LAXON — Boxer Craft House has been named the No. 1 Quilt Shop in West Virginia through ByAnnie’s Local Quilt Shop Contest.
Annie Unrein, creator of ByAnnie.com, started the contest to support local quilt shops and build a community for quilters around the world. Through this contest, people around the world can vote for their favorite quilt shops and share their support.
When Marie Bressler, owner of Boxer Craft House, received an email about the contest, she decided to enter. She never expected it to go so well.
Bressler launched Boxer Craft House online about seven years ago and just moved into its first brick-and-mortar location in September. She had wanted to open her own shop for several years, so for her it was a dream come true.
“We wanted to open a brick-and-mortar store, especially in Jefferson County, but it’s been a long road,” Bressler said. “I can’t tell you how many years it took to finally put this together. There was so much blood, sweat and tears that went into this that people came and said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’ It means a lot to us.”
After winning the contest, Bressler was invited to travel to Chicago to attend h+h americas, a craft conference with over 300 different exhibitors. She will meet the other award winners, and she will also meet Unrein himself during the conference in early May.
But Bressler’s favorite part of the competition is being able to share her love of making things with others. She started her craft 15 years ago when a friend of hers encouraged her to try embroidery. That inspired her to start her Boxer Craft House after she struggled to find quality materials.
She started building a community around quilting, creating a Facebook group with about 9,000 members. She is very passionate about what she does.
“It’s people, sharing a common desire to create,” Bressler said. “So many people say that quilting is their therapy and their outlet. I love seeing what other people are making and getting ideas for my own projects. As a business owner, I love being able to help people choose products. It’s just a great network.”
Since winning the contest, some people have even come out of their way just to visit Bressler’s store. She enjoys introducing them to other local restaurants and businesses throughout the area to support the Jefferson County community. Ms. Bressler wanted to thank her loyal customers and staff for all their support.
