Today we’d like to introduce you to Gita Ramsay.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
While I began crafting as a child, it was in Guatemala (Peace Corps) that I really developed my sense of colors and patterns. How could I not, surrounded by all the beautiful tela (fabric) and embroidered huipils (traditional blouses)? When I returned to the US and moved to Miami (in 2003), I first returned to jewelry making, but was soon drawn to the colors and designs possible with embroidery.
My desire to create embroidered art was really strong and carried me through the first year, during which I struggled with a machine that was rather difficult to work with. (I was also pregnant with my second child at this time and pregnancy increased my need to be artistic and most likely, helped me persevere.) As my embroidery skills increased, I upgraded several times and now work on a commercial embroidery machine. I love how this machine pushes myself to creativity and technically, as it can stitch on almost anything!
Almost every design I use, I modify in some way to make it unique. But my ultimate goal, is to learn to digitize so I can design and stitch my own designs.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have had both personal and professional challenges as I grow my business. First of all, I had to learn how to correctly price my work and how to make it stand out from a rather saturated market.
One of my challenges is marketing, I know the quality of my work but I need to promote myself more. I think the most important thing is to have a niche market and I am in the process of developing several. However, as I started out in the general kids embroidery world, my challenge is to move into more specialized markets without losing my loyal customers (for whom, I stitch every grandchild’s birthday shirt and all the special holiday shirts).
Personally, my challenge is to balance my time between work and family; my 3 children are little (5-8 years old) and it can be difficult to balance their needs with responsibilities to my business, teaching job and volunteer activities. Usually, I don’t get enough sleep! 😉
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I own an embroidery business and specialize in personalized items and unique designs. I think it is my eye for color and for mixing fabric patterns, that sets me apart. For kids, I mostly make birthday shirts and it is my ability to combine interesting elements and complementary colors that make my shirts stand out from other similar items.
But, this love of color works well in other areas, too; I love stitching wine themed designs (which is funny, as I don’t drink very much), as well as coffee designs (which makes sense, as I am a coffee addict). It is the colors I use (as well as the quality of the embroidery) that make these designs stand out. I am stitching more adult items such as bags, luggage tags and even luggage itself. I really like challenges and have recently, completed a set of very detailed embroidery design on a Pastor’s liturgical robes.
I am most proud of the fact that, I have learned so much about being a business woman, as I have no training in this area. I am also amazed by how far, I have come in terms of versatility and execution and am really proud of the work I create today.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think there is a lot of opportunity here in Miami but a challenge is that the embroidery market is very saturated. Because of this, I do not do a lot of corporate/business wear but instead, focus on personalized, unique items. However, I have been able to slowly build a local network, as well as one online. The pace of life here can be very fast and often impersonal, so it takes time and persistence to make connections in Miami.
Some of what I like best about Miamis, the subtropical flora (I have a degrees in environmental science and biology/botany), that we have a national park nearby and are at the forefront of confronting the challenges of climate change/sea level rise. I also love that there are many little enclaves and communities to explore and sometimes, join. For all that I find Miami to be impersonal in general, I have been very lucky to make great personal friends and connections here.
Pricing:
- My prices range from $5 for keychains to $100 plus for complex work. Most items are in the $25-30 range.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.giftsbygita.etsy.com
- Email: giftsbygita@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/giftsbygita
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/giftsbygita
Image Credit:
Melody Thomason, Creative Images by Liz
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