Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Kruusi.
Hi Linda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Kruusn Quilt Shop grew from my love of quilting, creativity, and bringing people together. I started the shop from my home with a vision of creating more than a place where people simply purchased fabric. I wanted it to be a welcoming space where customers felt comfortable asking questions, learning something new, sharing their projects, and becoming part of a quilting family.
Located on the beautiful Southern Oregon Coast in Coos Bay, Kruusn Quilt Shop has grown into a destination for both local customers and visitors traveling through the area. While quilting remains at the heart of what we do, we have expanded to support machine and hand embroidery, along with a growing variety of supplies for customers who enjoy other soft crafts. Most importantly, we provide personal service and take the time to help each customer feel confident, inspired, and supported in whatever they are creating.
Our shop has been recognized through the ByAnnie Local Quilt Shop Contest, including being named the Best Local Quilt Shop in Oregon in 2023 and continuing to place among Oregon’s top shops in the years that followed. That recognition has meant so much to me because it came from the customers who support us, recommend us, and consider the shop part of their lives. I never take that support for granted.
Like many small businesses, we have had to continually adapt and grow. We expanded our online store, strengthened our social media and email outreach, offered both virtual and in-person events, and found new ways to connect with customers who may not be able to visit us in person. Technology has become an important part of how we serve our quilting family, but the heart of the business remains personal relationships and genuine customer care.
Our team has also played a tremendous role in helping Kruusn Quilt Shop grow. Each person brings different talents, knowledge, and personality to the business, and together we work hard to keep the shop welcoming, helpful, creative, and fun. Even Thimblelina, my little Yorkshire Terrier and our official shop mascot, has become part of the Kruusn story. She appears in our social media and promotions and represents the warm, family feeling we want customers to experience.
What began with a love of quilting has grown into a business built around relationships. One of my greatest rewards is seeing customers become friends, watching beginners gain confidence, and having people return to share their finished projects with us.
Kruusn Quilt Shop continues to evolve, but our purpose remains the same: to help people create beautiful things, encourage them along the way, and make everyone who walks through our doors feel like part of the family.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. Running a small business means balancing creativity with inventory, staffing, technology, marketing, and the financial realities of retail.
Being located on the Southern Oregon Coast is both a gift and a challenge, so we have had to work hard to reach customers beyond our local area through our website, social media, email, and special events. Along the way, I have learned to adapt, make difficult decisions, and keep moving forward when something does not work as planned.
The challenges have taught me persistence, flexibility, and the importance of having a strong team and loyal customers beside me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I consider myself both a business owner and a creative entrepreneur. My work includes selecting products, designing patterns and projects, planning classes and events, supporting our team, and finding new ways to connect with customers.
What I enjoy most is helping people feel confident in their creativity. Whether someone is an experienced quilter or a complete beginner, I want them to feel welcomed, encouraged, and excited about what they can create.
For me, Kruusn Quilt Shop is about more than selling products. It is about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating a place where people feel like part of a family.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support Kruusn Quilt Shop by shopping with us in person or online, attending classes and events, joining our email list, following us on social media, and recommending us to others.
We also enjoy collaborating with designers, instructors, quilt guilds, vendors, event organizers, and other small businesses on classes, trunk shows, demonstrations, shop hops, and creative community projects.
Every purchase, referral, review, and shared post helps us continue offering personal service, education, and a welcoming place for people who love quilting, embroidery, sewing, and other soft crafts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kruusn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kruusn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kruusn/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kruusn-quilt-shop-coos-bay
