Ashley Meyer’s aprons land her on pages of Martha Stewart Living
Ashley Meyer stands in front of her cutting table in the barn, which she uses as her workshop at their rural Ellendale farm. Meyer recently made the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine for her business, Meyer Textile Company, which produces aprons hand made by Ashley. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
Everyone has heard of Martha Stewart, but few knew we have fame living right next door in our own community, whose handicraft recently graced the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine.
Ashley Meyer recently was a competitor in the Martha Stewart American Made Audience Choice Awards, which highlights “makers” from around the United States. She received 10,000 votes by the end of the contest, and ended up with her business featured in an ad in Martha Stewart Living which was part of a promotion with Toyota and American Made. Beyond that, one of her products was featured in Sweet Paul magazine.
Ashley and her husband live just east of Ellendale on the 100-year-old dairy farm that was formerly the home of the Lloyd and Jackie Kaplan family."We live across the road from Chris and Jenny Deml, and down the road from Dennis Deml," Ashley said.
Ashley moved to this area from St. Joseph, Minn., in 2011 when her husband began working as a computer programmer for Federated Insurance in Owatonna.
She had been looking for a personal-use apron. That apron had to be durable, with a good fit and a pleasing look. When she couldn't find what she needed, she began to design and make aprons for herself.
Her aprons were pleasing not only to her, but to others, as she soon found out. She started making aprons for others and eventually began selling them at the local farmers’ markets.
Over time, the cotton aprons she made for market evolved into a line of aprons durable enough for the abuse dealt to them in the kitchen, workshop, and other professional settings.
There are plenty of businesses that make restaurant aprons, but very few that hand-make them like Ashley. She makes them durable and hardy without sacrificing style. Every apron that the Meyer Textile Company produces is handmade from quality cotton fabrics.
Her workshop, located in the front of the 100-year-old dairy barn, has the rustic setting of their Century Farm, and is the perfect inspiration for designing classic and authentic country pieces. In 2012, Ashley and her husband renovated the barn to suit her needs.
She specializes in simple, classic aprons that are sturdy because she uses canvas, denim and mattress ticking, and the rustic aesthetic of her aprons has been a big hit. Ashley uses no polyester fabrics!
She designs and makes everything herself, using no commercial patterns.
All of her designs are original, her own adaptations of classic styles designed to be figure flattering and attractive. She selects the fabric, occasionally hand-dyeing the fabric to highlight her design. She then cuts, sews and packages each apron herself, and ships them to the people who will wear them in their work. Ashley says her aprons are hardworking, androgynous, and authentically rustic.
Her aprons are currently outfitting a great many restaurants, bakeries, bars and studios around the world. Most of her stockists and restaurants are on the East and West Coast, but she has also sold abroad in Australia, the U.K., Norway, France and Canada.
"I am still in awe of the fact that customers seek out my aprons to outfit their staff,” Ashley said, “and that I have personally made and sold somewhere in the ball park of 3,000 aprons over the last year or so.
“I have invested a great deal of myself into my business - and it is probably safe to say that MTC (Meyer Textile Company) has stopped being just my 'business' – it has comfortably become my lifestyle."
The Meyer Textile business is unique because it reflects Ashley’s life and taste, along with her beloved rustic setting. And it is a profitable business based solely on the sale of aprons!
What is the best business advice she has received?
"Ignore fads and make products that are classic and timeless, useful – and make them well."
It helps that she created them to serve her personal purpose, because she knew what she and others might need.
The Meyer Textile Company motto - "simple, rustic, and authentic" speaks to the practicality and durability of the aprons - a great wear-it-and wash it, no-fuss style.
Ashley’s aprons can be ordered from her website, www.meyertextileco.com.