One in 8700: Hannah Hurlburt

Hannah Hurlburt, owner of The Good Witch, a costume shop on Main Street, sees more business than usual this time of year.

The Good Witch business started in the back room of Mendy’s, another business on Main Street, but it eventually expanded into its own store last April.

Hurlburt’s passion and story make her truly unique.

Her sewing journey began far before the opening of her store last April.

Hurlburt recalled, “My mom taught me to sew because she knew I was going to be really short, and I would need to do alterations.”

This necessity quickly turned into a talent and a passion. Hurlburt began sewing professionally at the age of 17 with a focus on recycled clothing.

Later on in life, she took this skill to the next level when she studied fiber arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.  With education and skill under her belt, Hurlburt created further direction for her work by incorporating her love of Halloween.

“My birthday is the 27th of October, so my life literally revolves around Halloween,” Hulburt said.

This love for Halloween created a direction for Hurlburt’s work, and she let the passion lead her.

Hurlburt has proven that The Good Witch is much more than a business venture.  Rather, she indicates that it has helped to define her as a person and it allows her to impact her community simultaneously.

Indeed, Hurlburt noted, “the most important thing about having a store for me is remembering that it is a classroom.”

Hurlburt acknowledges that there are daily life lessons to learn from her customers and her work.

In return, she also seeks to spread love and inspiration.

“I know that I can help people be happy and people who come in help me to be happy, so it’s a mutual relationship,” she remarked.

Hurlburt surely serves as a sunny presence in this small town, where her optimism and passion are contagious.  She has established the fact that she is not searching for money, but rather a life filled with happiness, meaning and passion.

Hurlburt’s beautiful costumes embody her unique personality.  She explains that there is a spark before she makes all of her costumes, and then there is an itch to her fingers that forces her to create them.

This sewing-enthusiast notes that the itch will never disappear, so costumes will always be a part of her life.  The costumes that Hurlburt designs for herself are especially close to her heart.

In her words, “As soon as I know what I want to be I have to be it … wit comes from within and the costumes end up being a metaphor for what I’ve been going through.”

Hurlburt’s Halloween costume this year is a perfect example of this metaphor.  She explains that she decided to create a phoenix costume for herself as an outward representation of the spiritual transformation that she has undergone over the past year.

This ability to create outward displays of inner personality is not limited to only herself.  Hulbert also claims to be quite successful in developing visions of costumes that represent her customers.

As a result of having this truly extraordinary skill, Hurlburt’s store is exploding with unique personality and celebration of life.
In the words of The Good Witch herself, “Inspiration takes you where you need to go.”