Jan 23, 2011

Quilt-shop owner finds her common threadBy Kathleen GreenDallasNews.com

Happiness is quilting for Laura Kay Houser.

In times of joy and sadness, on airplanes and in waiting rooms, the McKinney quilt-shop owner says sewing and handwork have been her common thread in keeping a balance.

“One of my children was on chemo for a year,” says Houser, owner of Happiness Is Quilting on the square in downtown McKinney. “When he got through that, and everything looked to be good, I told my husband, ‘Hey, I think I want to do something with this hobby I really enjoyed and that kind of helped me through his illness.’ ”

The stay-at-home mom, who had once been a programmer and manager for EDS and Texas Instruments , was ready for a change as her kids grew older and her son’s cancer went into remission. In 2006, Houser and two partners launched their business. And even though the lines between business and her beloved hobby blur, she says she’s OK with that.

“I always take my handwork with me. Someone always asks me, ‘What are you working on?’ And then I’ll start explaining it and their eyes start glazing over,” says Houser, 48.

There are, however, some customers who “get it,” she says, including flight attendants who have taken her business card and become customers.

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