About Sugar & Thread
My name is Paige Umstead and I am the owner/decorator of Sugar & Thread - a home based cookie bakery. In a former life I was a Package Engineer and then came... motherhood. Which, by the way, is still the best job ever (and that’s saying a lot because I have teenagers). So I quit my job to be a stay at home mom in 2003. During my tenure as a mother, besides just the regular motherly duties, I have been a toddler gym class teacher, an aerobics instructor, a scrapbooker, a self taught costume maker (thanks to my mother and YouTube), I dabbled in secretarial work for a few years and now self-taught cookier (thanks to Instagram). Long story short, I have always liked trying new things. Now that I’m in my 40’s I discovered that what I want is a job with flexibility, where I could be creative and still make a decent wage. Everyone I tell this to usually snickers and says “good luck with that”.
My friend Kathie was always telling me I needed to start my own Etsy account or a business but honestly it seemed so daunting. I mean it would be great to be able to sew or craft and get paid but I really just wanted to make stuff (whether it was sewn, paper crafted or baked). I did not want to worry about marketing, selling, etc. Plus how do I even start a business? It was just overwhelming. I was still in my “Thread” phase at this point and thought I would see if I could make something and take it to a local craft show. I spent many days during Covid quarantine making hand towels, thinking how to package them, what my company name should be… Now that I had an idea of something I could sell, the thought of my own business sounded more fun. The name Sugar & Thread was born out of my love for sewing and baking. I played around with a simple logo and according to me, if you had a name and logo then you are officially a business.
My first (and last) craft show was Oct 2020. It was a small neighborhood event and although I sold a few towels, I knew there just wasn’t a market for this type of thing. People wanted the cool wood signs and string/nail art, not a towel. I know I am really short selling myself but let’s call a spade a spade. They are cute but not cute enough where I could make a profit. So where would Sugar and Thread go now? What could I make that would be cute, saleable and profitable? Well…
I had experimented with cookies and cakes in the past. I made my daughter’s special birthday cakes for many years when they were little. I tried my hand at cookies and they were ok. But recently, since I have been on Instagram, I have come to really enjoy royal icing cookie decorating. I started following cookiers simply because their videos were so satisfying to watch. Then I thought I might give it a try. It was probably back in 2019 when I began making cookies sporadically for a birthday or when I had to bring something into school. Each time I gained more confidence in some part of the process – getting the right dough recipe, mixing colors right, cutting a small enough hole in the piping bag tip. You name it there were many ups and downs but no victory was too small. Covid hit and quarantine lead me to my craft room. I sewed, I baked, I played assistant to my husband‘s carpentry work. I was asked by my friend Barb to make cookies for her daughter’s high school graduation. This was my first paid order. Still I had no hopes of starting a cookie business. Then came fall 2020 and my friend Jenny asked me to make cookies for her daughter’s volleyball banquet. This was right after the towel flop. I was really nervous but they turned out great and I received a lot of compliments. I was so surprised that people were asking if I took orders. Soooo… I started a Facebook and Instagram page and began posting pics. First volleyball cookies then Christmas cookies and my first official
order from my sister in law Lisa. I was amazed because after that, it seemed like I had 1-4 dozen cookies each week. So at the end of January 2021 I created this website to help my business grow locally in Cincinnati.
Now you know my story. My name is Paige, I am a middle aged mom in Cincinnati whose kids are leaving the nest soon. I wanted a creative outlet and stumbled into a wonderfully fun cookie business. My incredibly supportive husband fully endorses Sugar and Thread…mostly the Sugar part.
Sweet Regards,
Paige Umstead
My friend Kathie was always telling me I needed to start my own Etsy account or a business but honestly it seemed so daunting. I mean it would be great to be able to sew or craft and get paid but I really just wanted to make stuff (whether it was sewn, paper crafted or baked). I did not want to worry about marketing, selling, etc. Plus how do I even start a business? It was just overwhelming. I was still in my “Thread” phase at this point and thought I would see if I could make something and take it to a local craft show. I spent many days during Covid quarantine making hand towels, thinking how to package them, what my company name should be… Now that I had an idea of something I could sell, the thought of my own business sounded more fun. The name Sugar & Thread was born out of my love for sewing and baking. I played around with a simple logo and according to me, if you had a name and logo then you are officially a business.
My first (and last) craft show was Oct 2020. It was a small neighborhood event and although I sold a few towels, I knew there just wasn’t a market for this type of thing. People wanted the cool wood signs and string/nail art, not a towel. I know I am really short selling myself but let’s call a spade a spade. They are cute but not cute enough where I could make a profit. So where would Sugar and Thread go now? What could I make that would be cute, saleable and profitable? Well…
I had experimented with cookies and cakes in the past. I made my daughter’s special birthday cakes for many years when they were little. I tried my hand at cookies and they were ok. But recently, since I have been on Instagram, I have come to really enjoy royal icing cookie decorating. I started following cookiers simply because their videos were so satisfying to watch. Then I thought I might give it a try. It was probably back in 2019 when I began making cookies sporadically for a birthday or when I had to bring something into school. Each time I gained more confidence in some part of the process – getting the right dough recipe, mixing colors right, cutting a small enough hole in the piping bag tip. You name it there were many ups and downs but no victory was too small. Covid hit and quarantine lead me to my craft room. I sewed, I baked, I played assistant to my husband‘s carpentry work. I was asked by my friend Barb to make cookies for her daughter’s high school graduation. This was my first paid order. Still I had no hopes of starting a cookie business. Then came fall 2020 and my friend Jenny asked me to make cookies for her daughter’s volleyball banquet. This was right after the towel flop. I was really nervous but they turned out great and I received a lot of compliments. I was so surprised that people were asking if I took orders. Soooo… I started a Facebook and Instagram page and began posting pics. First volleyball cookies then Christmas cookies and my first official
order from my sister in law Lisa. I was amazed because after that, it seemed like I had 1-4 dozen cookies each week. So at the end of January 2021 I created this website to help my business grow locally in Cincinnati.
Now you know my story. My name is Paige, I am a middle aged mom in Cincinnati whose kids are leaving the nest soon. I wanted a creative outlet and stumbled into a wonderfully fun cookie business. My incredibly supportive husband fully endorses Sugar and Thread…mostly the Sugar part.
Sweet Regards,
Paige Umstead