My Journey
I remember my mother regaling me with the story of how she taught me to sew on my first button when I was very young. She showed me how to put the needle in and out of the button and fabric and then left to tend to the dishes. My little hands tried desperately to master the new technique. Finally I went to her with a problem. I could not get the needle in anymore; it would not fit! The eyes of the button were to full of thread. Thus began my journey into sewing.
This certainly wasn't the beginning of my embroidery business but it was the start of learning that the needle and thread can do amazing things. Whether it is thread or yarn, projects fashioned with thread still fascinate me.
Over the years I have sewn my own clothes, clothes for my children, and now clothes for my grandchildren. But the road I am traveling has changed, and my new romance with the needle and thread has to do with decorating things with needle and thread using embroidery. It's a beautiful thing to see a cap, a shirt or even a towel turn from a simple item to decorative or even a memorable one. Embroidery can be a way to help define a business, or it can just be fun. The best thing about embroidery is, that it is for everyone.
A mentor once told me when I first started my journey into the business of embroidery that you could work with everyone in life, from the president of the USA, to the average man on the street. Embroidery allows me to share in the different events people's lives, from a wedding, to the birth of a baby, and even to their golden wedding anniversary.
Embroidery can celebrate life and even ease the grief of death by commemorating the moments and the people that matter. I get to help each person turn their idea into something that is memorable for them, into something that they can hold in their hands and give away or keep. I always derive some pleasure from the completed project. I hope the joy of embroidery will last through the rest of my life.
My goal with this story was to tell you how embroidery has impacted my life and I can only hope that I've impacted yours in some way and that you will begin your journey with needle and thread. It doesn't matter whether you attempt the project yourself or have it stitched by a professional, like me. What is important is that you add color to your life.
Katherine Hale
Embroidery Images