Meet Rebekah Horne | Embroiderer & Designer at Gingham & Gold Designs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebekah Horne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebekah, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a new mother, completely in love with my baby, I lost myself. I was lost in anxiety, depression, sleeplessness and – for a moment – I forgot all about creating beauty in my world. Arguably, I was lost in a wonderful world of the glorious mundane – new motherhood, learning a completely different life skill (keeping a small human alive and well) and watching my heart expand to sizes it has never been before. But, something was missing. I felt a deep desire to create something beautiful, to learn something new, and to have something of my own. And strangely enough, I felt this desire was deeply connected to showing my daughter another facet of what it can mean to be a mother and a professional. So, once in my four year old marriage, I mentioned to my husband that I’d like to start an Etsy shop one day – maybe learn how to embroider and make beautiful keepsakes. When my daughter was seven months old, I came home with an 85 pound, 6 needle home professional embroidery machine that barely fit into the back of my SUV. He looked at me and said, “Oh! You’re serious!” And that’s when the journey began! I only had the brainspace to practice 15 minutes a day and take a one hour lesson every Friday afternoon – but little by little, I learned and started creating. Fast forward two years, I am making a steady income, gaining a ton of skills, learning all about my customer base and watching my personal satisfaction soar to new heights. I gave up my career to stay home and raise my daughter – and my goal is to put her through school and pay for her education. I want her to see the many hats a woman can wear: mother, entrepreneur, friend, businesswoman, creative artist, spouse, etc.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Well, thank goodness I knew how to thread a needle and remove a sewing plate. Learning a 6-needle embroidery machine was a tall order, but I rose to the occasion and scrappily put together all my skills gathered from about 20 years of sewing knowledge. I think what sets me apart is my scrappiness and my imagination. I LOVE being able to brainstorm a solution and make someone’s vision come to life! “Yes, I can do that” is so satisfying every time I get to start a new project. But, it wasn’t always that way. At first, I started sewing baby clothing (onesies) and dog bandanas. For every one I sewed correctly, I ruined about two more. I had to learn the machine and the stabilizers; different needle types for different materials; thread thickness based on what type of material you’re sewing; topper and trimming; finishing and sealing; and that is just the tangible skills needed. I had to learn design software and programming: which files to use and not to use; how to color sort and change designs and lettering; how to count stitches and ensure a design isn’t too dense, and so much more. At first it seemed impossible to coordinate all this information and sew one small item. But, little by little, I kept sewing and I kept learning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta is a wonderful place to live! I love the diversity, the hills and trees and all the natural beauty, and the food scene is amazing. I’d start off with a day scootering all over Piedmont Park to see the amazing skyline city views. Then I’d pop over to Ponce City Market for lunch and shopping. After, we’d hop on the beltline for a nice walk and stop at Krog Street Market for some antique shopping. Amore e Amore for dinner (and entertainment) and then a Freedom Trail walk all the home to Druid Hills and Emory’s campus.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest supporter and encourager is my husband, Nathan. He really believes in me and has made this journey so much sweeter by taking an interest in my work and championing me at every opportunity he gets. He has even taken the time to learn sewing and embroidery terminology. He’s sat at my computer and helped me learn some tricky parts of my design software. He’s loaded and unloaded my machine into my car more times than I could count. He’s given me creative license on gifts to coworkers and friends, and always lights up when I show him the things I’m sewing. “Oh, that’s the next viral thing!” he’ll say over and over – even if it’s just a pretty hand towel or a cute baby outfit.

Website: www.ginghamandgolddesigns.com

Instagram: ginghamandgolddesigns

Image Credits
Ashley Hermance Photography