At the beginning of October, Debbie and Don Ferriera of Innisfil, Ontario celebrated a successful first year at their embroidering company P.S. I LUV U Gifts & Balloons. It is here that they specialize in embroidering messages on many of our buddies, as well as adding message to balloons. We loved watching their company grow over the year and we admire all of the creative stitching they have added to each Embroider Buddy®. I had the privilege of interviewing both Debbie and Don, and enjoyed hearing what they had to say.
Donna: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Debbie and Don: We’re a husband and wife team that work off each other’s strengths. I do all the PR, administrative tasks, customer communication and social media, while Don sews, designs, embroiders and comes up the unique and innovative ways to use Embroider Buddy® stuffed animals in our creations like our gender reveal balloon.
Donna: How old were you when you started to sew? Do you remember your first project?
Debbie and Don: We both started sewing in grade 8 Home Economics Class. Each one of us created a pillow as our first project which was part of the school curriculum at the time.
Donna: How did you discover Embroider Buddy®?
Debbie and Don: Don discovered the Embroider Buddy® Collection while doing research to find quality stuffed animals to embroider. Two days later Don found himself standing in a show room surrounded by Embroider Buddy® stuffed animals and the rest is history. We just knew they were the right product for us to carry!
Donna: Who is your favorite Embroider Buddy® stuffed animal? Why?
Debbie and Don: It’s too hard to pick just one Embroider Buddy® because they’re all special in their own way. If we had to pick a couple personal favourites it would be Dino Dinosaur Buddy & Okie Owl Buddy (our best seller), but now with the new Clara Classic Collection our new personal favourite has become Oberon Buddy Owl.
Donna: What would you want to see added to the collection?
Debbie and Don: As patriotic Canadians we feel a beaver would be a great addition to the Embroider Buddy® Collection. We also think that our friends’ south of the border would appreciate the bald eagle as both animals are like mascots.
Donna: What inspires your designs?
Debbie and Don: Having two kids of our own really helps to get the creative juices flowing. In addition to that, random day to day activities and life events also become inspiration for new ideas.
Donna: What made you want to start your own embroidery company?
Debbie and Don: We actually started off as a do it yourself upholstery studio where Don was teaching customers to embroider their own items/pieces of furniture. During the summer months when traffic in the studio slowed down, Don started embroidering custom and personalized pillows which started taking over and resulted in our new business venture of making custom and personalized gifts for all occasions. Upholstery became a thing of the past and embroidery a part of the future.
Donna: What is one thing about you that would surprise most people?
Debbie and Don: Most people would be surprised to know that Don was a wood worker and custom stair builder for over 15 years where he also had the opportunity to be a shop manager and eventually business owner of his own stair building company where he designed and created custom staircases. As for me, I’m a Social Worker working with Adults in the Mental Health and Addictions sector by day and an enthusiastic business partner by night.
Be sure to check out their Facebook page here to learn more about Debbie and Don, as well as see the great work they have created, including embroidering buddies for baby shower reveals as you’ll see in their Facebook video. Here is to another great year!