Meet Erin Barrett of Plant Lady Embroidery in Fort Worth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Barrett.

Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story starts at The University of North Texas where I got my degree in Visual Arts and Design Studies. It took me a while to get serious about college. Partly because I had no clue what I wanted to major in for a pretty long time. It took taking a long break and doing a lot of waitressing and self-reflection to get my head in the game. Once I decided I wanted to pursue teaching art, everything fell into place.

During my coursework, my degree enabled me to take a lot of different studio art classes. It was in those classes that I discovered it was the start-to-finish process of making art that brought me the most joy. After graduation, I was excited to instill my passion for the process when I went on to teach art at the elementary level.

I also met my husband during my time at UNT, and we married shortly after I graduated. We found out we were going to have our first child in 2015, and then a second in 2018. The second time around, I decided to take an extended maternity leave from teaching, which ultimately led me to start up Plant Lady Embroidery.

Going from art teacher to full-time mom was definitely a shift in gears. I went from creating and making in the classroom all day long, to jumping headfirst into the stay-at-home mom role. While I loved getting to be at home with my young babies, I felt deep down like a huge part of me was missing. I knew I had to find a creative outlet to help nurture not only my kids, but myself.

I discovered embroidery via Pinterest one night watching Breaking Bad on the couch with my husband. I went out and got the basic supplies to get started the next day. I eventually practiced enough to get the courage to open my Etsy shop, and the rest is history!

When my year and a half extended maternity leave was getting close to being over, I made the hard decision to tell my school I wasn’t going to be coming back to teaching. As much as I loved my job, being able to stay at home and raise my kids while also being able to have my small business, was more than I could ever ask for. I am forever thankful for my time in the art classroom because I truly think it led me to have the confidence, drive and discipline to start Plant Lady Embroidery.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think there are always challenges when venturing into unknown territory. I still struggle the most with juggling mom life and the demands of having a small business. My kids are still very young and need a lot from me, so I work primarily while they’re sleeping. I find myself feeling stressed during the day when they’re awake when I know I have orders that need to go out. I don’t get a lot of sleep. But I know my kids won’t be small forever, and I’m also trying to enjoy this season of life without putting so much pressure on myself. So while I’m young and can run on minimal sleep, I will. Coffee is my BFF.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I sell hand-embroidered hoops and baby apparel. At the time I started Plant Lady Embroidery, my daughter was two months old. I pulled out a onesie of hers one day and embroidered a rainbow on it. Then I embroidered a hoop to hang as wall decor in her nursery. I guess you could say my daughter was my source of inspiration at the time because the majority of what I create now is for babies and nurseries. I didn’t set out to market my products around babies at all, it just sort of happened organically.

After creating a few hoops that were used to announce births, baby names and pregnancies, I found myself getting more orders similar in nature. I remember jokingly telling my husband, “Babe. Embroidery hoops are SO the new letter board!” He probably had zero clue what I was talking about, but if you’re a mom that has any social media account, you know how popular letter boards are.

My shop is currently filled with embroidery hoops and baby apparel that are all customizable. My customers can customize them with their little one’s names, coordinate them with their nursery decor, or use them for life’s special announcements. They are the most thoughtful gift given at a baby shower and serve as a special little keepsake as baby gets older.

I feel so proud and incredibly thankful every time I see one of my hoops announcing a new baby or pregnancy, or hanging up in a nursery awaiting baby’s arrival. I know how special and cherished those photos can be, and it really is an emotional and surreal feeling for me.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Probably my passion for the creative process. I love every aspect of what it takes to create my products. I’m always motivated because I love what I’m doing. It never feels like a chore, and after almost two years, I’ve yet to be in a rut. I wake up each day to a new creative challenge, which keeps me happy and thriving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/PlantLadyEmbroidery
• Email: plantladyembroidery@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/plantladyembroidery
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/plantladyembroidery

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