Every quilter, sewist, and crafter has a story of the moment a hobby became a passion, and the passion became a calling. This month, we’re hearing from Amy Latta, the author, designer, and speaker behind Amy Latta Creations, to learn about her journey from childhood craft shows to a career spanning eleven books, multiple fabric collections, and collaborations with names like Martha Stewart, Plaid, Tombow, and Andover Fabrics. Read on to learn how it all began, what fuels her creativity today, and what she has in store for 2027.
Getting to Know You
How did you get started on your creative journey?
Some of my earliest memories center around making all kinds of different craft projects with my mom. When I was little, we would set up at craft shows every weekend and sell things we had made, so I can’t remember a time when crafting wasn’t a big part of my life. As I got older, I continued to love creating, and I started exploring new ways to do it including embroidery, working with clay, painting furniture, hand lettering, and quilting. While I gravitate more to some than others, I’ve never found a craft I didn’t want to try.
Do you remember the first thing you ever made?
While I can’t remember the very first thing I ever created, I do remember one particular day when my grandparents gave me a pretty blue and purple beaded necklace. I loved it, and I remember my mom looking at it and saying that she thought she could make something similar. We went to the craft store and bought elastic and I got to help choose from the many shiny, multi-colored beads. At home, we strung the beads onto the elastic, and before I knew it, I had another new necklace. Beaded necklaces and bracelets became a staple of my parents’ craft business, because no matter what else my mom might have been selling, the little girls in attendance always made a beeline for the jewelry. I would sit behind the table stringing beads in new combinations, always trying to make something unique, and even my dad would help make them. It was the first time I remember seeing something I loved, then learning to make it for myself.
How did your hobby evolve into a business?
In 2010, my son was two years old and I had stopped working outside the home to be a stay-at-home mom. Noah and I were constantly doing crafts together, and one day as I was searching the internet for a St. Patrick’s Day project idea, I came across the first craft blog I’d ever seen. It was curated by an art teacher who wanted to share the projects her students were making, and not only did I find a rainbow craft to do with Noah, I was inspired to create a website of my own where I could share ideas with other moms who were searching for kid-friendly projects. Although I had no idea what I was doing, I put together a very rudimentary blog called One Artsy Mama. After a few months of posting kids’ crafts, I received an email from the company that manufactures basic craft supplies for Walmart. They wanted to partner with me, sending me free supplies in exchange for blog posts showing how we used them to make fun crafts and directing readers to buy the supplies at Walmart. Over time, more companies began to realize that working with bloggers was a great way to market their products, so I formed all kinds of partnerships where I started actually getting paid to promote brands I already loved using. As Noah got older, the crafts I shared and the brands I partnered with evolved from purely kids’ projects to things for makers of all ages. Eventually, I became part of the Plaid creator team and the Tombow design team, as well as working with Martha Stewart, and even having my artwork featured in a product for GAP stores. In 2015, I began seeing a new art form called “modern calligraphy” or “hand lettering” emerging, and I fell in love with the beautiful brush script style. I was determined to teach myself to do it, and while doing so, I shared easy instructions with my audience. This eventually led to my first book, Hand Lettering for Relaxation, and ultimately introduced me to another whole new world – quilting. I was approached by a quilt company who partnered with me to film a YouTube series about using hand lettering and fabric markers to create personalized quilt labels. In exchange for sharing my expertise with them, I asked them to share theirs with me and teach me to quilt. They did, and the rest is history. As a result, I fell in love with fabric and fiber arts and my latest collaboration as a designer with Andover Fabrics is the perfect way to blend my passion for lettering and doodles with my love for quilting. When I first encountered that craft blog sixteen years ago, I never could have imagined that I would have 11 books, multiple fabric collections, and opportunities to teach and speak all across the country. The journey has been such a blessing, and I am so grateful to have the best job in the world. I get paid to create and to inspire others to exercise their own creativity – what could be better than that?
Inspiration & Creativity
Where do you find inspiration for your projects?
I’m an incredibly visual person, so I’m most often inspired by beautiful things that I see.
Are there any themes, colors, or materials you find yourself drawn to again and again?
If you look at my fabric collections, it’s pretty obvious that I love flowers. While I’m allergic to having them inside my house, I sure do love to plant them and watch them grow. The shapes and colors always stop me in my tracks and if I see a gorgeous bloom, I pull out my camera and photograph it, no matter where it might be. While I work with various color palettes for seasons and holidays, my go-to favorites are the colors you’ll see in my Bloom and Grow collection; bold, cheerful shades that feel warm and inviting.
The Making Process
What materials or tools do you love using most?
When it comes to quilting and sewing, I’d be lost without my machine, the Janome Continental M6. It allows me to do free motion and ruler quilting without a longarm machine, which has been a game changer. I’m also a huge fan of quilting rulers and my rotary cutter, because if I had to cut all that fabric with scissors, I’d have given up long ago. Then, of course, there’s Poly-Fil, which is a must-have for my pillow projects and the plush bears we make through Blessing Bears Ministry.
How long does a typical project take you to complete?
That’s a tricky question, because a project for me could be anything from a coaster or a small pouch to a twin-sized bed quilt. My favorite projects, though, are ones that can be done in an afternoon. I tend to be slightly impatient, and I’m not a huge fan of repeating the same thing over and over, so I gravitate to things that don’t take weeks or months to create. I really enjoyed doing a block of the week quilt challenge, because although I had to make numerous intricate blocks, each one was different, and I was able to do it in bite sized pieces.
Behind the Brand
How would you describe your creative style or brand aesthetic?
I think the best way to describe my style is cheerful, colorful and whimsical. My hope is that although my fabric collections feature a variety of themes and color palettes, customers will be able to see a group and instantly recognize it as my work because of its general feel.
What’s the most rewarding part of sharing your work with others?
One of my greatest passions has always been to help people who don’t feel creative learn that they truly can make beautiful things. I firmly believe that all of us have the capacity to create, even those who doubt themselves the most. When I teach a workshop and see that “light bulb moment” where someone realizes they actually can make something, there are no words to describe the feeling. It’s also so rewarding for me when people send photos of projects they have created using my tutorials, patterns, and/or fabrics. Knowing that I was part of someone else’s creative process is so exciting, and it’s always such fun to see their finished products.
How do you balance the creative side of making with the business side?
It can certainly be a challenge, because my right-brained self is mostly only interested in making pretty things! While I handle scheduling, marketing, brand relationships, and collaborations myself, I outsource some of the things that are not my strengths. For example, I have someone who handles the accounting and finances for me, and I also have a tech expert. I do my own posting and make basic edits to the website, but when it comes to any kind of coding or troubleshooting, I go right to my tech guy who handles it faster than I can say, “help”!
What advice would you give someone who wants to turn their passion into a business?
It’s probably not so much advice as it is encouragement, but there is nothing better than getting paid to do something you absolutely love.
Fun & Personal Touches
What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
Before I stopped working outside the home, I was a professional ballroom, Latin, and swing dance instructor for four years.
What’s your favorite creative tool or supply that you couldn’t live without?
My sewing machine!
Do you have a creative ritual or routine that helps you get into the “making” mindset?
One thing you can count on is that I am always drinking iced coffee when I’m crafting. Most of the year it’s an iced caramel macchiato, but as soon as the stores release peppermint mocha, I drink that until they take it away again. I also typically have music playing when I sew and create; I can’t work in silence! Another thing I love is to craft with other people. My mom often comes over and we create together, even if we’re working on totally separate projects. I sometimes get my son and my best friend involved, too. Collaboration is a great way to spark ideas.
If you could collaborate with any other artist or brand, who would it be?
Royal Caribbean. My husband and I went on our first cruise last January and I realized that I am absolutely made for cruise ship life. Anything that would allow me to get paid while creating and being on the ship (and on CoCo Cay) would be the best kind of collaboration.
Looking Ahead
What upcoming projects or goals are you excited about?
I am incredibly excited about a fabric collection I have in the works for 2027. It won’t be in the Andover catalog until November, so I can’t spill all the beans yet, but it is inspired by a stunning handmade (hand quilted AND hand pieced) antique double wedding ring quilt I found in my grandmother’s attic earlier this year. I am so excited to share not just the collection but the story behind it with the world, and to create some really meaningful things.
How do you see your creative journey evolving in the next few years?
One of my goals in 2027 is to find more opportunities to connect and teach in person. I have already lined up numerous events where I will be speaking/teaching at various quilt guilds, retreats, and shops, and I’m hoping to book even more. In February, my newest book releases, and I have several fabric collections coming out during the year. Additionally, I hope to grow awareness of my new online shop, where customers can purchase autographed books, notions that coordinate with my fabric collections, project kits, and more.
Anything else you want to share with our readers?
I consider it an honor and a huge blessing to have the opportunity to share creativity with others. It is a dream come true, and I am grateful for every day that I get to do what I do. I also love finding ways to use my sewing and crafting abilities to make a real difference for others by participating in initiatives such as Project Sweet Peas, Blessing Bears Ministry, and more. There are so many incredible organizations (Quilts of Valor, Project Linus, Wrap the World With Quilts, Operation Gratitude, HeartScarves, Miles of Pillowcase Smiles) that depend on makers to volunteer their time and expertise. I would encourage everyone who enjoys creating to find one of these that resonates with them and to be a part of using creativity to help someone in need, whether it’s veterans, NICU babies, cancer patients, heart patients, hospitalized children, or those who have lost everything in a natural disaster. Our creativity can be a real, tangible blessing to someone else at a time when they need it the most.
Connect with Amy Latta
From craft show tables to eleven published books and her own fabric line with Andover, Amy Latta’s story is proof that creativity, shared generously, has a way of multiplying. We can’t wait to see what she makes next.
Want to follow along? You can find Amy at:
- Website: amylattacreations.com
- Instagram: @amylattacreations
- Facebook: Amy Latta Creations
- Pinterest: Amy Latta Creations
- Twitter/X: @amylcreations
And be sure to check out her books, Hand Lettering for Relaxation and Doodle Everything, along with her fabric collections for Andover Fabrics.