The Cuddle Shop *** Virginia, USA

I don’t doubt that most of you have heard of, seen (or even own) a sock monkey, but I know you haven't seen any that are cuter, or make you smile bigger, than those in these photos.

Andrea, the crafter behind The Cuddle Shop, opened up her Etsy store in March of ’08 and started making sock monkeys. Previous to monkeying around (sorry, I couldn’t help it!) with sock monkeys, Andrea made cloth dolls, carrying over some of her ideas to the monkeys. She was inspired by sock monkeys she had seen elsewhere but wanted to do something different with them, using her own, unique style. She succeeded as far as I’m concerned, because I have never seen sock monkeys like these! They are bright, colorful and creative.

Inspiration for new monkeys comes from a couple of different directions. No longer looking at socks as simply foot coverings, she now sees a cool sock and tries to imagine what kind of monkey it will make. Alternatively, she comes up with a new character and sets out to find the perfect sock with which to create it.

Andrea learned a little about sewing from a class in middle school and liked it. She made a few little pillows by hand and enjoyed sewing other pieces for class assignments. A Girl Scout for thirteen years, Andrea's final 5 years in scouts was under the leadership of a Scout Leader who was a seamstress. She taught Andrea a lot of sewing basics and especially what she needed to know to earn her Girl Scout Gold award, which Andrea won by sewing pillows for a hospital.

A few years later, Andrea got a sewing machine for Christmas and had a ball making all sorts of things….pillows, hats, blankets, plush….honing her skills with sewing books from her library and practice, practice, practice. Andrea told me she has “come a long way since I first started sewing. Loving to sew, working hard and sticking with it helped me to learn and grow.”

Andrea’s job has taught her a lot about customer service and the importance of treating your customers well. She has carried this attitude over to her Etsy shop. She truly cares about her customers and loves doing custom orders because she can give them exactly what they envision.

At this time, Andrea's Etsy shop is the only place you can buy her creations, but she does show her work on deviantart and flickr. Be sure and drop by.

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