In an era of A.I.-powered customer service representatives and fast fashion shipped from thousands of miles away, one Ponte Vedra local is building her business on the power of friendly human connection and customization.
Emily Gleason is among the first in Northeast Florida to offer live embroidery experiences through her business, Emily Ann Embroidery. If you’re wondering exactly what that entails, picture the option to embroider just about any design you want on just about any fabric item that can fit under her machine, with the whole process playing out right before your eyes in less than 30 minutes.
Gleason travels with her chic, custom-made pop-cart — courtesy of her husband’s handiwork — to various events and parties where she breaks out the 100-plus pound embroidery machine and can customize a pattern exactly how a client wants it. From company logos to initials, from thread in hot pink to dark blue, from swooping cursive to bubbly bold-lettered, Gleason’s machine is an extension of her craft.
“It creates an experience for people instead of a take-home tchotchke that they’re going to throw away,” Gleason said. “I want to show business partners that having a live embroidery at their event will elevate it more than they could ever know.”
Where Gleason’s business stands apart from other run-of-the-mill embroidery shops is its live and in-person element. She’ll fire up the machine, program the personalized design and click all the pieces into place right in front of customers. She’s also happy to answer any questions about how her embroidery machine works, whether they’re from curious 6-year-olds or inquisitive husbands.
After spending years learning to sew from her grandmother, Gleason said her passion for sewing quickly turned into a passion for embroidery. In the early years of her three children’s lives, she would hand-sew their baby clothes. As her children grew up and her business took off, Gleason recognized the importance of teaching entrepreneurship and work ethic to the next generation.
Emily Ann Embroidery came to life during the pandemic, when Gleason began an Etsy shop selling her creations. It didn’t take long for word of mouth to take her business off the ground, and eventually she closed the Etsy shop to focus on local orders and live embroidery events instead.
“I thought once it became a business and I got busier that I might get burnt out, but that has not been the case so far,” she said. “It’s still a joy to have my hands moving in the evenings.”
Gleason keeps busy with her embroidery business in between raising and homeschooling her children, setting up her live embroidery cart at local events for the Ponte Vedra Ocean Club and a soon-to-open Ponte Vedra pilates studio. She also has a regular partnership with the Lemon Twist Boutique in Ponte Vedra, which not only carries her embroidered products but also outsources her for all of its personalized embroidery.
