Have it your way — embroidering business opening soon!

Some of Jennifer Gould’s previous embroidery work. See these and more examples on her website at https://www.threadgraphix.com.

by Marsha Chartrand

Jennifer Gould would definitely describe herself as “picky.” And she loves doing things “just right”. Having her own embroidering business, Thread Graphix, allows her to do just that, while keeping her eye on her active family, and soon she will be opening a storefront right here in Manchester!

Her parents run a farm in Manchester Township, so they know and support the idea of having an independent business. Jennifer and her husband, Richard, who is a truck driver, have worked long and hard to acquire, then renovate, their property at 18875 W. Austin Rd (formerly Manchester Feed and Supply).

Homeschooling her three kids, Caleb 21, Calvin 17, and Chloe 6, has kept her busy at home for the past 12 years. “My mom is originally from Manchester and my dad is from Saline,” she explains. “My parents have lived in Manchester for over 27 years so this is home to me. I love this little town and I couldn’t have thought of a better place to open up a store.”

She started embroidering in 2018, on a little tabletop machine at home. “I was intrigued by it so wanted to see it firsthand, she says. “The first thing I ever embroidered was a logo for my husband’s trucking company … needless to say it looked terrible but I was hooked! I loved watching it sew out, I love the process, and watching a design start from a simple image and turning it in to an embroidery design then placing it on something is one of the coolest things to me. So, I started buying embroidery designs and stitching them out.

“In 2019 I had my daughter and I wanted to make her cute clothes so I started making little girl tutu outfits, and then opened an Etsy store in November 2019. But I didn’t just stop there, I wanted to learn how to create embroidery designs on my own without having to rely on someone else to do them so I put in a lot of time doing classes, and learning the software. Now I create most of my own designs. Sometimes I buy the designs but then I am so picky about them that sometimes I just end up doing it myself.”

Jennifer says she has worked with a number of local businesses, making things from business cards to apparel. “I have taken a lot of interest in making invitations, cards, accessories, and personalized items. I also work with companies to make business cards, flyers, posters, updating websites, bags and more.

The grand opening date is set for this Saturday, March 14 from 10am to 4pm. After the grand opening, her regular hours will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10am to 3pm, and Thursday from 10am to 7pm. Keep an eye on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/threadgraphix for updates! And in the meantime visit her online shop at https://www.threadgraphix.com/.

Jennifer Gould. Courtesy photo.

Some of Jennifer’s custom work for a local client. Screenshot.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.