Topaz Quilting & Embroidery was founded in October of 2013 under the name of White Sage Artisans, LLC. The original intent of the company was to get owner Mark Waters’ embroidery crafts and sewing gifts sold on the web and to help other local crafters, designers and sewers sell their posted on the website and sell them too. The workshop was only 400 square feet.
The exposure started bringing in more embroidery crafters into the shop looking for fabric, stabilizers and ideas. The shop was expanded to 940 square feet so that larger classes could be held, more fabric could be purchased and retail sales could be made. In January of 2015 the name Topaz Quilting & Embroidery was established for doing business under the White Sage Artisans, LLC umbrella.
In April of 2017 the shop was moved once more so that it could be a larger retail shop. 3000 square feet gave it a larger classroom, larger sales floor and a larger workroom for fabric and kit preparation. The shop showed promise and was doing well until the beginning months of 2018. In May of 2018, it was decided that the Northern Nevada area couldn’t support our shop. We didn’t sell sewing machines and the classes we taught, just didn’t bring in the students as we had hoped. This was a very hard decision to make, but we decided to close the storefront and step away from retail all together.
It was decided in late June of 2018 that Mark would continue on with online sales and that he, with the help of friends, would start selling finished, handcrafted sewn goods and embellished purchased blanks at local craft fairs in the area. A smaller location was found and will offer local will call for website orders and a workshop from which Mark and friends can craft, design & enjoy the art of sewing and embroidery into the future.