We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tamara Empty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tamara below.

Alright, Tamara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I started to quilt back in high school my sophomore year, so since I was 15 years old. It was a great hobby to do and it helped to keep me relaxed during those angst, dramatic teen days. As I got older, I still loved the art of sewing and in my senior year of college, I was afforded the opportunity to live out my last semester in Accra, Ghana [Africa}. It was there were I really found my purpose in sewing and was introduce to all the different types of African Fabric and their meanings. From that moment on, anything that I sew, is embedded for African Fabric. I came back home from a semester away, and my first stop was Houston, Texas to visit my sister, Tia and her boys. I showed her all my fabric and the different clothing that I had got made and past on her gifts. From Texas, my next stop was Saint Louis, Missouri to visit my best friends, and other sister Najma and her family. As a welcome back, I remember going to a Mexican restaurant with Najma, and the rest of the family and just talking about my studies. They of course received their gifts as well, and they were talking about how I could incorporate all the fabric into the quilts that I sew. It was in that restaurant where I felt that magic one gets to start a business. I can just remember the faces of my sisters, my best friends, and finally my parents when I made it back to Iowa; the joy they had when I took out the fabrics and was talking about all the culture that is embedded within the fabric. So I finally got this spark to sew with African Fabric and to give others the opportunity to have fabric from the Motherland as well, but what would I call my business? Than, just as the business Idea hit me, so did the name, Abusua. Flashes of all the times my sisters have been there for me, my parents dropping everything to support me, my friends trusting me with my first projects, and just all the people who have come into my life and helped me in one way or another – My Family has always been there. In the African Dialect, Twi – Abusua means family. I knew instantly that my business could only have that name because without my Family, I am nothing – and I truly believe it takes a village.

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?

As stated before, I was 15 years old when I started to sew. It transformed from a hobby to a business in the year 2019 when I moved back to the States from Ghana. I like to sew tote bags, cooking aprons, placemats, and table runners but my specialty is in Quilts. What makes my quilts unique is that I embed authentic Ghanaian fabrics that I obtain through my travels and stay. Each and every quilt is custom and tailored to the clients wishes. My favorite quilts to sew are T-shirt quilts. I know there are many people who have shirts hat they would love to keep but no longer wear. By giving your shirts to Abusua, I take care of those shirts and give you back the gift of memories in the form of a quilt. A plus to creating a t-shirt quilt, you free up space in those drawers and closets; You also have a quilt that tells a story that can be passed down for generations. When you come to me with a project, I want my clients to know that their shirts are handle with care and I sew with passion with every stitch. When you chose Abusua, you are always choosing family.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The name of my Business – Abusua, simply means Family. I, first and foremost name it Family, because I truly believe it takes a village and I am nothing without mine. Family to me means: my parents, siblings, friends, mentors, and advisors. In some way or another, they have all helped this business grow. They were the ones who first bought quilts, assisted me in getting the equipment I need, stayed up late with me on projects, or even spread the word. This very opportunity of being featured in this article, is because of a dear friend who spoke about me in a room. So to simply put, the funding of my business first started by my Family. They saw I had a passion and they have encouraged me every step of the way. There are many stories that would highlight just how fabulous my Abusua is but There is one that will always stick out to me. It was another late night of sewing and I was still in my moms living room, all of a sudden my sewing machine just stopped working in mid project. It was a late night, nearing midnight – I started having a melt down (Some would say I’m dramatic). I even posted on my Instagram story, RIP to my sewing machine. Friends had called to check on my, my sisters asked what they could do, my mom tried to get me to calm down. I was distraught and also thinking, I’m in the middle of someone’s High School Quilt for their graduation party. I went to bed so frustrated and was just not listening to my family trying to calm me down. They were asking me what kind of sewing machine I need and what I could do in the meantime. At that particular time, there was no reasoning and I just needed to sleep. Two days after that night, I had a delivery at the door and it was a new sewing machine. I can admit tat I am very much dramatic but I am also very passionate and my family knew that, They got together and they bought me that sewing machine and yes the quilt was completed in time.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My Ultimate Goal is to Have my own Fabric & Quilting shop, with the sole purpose to sell only and all African Fabric. I want to break generational curses and be able to provide for my family for generations to come as well as give back to the ones that were before. What’s driving me, is I don’t want to see my family struggling and work pay check to pay check. If I eat, we’re all going to eat!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abusuaquilting_fabrics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbusuaQuiltingAndFabrics
• Other: Email: [email protected]