We recently connected with Diane Garcia and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Diane thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My husband has backed me financially, and he will gladly cook and takes care of the pets so I can keep stitching.
My siblings have purchased from me, told others about me, and one has even sold my items in his store.
My friends have encouraged me, taught me procedures and valid shortcuts, and showed off my work in their social media.
These people have always believed in me. Period. End of story.
Diane, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Embroidery! The idea came from That Dress…the one Halle Berry wore to the Oscars in 2002 — THAT DRESS — designed by Elie Saab. From that moment on I read and researched hand and machine embroidery book in the library and the internet. I studied the very intensive styles of ancient funeral dresses to the light and airy of modern stick figure families. It all fascinated me! After leaving my rather un-artistic job of bartending to care for my mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s, I needed something to do, and purchased my first embroidery machine from the same man who sold the first sewing machine to my mother-in-law. Watching it dance across fabric was just mesmerizing, but I still had no idea what to actually create and sell that would have a positive effect on people’s lives. And then my RudyDog passed. To honor his love I embroidered a Boston Terrier on a tiny pillow that I could nap with, tell secrets to, and cry into. That’s how my shop started — the love of a dog. That’s quite a stretch, isn’t it? An unforgettable dress with thousands of meticulous stitches inspired keepsakes of unforgettable pets. My second shop is because I also love fun and color, so it is full of gothic and witchy fun. There are families of mom, dad, kids, and pets depicted as sugar skulls and zombies. My family is just as odd as the next guy’s, and I love helping people show off that quirkiness.
My third shop is because I am a hoarder! If the fabric is pretty, buy it! LOL But, then, printed fabric doesn’t need embroidery, so what was I going to do with all those cats and bats and swirly snowflakes? Cutting, sewing, and manipulating a square of fabric into a “thing” that can help organize a person’s day is very uplifting.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
When an idea is thrown at a person, it is so easy to say, “No, can’t do it, no way, no how.” That’s how I felt over a very simple common household item. A friend asked if I could make a fabric case that held two pairs of glasses, and one pair was very large. At first I got excited because it was a novel idea (to me), and I scoured the internet for patterns. That quickly soured because I wanted to create it using my embroidery machine. I’m lazy — sewing takes every brain cell to be front & center. I know how to put in zippers and add buttons, but I wanted my embroidery machine to make them — each one would be the exact same size and the exact same style. I may be an artist, but I also appreciate uniformity. After purchasing several patterns and seeing what I thought would serve well, I mashed bits and pieces together, and sent a plain, all-white case to my friend. She then tested it for a few days and wrote her ideas on the case with a pen. Voila! Our efforts paid off in a big way, and I am happy to say I am able to use all the beautiful, printed fabrics that I’d been hoarding. Each case is padded and has a divider to protect the eyewear. The lesson? It’s okay to say no, but sometimes a little nudge can be a big idea.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
To keep my clients returning, I give each and every one a discount code that is good in all my shops. This has helped tremendously as each shop has a specific product. To encourage new people to come, I use social media, but I’m truly not that good at that. I have a dear friend, Lara, that is incredible with creating graphics and proper posting, so she is in charge of all that. Without Lara, I do believe I would be at a standstill.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.lucylyndesigns.etsy.com http://www.oleandermoon.etsy.com http://www.lucymoonshops.etsy.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lucylyndesigns
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lucylyndesigns