Interview with Heather of Birdhouse Cottage Crafts

How did you get started with digitizing and embroidery?
Having travelled from South Africa to Crufts (largest dog show in the UK) twice, and having seen the beautiful sweatshirts that were on sale there with dogs embroidered on them, I was fascinated. I knew there was nothing like this available in South Africa, and being on the lookout for something to keep me busy when hubby retired, I had found my hobby. Having been involved in the dog world for many years I knew what a good dog looked like and this is what I set about to achieve. I started by selling golf shirts and t-shirts with my digitized dog portraits on them at dog shows. Then one day a friend, who had been involved with machine embroidery much longer than I, suggested that as I had my designs already why didn't I sell them on the net. Life has never been the same since.

Has your business changed since you started digitizing?
When I was about to go on the net I had a lot of dog portraits and nothing else, so I picked a bunch of Sweet Peas that happened to be flowering at the time and digitized them. I seem to have digitized most flowers by now and I have found that flowers and the more practical projects are very popular and in demand. I love the challenge of the practical projects and working out how to create them in the hoop with as little sewing as possible.

What future projects are in the works?
Whatever I can dream up next.

What personal information would you like to share?
Roy and I, along with our two Border Collies and a crazy Lorikeet called Paddy, live in the very beautiful village of Greyton in the Western Cape, South Africa. The beauty of this business is that you can live anywhere. I am grateful to have met some wonderful people that I would never have got to know without this modern technology.