Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Elmore.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
When I had my son ten years ago, I made some major life changes; I closed my therapy practice, sold our home in Raleigh, NC, and my little family moved back to my hometown of Columbia, SC. While raising my son took up most of my time, I often found myself in my Mom’s home sewing studio.
She has always been a maker — baking, sewing, decorating — and now she was sewing and embroidering clothes for her new grandbabies. My mom taught me the basics of machine embroidery by putting initials on just about anything that would stand still long enough.
I grew curious about what else we could make with an embroidery machine. I took some classes at a local sewing center and learned a new digitizing program so I could make my own embroidery designs. One of my first designs was an iconic Duke’s Mayonnaise jar with the words “This is how I judge you.”
Thanks to the powers of social media, my art began finding its way into homes all over the South. I grew excited about making Southern art and finding those pieces of Southern culture that created pride and connection.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Turning a hobby into a small business is not an easy path. Machine embroidery can be an expensive endeavor. I was fortunate to have access to my Mom’s machine but used the financing to eventually afford my own.
Digitizing software, embroidery supplies, and training can all add up to a hefty price tag. It also took a great deal of patience and “failure” to learn a completely new skill. I learned a lot by making a mess of things.
Once I honed my skills, I had to learn how to run a small business in South Carolina; file taxes, obtain business licenses, make social media content, and create and maintain a website.
I wear all the hats in my business and some days I forget to give myself credit for all the work I do when I don’t even turn on my embroidery machine.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Making Southern art has filled me with tremendous joy and allowed me to explore my own relationship with what it means to be a Southerner.
I have connected with people over stories about food or *flying* Palmetto bugs (eek!) or that thing their Grandmother said (“Well, I Suwannee”).
I am also grateful to have a deeper understanding of how Southern art can be used as a method of activism. The South is not simple, and that definitely includes understanding how history shapes our current day life.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My artistic journey has made me a better person.
It forced me to learn the value of making mistakes as a tool to learn. As a lifelong perfectionist, this wasn’t a lesson that came naturally to me. I am grateful to be finding joy in the exploration that occurs from start to finish in creating new things.
The end product doesn’t immediately have to be something I can sell. The fight against perfectionism is something I’ll probably be working on for a long time, but I am thankful to have made a shift in my thinking.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernfriedstitching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernfriedstitching/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernFriedStitching/
