Today we’d like to introduce you to Christena Plummer.
Hi Christena, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My family has a hobby of classic cars, hot rods, and anything else that needs a motor. Growing up, my parents were very involved in the hot rod scene; my dad painted award winning cars, and my mother, through her automotive upholstery shop Leis Upholstery, rounded out the project with an amazing interior to match. I spent every summer at car shows; both local and super nationals. When we weren’t at shows with the 1931 Ford Model A, we were in the garage. Here I learned how to take seats apart, finish headliners, use pneumatic and hand tools, rudimentary mechanics among other hands-on skills too many to mention that you pick up while working in a family business.
At age eight I learned how to sew, and it has been a hobby ever since. I honed my talent and at eighteen I pattern drafted and sewed my prom dress. I continued challenging myself with technical sewing, difficult patterns, historical construction, learning weaving, wool spinning, and crochet. I learned how fabric was made, how sewing machines worked; construction, repair and maintenance. I worked in commercial sewing settings learning the specialized machines in a factory.
After having manufacturing, warehousing and retail jobs in my life, I never forgot that I always wanted to open my own sewing business. I just didn’t know what that business would look like. At first I wanted to work in the historical sewing community, but I couldn’t find the right fit for me there. Additionally, there are a lot of local seamstresses who focus on tailoring, and even though most of my young adult experience was garment sewing, I felt like I would be lost in a sea of dressmakers, so I fell back on my roots; Automotive Upholstery. It felt very natural and at the same time mentally stimulating to work on something new and challenging. I started doing small jobs of my own such as my RV jack-knife sofa, camper seats, dining room seats, and so on. From there I got a few jobs from word of mouth references. I quickly realized that there was a demand for heavy duty industrial sewing, and I decided thats what I’m going to do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road at all. I was not initially prepared for all the things I had to teach myself in order to be successful. I had some accounting classes under my belt, so I was overconfident that the first year would be easy. Unfortunately the business practices my mother used in the late 1980’s to late 1990’s that I was used to seeing and experiencing were no longer viable in today’s modern world. The hardest part for me was learning all of the technology that comes with having a business visible on the internet. I had to teach myself how to program a business phone, what a phone tree was, how to register and make a website, how to register a business on Google to be found, business accounting, how to take payment through an online invoice, navigating the state IRS website… all while juggling family obligations, scheduling, and building my business. Sewing was the easy part.
I am currently working on constructing a workshop, because I have outgrown working out of my home. I am learning about commercial building codes, permits, zoning ordinances, and everything else needed to make this structure compliant. It is very overwhelming at times.
It is getting easier though; the first year is always the hardest when you are trying to build a business. Persistence and dogged determination keep me on track.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am advertised as an Automotive Upholstery shop, but I can tackle just about any heavy duty sewing that needs to be done. I love the interesting jobs that allows me to solve a problem. I love puzzles and fabrication. I made a sling for a punkin’ chunkin’ trebuchet, a custom center console cover, eight foot appliqué school banners for a marching band festival, equipment bags and flags for the local school district, and an equipment bag for the local girl scout troop parade equipment. I am most proud when I see my product being used out in the wild, and the craftsmanship keeps it looking new.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is doing my best work on every job. I want the project to look as if it was better than factory made. I use the best materials available to me because it delivers a superior finished product.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.plummerupholstery.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plummerupholstery
