When West Bend mom Hannah Schleef began creating cloth books as a way to connect with her toddler, she never imagined it would lead her to create a wildly popular, fast-selling book collection and opening her very own downtown studio space — but just four years after launching her child-based business, Evensong, that is exactly what became her reality.
“I found myself sewing late into the night trying desperately to avoid waking my three little girls next door. It became obvious that I needed a space of my own,” said Schleef. “When I learned that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation was offering a grant through the Mainstreet Bounceback Program, I started casually scouting out locations close to home and running the numbers, not believing I could really make it happen. When I toured a small upstairs office space on 6th Avenue with Main Street access, I fell in love. Fast forward to 2022 and my dreams for that little workspace have expanded dramatically. I’ve now got a space to work, a space to display products and store inventory, and a space for my little girls to play when they come along to work with me.”
[Adapted from: West Bend mother’s nighttime tradition becomes successful daily business July 6, 2022 Washington County Daily News]