When Tina Gossack opened Sew Crazy almost two years ago, she used her creativity to design a colorful retail space that serves both as an outlet for her artistic abilities and an inspiration to other crafters.

The sewing boutique located in the Railyard Shopping Center in Cedar Park offers a wide selection of fabrics for quilting, fashion and crafts.

"[But] you don't have to be a sewer or fabric buyer to come in here," Gossack said, adding that her one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories are popular with people who like to give handmade gifts.

Before opening Sew Crazy, Gossack ran an interior design and decorating business, but she said her dream was to open a combination retail store and studio.

"For about 20-something years I've always had this dream of the cute little shop where I could have my studio [to] design, create and sell the things I make."

After selling a piece of property, she used the profits as seed money to realize that dream in December 2012.

Customer Diane Edgerly of Pflugerville said Gossack has pieced together an inventory of fabrics that is different from other fabric stores.

"This is such a fun shop," she said. "[Tina's] ideas are so fresh, and she's got the most unique fabric in the Austin area."

Classes and workshops are offered by request for customers wanting to learn specific skills, such as how to install a zipper, or larger projects such as making handbags. The shop also carries Elna brand sewing machines.

The handbags, quilts and other handiwork for sale at Sew Crazy are a good way to showcase the fabric inventory, said Susan Fujimoto, who works part-time in the store.

"She'll get a new [fabric] collection in, and nobody really seems to notice it. Then she'll make a quilt and hang it up, and she sells all the fabric."

Sometimes customers come in with their own ideas for a project, and Gossack uses her creativity to come up with a design. One recent project involved turning a keepsake silk scarf into a throw blanket. For another client, Gossack said she figured out how to transfer a wedding invitation onto fabric for labeling the back of a quilt.

"Part of being a designer is being a problem-solver," Gossack said.

To improve the process for finishing quilts, Gossack invested in a long-arm quilting machine that customers can rent by the hour. Using the long-arm machine is cheaper and more satisfying than sending a quilt out to be finished by a professional, she said.

"People like the idea that they can come in and actually finish [their quilt] themselves. They not only save some money but [they can] say, 'I started it, and I finished it,'" she said.

Training sessions are conducted using unwanted yards of fabric that are donated through a program she calls Give a Dog a Yard. At the end of the training the small finished quilts are given to Austin Dog Alliance in Cedar Park for use in kennels at the shelter.

Sew Crazy, 601 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. 218, Cedar Park, 512-259-2988, www.sewcrazyaustin.com, www.facebook.com/sewcrazyaustin, Hours: Mon. noon–7 p.m., Tue.–Fri., 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.