We were lucky to catch up with Nikol Gianopoulos recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nikol, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The name ‘Sewtropolis’ is a blend of what I love to do and my Greek heritage! I came up with it many years ago when I started a brick & mortar store in Minneapolis. Sewtropolis then was a fabric store, sewing studio and a place you could take classes! It was such a fun business, but unfortunately I could not sustain it and closed it after 5 years.
Ten years later I find myself in Spokane and sewing for fun again! I thought about changing my business name, but Sewtropolis is ingrained as to who I am creatively that really didn’t want to part with it! I still love the name after all these years!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I come from a long line of sewist, and I think from being around sewing machines and lots of fabric, that it was just something I felt comfortable picking up and starting at about age 9. By the time I got to high school I was making my own clothes, and in my 30s I fell in love with quilting! I would be hard pressed to think of something I haven’t sewn at this point… I feel like I have done it all! Clothing, home decor, quilts, bags, etc.

In 2009 I opened Sewtropolis a brick and mortar in Minneapolis, where I was living at the time. Being a business owner was fun, but it consumed all my time and I found myself sewing less to be creative, and more for the business. After I closed the store I continued to sell fabric online … and slowly started sewing for the pure joy of sewing again!

Once I sold all the fabric from the store, I started selling the smaller items I was making (purses, bags, etc.) on Etsy and that has been lots of fun, it has brought back my sewing ‘joy’ again.

I moved back to Spokane last year and decided I would try selling my items at different craft venues – which is something I was intimidated by for some reason. But it turns out I am really enjoying it! I love meeting other crafters and being inspired by what they do. I also love when people stop by my booth to admire all the things I’ve made- especially the kids! My booth is always very colorful and kids step in all wide eyed and full of wonder! Usually their first question is : Did you sew all this?!?

As far as the things I sew, I have been all over the board! I find it really hard to sew just one thing over and over again. So I tend to mix it up a lot! One week I’ll be making purses, the next I’ll make a bunch of fabric birds!

Currently I am making quilts with the intent to make quilted jackets! I’m also upcycling old jeans and sweat shirts into colorful works of wearable art! This has been a lot of fun for me as I’m combining sewing clothes, with quilting, and adding a dash of creative juices!

I think what sets me apart from others is I am not afraid to try new things! I love to learn, and having sewn for so long I can picture things in my mind, and the steps I need to take, the type of fabric I need to use, how to cut the fabric and sew it back together in order to make it a reality – it’s one of those things I think a person who has been doing a craft for a long time does out of habit. For me it’s the core of my creativity.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I currently sell on Etsy! I joined Etsy in 2009 when it was strictly for crafters. Since then it has grown into a huge site that has definitely had some growing pains. I think if you talk to anyone who has dealt with Etsy they will have a horror story… I certainly am no exception! I tried selling on my own website and using Shopify, but I found I was not as successful on those platforms. I think it’s because it’s harder for me to drive traffic there. With Etsy it’s easier – my customers know I’m there and if they aren’t my customer, people go there to look for unique, hand crafted items.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

First, let me just say that all my pivots in life have been self inflicted! I am one that finds it hard to sit still for very long, and if I get a good idea I usually implement it sooner rather than later, and that has not always been the best way to do things… though it’s always more interesting!
When I started my business in 2009 it was one of those things I always wanted to do. When time and circumstance came together I took the leap before checking to see how deep the water was, and quickly learned that even though I loved sewing and quilting as a hobby… as a business it was not something I was very good at! It took more analytical thinking… the type you have to slow down for! I was not good at that at all! I kept my business open for as long as I financially could – more because it had become its own ‘thing’, my customers loved Sewtropolis… I just could not make it work… at that was more about me I think then it was anything else. When I closed my store I pivoted back into the corporate world as I needed to support myself and start to pay off my debt! I learned a lot from that experience – most of it good including knowing my limits! I love where I am at now with my business! I still work in the corporate world, but I have plans to make Sewtropolis my sole source of income by the time I retire! This time I’ll take my time, and try to be thoughtful about how to get there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Sewtropolis
• Facebook: Sewtropolis
• Linkedin: Sewtropolis
• Other: Pinterest: sewtropolis
  Threads: sewtropolis

Image Credits

Nikol Gianopoulos
All photos are mine, taken by me.