Great story!
3 years ago
crys58 says:
What a wonderful partnership!
3 years ago
ThreeFive18 says:
i love this! i love the button photo!!! ♥
3 years ago
IcingOnTheCupcake says:
Great story, my sister and I work in a very similar way with our store... we live a few hours apart.
3 years ago
FashionTouch says:
Nice suete, great article for mothers day!!!
3 years ago
FashionTouch says:
meant "duet":))
3 years ago
deusprovidebit says:
awesome! this sounds sooo familiar! my mom and i spend many hrs together comming up with new ideas for our shop!i'm sure you feel as bleesed as i do, to be able to work so closely, with your mom/daughter ;O)
3 years ago
scottshandmadecrafts says:
What a nice story! Congratulations!
3 years ago
LifeInThePastLane says:
Carmen and Jamie are wonderful inspiration to other mothers-daughters. My daughter and I both do Etsy - but in very different ways. The fun part is we are together while each of us do our own thing.
3 years ago
decor8 says:
Oh I'm so proud of you Jamie and Carmen!!! I nearly fell off my chair when I read this interview, I stumbled on it and saw my name and felt really, really excited. Thank you so much for the mention and I'm happy you are enjoying BYW. :)
3 years ago
decor8 says:
Oh and thank you SO MUCH for mentioning Kindred and the beautiful Shanon Gass!!!
3 years ago
thevintagepearl says:
What a great story and cute shop!!!
3 years ago
baconsquarefarm says:
Yea Minnesota, great story too~!
3 years ago
Waterrose says:
Lovely story. Congratulations ladies on all of your current and future success!
3 years ago
sandali says:
LOVE your story, thought process the works !! AWESOME features, especially beanworkhandmade & their doggy gadgets ;)
3 years ago
HibouCards says:
these are really cool picks! Loooove the Wake up, make coffee, check Etsy" button... this has so much become my routine :) How many are we like that now, come on admit it!
3 years ago
HibouCards says:
Forgot to say what a nice story it is. I'd like to share something like that with my mom, could be fun... or not ;)
3 years ago
Navare says:
I always wished my mom could have taught me to sew, only she's not a sewer. But how terrific to be in business with your mom! What a happy life it seems like!
3 years ago
carrollscorner says:
Enjoyed this mother/daughter story very much - my daughter also helps me with my quilting, altho our Etsy has been put on hold for some personal reasons in our family - we hope to get back on track soon! This story is just the inspiration I needed! I check in with Etsy each day just to see "what's new"!
3 years ago
BeanTownHandmade says:
What a lovely story, I really enjoyed it! My mother and grandmother have taught me so much. Thanks so much for including Bean in the picks with these fabulous items!
3 years ago
BlueTerracotta says:
Sweet story!
3 years ago
sage12888 says:
Very Nice!
3 years ago
Sonniesuellc says:
this is so cool!
3 years ago
VintageTwenty says:
My Mom and Grandmother taught me how to sew. I sewed for myself and my friends during high school, made drapes for my first home, and made baby clothes through prom dresses for my own children. This is really an inspiring story and it makes me want to get back to my sewing machine again.
3 years ago
MyJunkyTrunk says:
I love this story! Really heart-warming and inspiring! Thanks for sharing.
3 years ago
hazelandhunter says:
I love this sweet story!
3 years ago
DewberryVintage says:
I could live int that fabric store! Wow...
3 years ago
ShabbyCupboard says:
Great Story!! I too learned from my mother and grandmother...only my hand-me-down machine was a 30yr old kenmore :) Thanks so much for sharing your story!
3 years ago
myJellyBean says:
Wow, what a wonderful story!! Inspired me to get busy and create. LOVE the fabric store,I could live in there also.
3 years ago
ireneagh says:
WONDERFUL STORY FOR MOTHER's DAY! :) LOVELY! ^_______^
3 years ago
courtneyannedesigns says:
this is a great story! what inspiration.
3 years ago
SoftandSweet says:
Very inspirational! The fabric store is wonderful!
3 years ago
TianaCHE says:
Moving story! Thank you Carmen and Jamie!
3 years ago
Kiie says:
such an interesting story. I wish my mom share the same hobby/passion as me.
3 years ago
OrganicElements says:
What a great pair! Good luck.
3 years ago
Tina669 says:
Very nice article
2 years ago
tinycharm says:
Aww, what a sweet story :)
2 years ago
milanddil says:
How inspiring...we are also beginning our own similar journey, but we are a mother-in-law (MIL) and daughter-in-law (DIL)! This story gives us hope for what may come! Thanks for sharing! http://www.milanddil.com
2 years ago
Countrymouse923 says:
I loved the story- it must be awesome to sew with someone---more enthusiasm, more ideas, freaky outlooks on new products--just the ability to stretch the mind and expand the art of making homecrafted anything!
2 years ago
PoppyTogs says:
Luv LUV that story! It's always funner to sew with a friend... especially when it's your Mom!!! :) You Go Girls!!
2 years ago
wynzia says:
such a great story. so impressed by and proud of you!
2 years ago
StelmaDesigns says:
I really enjoyed that story! I wish I could get my daughters to become interested in sewing. It's a valuable skill to know I think.
2 years ago
noisycricket says:
My mom and I have always talked about doing something like this--Love it! thanks for sharing!
2 years ago
BlessedRepublic says:
Very inspiring! Thanks for sharing your stories.
2 years ago
Xiefashionstudio says:
very proud of you!thank you for sharing!
2 years ago
tiazoey says:
What a wonderful story!
2 years ago
frecklesoriginals says:
I love this story. I love to get together with my girls and bounce ideas around.My family are all crafters it's the one thing that gets us all nattering. Are there any guys and sons out there? I'm sure we would all love to hear from you too.
1 year ago
trillity says:
It's always so cool to see skills get passed down from generation to generation...It sure is cheaper than taking a class!
1 year ago
NagihanDesigns says:
What a great story and cute shop!!!
1 year ago
NagihanDesigns says:
What a great story and cute shop!!!
1 year ago
SusanLandauDesigns says:
Love the story and I wish I have known my mother.you are so lucky to have a mother like her. All the best.
1 year ago
shastabelle says:
Yay Minnesota! Such a lovely story - just discovered Crafty Planet myself :)
1 year ago
whollybut says:
I love the idea. While you are running a business, working together you are doing something more important. Making memories. I inherited my grandmothers treadle sewing machine. When my children were small, she would sit and watch me sew their clothing or we would go to her house and I would watch her sew. Memories.
1 year ago
alicejdesign says:
Love your story and nice store!
1 year ago
RBJohnson says:
What a great article!
1 year ago
lizziebstudio says:
such a sweet article! my mom and i used to double team as pastry chefs at some of our local eateries and there is nothing as being able to work alongside your mother to learn all the tricks of the trade. your article made me smile from all the warm memories it made me relive.
1 year ago
TheCatmeow2000 says:
What a great story!
1 year ago