Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this development from Dubuque, we will share other developments in Tuesday’s edition.

A longtime Dubuque Farmers Market vendor recently opened a storefront for her creations.

Annie Heinze opened Annie’s Heirlooms over Memorial Day weekend at 1689 Elm St., near Crescent Community Health Center. The site was previously the home of Boaz BBQ and The Corner Grill.

“My grandchildren, now as teens and in their young 20s, said, ‘Grandma, you’ve told us you were going to have a store since we were small, and you finally did it,’” Heinze said.

Heinze sells items she makes by herself, entirely by hand. She said she got into sewing and crafting after taking sewing classes years ago.

“My mom was a sewer, but I didn’t know how to sew,” she said. “When she passed away, I couldn’t part with her sewing machine.”

Heinze started selling her creations at the Dubuque Farmers Market 13 years ago, thinking people might like custom, unique items as much as she does. Since then, she has built a list of regulars who faithfully have come to her for items and gifts.

Heinze said she wanted to have the store in the neighborhood near her home to make it accessible and provide a nearby option for gifts.

“We think (this neighborhood) is going to be built into something great, and we wanted to jump in here while we could,” she said.

In the future, Heinze said, she hopes to host crafting classes, such as tie-dyeing and crocheting, at the store.

“They say if you love what you do, you’re never working,” Heinze said. “We don’t work over here. We just play.”

Annie’s Heirlooms, which still will sell at Dubuque Farmers Market, typically is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. However, Heinze said she can accommodate special hours if needed, and the hours will shift once school starts and the farmers market ends for the season.

More information, including updates on hours, can be found on the Annie’s Heirlooms Facebook page.