Fun Fact – I didn’t always have a passion for embroidery. Actually, kind of the opposite 🤣. When I first learnt to cross stitch (a type of embroidery that looks like the cross on the Scottish flag), I actually found it very repetitive and boring!
However, I found it quite enjoyable when I started creating my own patterns. Then I took what I knew and started learning different embroidery techniques to make my portraits stand out, become more personalised and almost 3D. And then I started to realise that I could use my embroidery skills to not just sell products, but to start a movement to tell people that memories should be cherished and remembered (can you tell it is a passion?). So, to begin the story, I will go to the first time I learnt to love embroidery.
Using a few different embroidery stitches and my own patterns to create a portrait of my family from my wedding. #passion #embroidery
Where the passion all began
My passions really began when it was coming up to my mum’s birthday (also Christmas Day), and I didn’t know what to give her as a gift this year (in 2017). Her birthday is on Christmas Day, so it always an additional present that you need to make sure is just as special as the Christmas present (which is a fun and challenging challenge 😂). I had seen embroidered family portraits on Pinterest (as you do when you scroll through all the amazing handcrafts out there), and so I decided to give it a go – maybe I could do it.
Because I am such a perfectionist I wanted to make sure that I really personalised each person, so I thought about each person in my family and what (in my opinion) was there most used (and beautiful) clothes that would make the family portrait instantly recognisable. I also googled how to create a template for drawing the template, which was actually harder than is sounds… So after some time of trying different things, I ended up making most of it up, to be able to customise it to my family ( My ponytail, my dad’s beanie to make it simpler than trying to figure out how to embroider the little amount of hair he actually has 😂, and the patterns on our shirts).
In my grandmother’s attic she has heaps of handcraft things- basically anything you need to try any type of handcraft!! It is truly an oasis for handcrafters!! I found different embroidery threads there, as well as some cloth to embroider on. So then I started to embroider … And it did take a long time 😉 Especially trying to keep it a secret from my mum. But it worked, and then my mum loved it 😍.
The Next Stages – Growing a passion
After giving may first embroidery portrait a go, I decided to put my embroidery (which was limited to cross stitch) on hold for around 2 years. During this time I enjoyed other handcrafts (knitting and crocheting) and baking in the meantime, but always knew I wanted to create a business out of my passions for handcraft.
Forward on 2 years, and I was graduated, married, and working my first full-time all-Summer job. Two of our friends were getting married the same year, so I was thinking of something special I could make them as a gift 😱. And that is when I remember the family portrait I had made for my mum and how much she loved it. And I also thought how much I would love to give the gift of a cherished family. So over time I made an embroidered portrait for them, and then another couple. And then I decided to make a small embroidered bookmark for my bridesmaids (still haven’t finished all of them), and cards for different occasions. And through all this practice I have learnt so many skills, and that has allowed me to start seeing the potential for a handcraft business in helping people cherish their memories and families.
The Start of Something New
So now, my passion is growing day by day, and that is not to say that sometimes that passion diminishes when I think of it as a job instead of a passion that I happen to work in. I am learning not just embroidery, but skills I need to grow my business to remind people that our memories are important and should be cherished. And anyway, according to lots of accomplished people life should be about lifelong learning (because we never really know it all, do we?).
So when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I thought what a brilliant time to focus on my online presence (and start selling face masks 😃). I created my website, then started then growing my social media following to gather interest, and then to start creating blogs (since I have already been begging for myself and also for a small job while at university). And don’t be fooled!! This took me well over a month to do, and it was a very bumpy road!! You might not have seen my journey to get here, but let me tell you that it was (and continues to be) difficult … but, in the end, soo worth it!!
This is my first official blog, so thank you for reading it!! I know that I still have a long way to go with increasing sales etc., but I have started my journey and I am excited to see what will happen next 🥳 👏
If anything in this blog speaks to you, or if you have any tips for pursuing your goals and finding your passions, please comment below – I would love to hear from you!!
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