I met the folks from Keepsake Threads at the FGS conference in Fort Wayne this last Summer. I was impressed with their project, and wish to share the following with my readers.
The following is by Kathy Carrier, Seamstress, with Keepsake Threads.
Holiday gift planning has certainly begun now that the kids are back to school and autumn is upon us. Share your genealogy passion and research with your family by transferring your family tree to one-of-a-kind treasured gifts, including pillows, quilts, wall art and neckties.
I have always been a seamstress. I learned how to sew in Girl Scouts and am as passionate about it today as I was 40 years ago. A few years ago I was thinking and praying about new business ideas around the same time my father-in-law died. My mother-in-law made teddy bears that year for all of us out of his favorite shirts. Once I saw the impact and meaning these bears had to our family, I realized that it would also bring meaning into other people’s lives. Voila! Keepsake Threads was born to repurpose clothing, pictures and documents that people are sentimental about.
In May, the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Center launched an initiative to offer personalized textile products to genealogy enthusiasts. Using our company, Keepsake Threads, the Center has developed an initial product line with ideas for future product launches. These items can be ordered using the button in the top left-hand corner of the ACPL Genealogy Center website. The new product line is now “live” at: http://www.genealogycenter.org
These inspiring products will be created using your family tree, your family crest or cherished family photos. All of these items can be transferred to fabric and incorporated into the finished products. Larger, custom orders can also be placed that will utilize more complex family trees for an additional charge. Also, if you have a particular color preference for the fabric and the look of the product, Keepsake Threads will customize your order with your color preference as well.
The initiative was created with the genealogy enthusiast in mind and also to build the ACPL Foundation. A percentage of the sales from this strategy will be directed into the Foundation which was created in 1984 as a private, non-profit 501(c) 3 trust to receive, administer and distribute income exclusively for the charitable and educational purposes of the Allen County Public Library. The Foundation raises private dollars to enhance the library’s acquisitions, innovations and special projects beyond the capacity of the normal operating budget.
These products were debuted last month at Federation of Genealogy Society conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
If you have questions, here is our email address:
familytree@keepsakethreads.com
Or you can give Deb McClintock a call at 877-99THREADS.
