Koontz Ranch began on a kitchen table in 2021, with a needle, a few feet of ribbon, and the vague idea that the world could use one or two more pretty things in it.
I learned to sew from my grandmother on the back porch of her farmhouse, sitting on a stool that wobbled. She made aprons for everyone in the family — every birthday, every wedding, every new baby got an apron with their name embroidered along the hem.
When she passed, I inherited her thimble and a shoebox full of patterns drawn on the backs of grocery receipts. I started making aprons again, mostly for myself, mostly to feel close to her. Friends asked for one. Then friends of friends.
The earrings came later — a happy accident of having too much brass wire and not enough patience to wait for the next sewing project to dry. I made a pair, then six, then a hundred. They've become the thing people recognize us by.
Today the ranch is me, my husband Jack (who builds the wood pieces and feeds me when I forget), our two girls who help wrap orders on Sundays, and Olive the dog who is no help at all but is very pretty.
Every piece is assembled by Stephanie or Jack in our studio. No subcontractors, no factories. If something goes wrong, you can call us and we will pick up.
We release in drops, not seasons. When a batch sells out, we make another. Sometimes you have to wait. We think that's okay.
If something we made breaks — even years from now — send it back. We will fix it for free, or remake it if we can't.
A handful of aprons sewn on Sunday afternoons. The first one sold for $20 at a church bazaar.
Brass wire, a borrowed pair of pliers, and 32 pairs of earrings sold in 11 minutes.
Jack built us a little 12x14 studio in the garden so the kitchen table could go back to being a kitchen table.
Our friend Marie joined us part-time to help with packing and the longer sewing pieces.
Still small. Still by hand. Still grateful for every order that comes in.
Wedding favors. Birthday gifts. A pair of earrings to match a particular dress. A monogrammed apron for a friend who loves to bake. We take a small number of custom orders each season.
Lead time is usually 4–6 weeks. Minimum order $40. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll write back with a sketch and a quote.
Start a custom order →