BMancMtar Farming, Saturday. Novtmbf 27,1913
Compu Stitch Designs Farm Logos With Pizzazz
GAY N. BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
SOMERSET (Somerset Co.)
A lined crew jacket in rich green
satin hangs in a dominant place by
the entrance. Embroidered in the
center of the upper back is a snaz
zy, eye-catching tractor, the crea
tion of “Compu Stitch,” a com
puterized custom embroidery busi
ness started last spring by Cindy
Newman.
Spread over a rectangular dis
play table is a tablecloth embroid
ered with designs illustrating some
of what Compu Stitch can do.
Monogrammed towels and wash
cloths, placemat and napkin sets,
sweatshirts and even a customized
leather jacket reveal the scope of
choices for personalized
embroidery.
“We’re still trying to figure it
out,” she said about how the whole
affair began.
She says her husband, Roger
Newman, first realized there is a
good market for logo embroidery
when he paid $lB for a hat at the
Beef Expo. The only embroidery
on it was a small Simmental and a
farm name. This gave Newman, a
businessman himself, something
to consider.
The proverbial light bulb lit up
inside his head. He thought it was
just the business for his wife who
was a former instructor at a local
sewing center.
But despite her sewing skill and
experience Cindy said she knew
nothing about operating a direct
embroidery machine. Her other
experiences dealt with milking
cows from the days when, with her
late, first husband. Jim Mostoller,
she operated a dairy herd of 65
registered Holsteins.
No embroidery experience was
only a minor drawback. The New
mans found a direct embroidery
machine for sale from a local
Cindy Newman, foreground, and Patricia Pritts change thread colors. To save nee
dle threading time the thread ends are tied In a square knot and pulled through the
needle.
jlte*
woman who was alto willing to
teach Cindy how to use it A pro
fessional technician from Harris
burg also gave Cindy instruction.
Purchasing such an expensive
computerized piece meant that she
needed to find clients fast New
man also spread the word among
his farm machine customers.
“I went out and started pounding
the pavement” says the constantly
moving Cindy. “I said (to potential
clients) that I was the new
embroiderer in town,” she said,
laughing.
“The majority of embroidery
business is farm machines and
incorporating farm names,” she
said, adding that besides custom
logos she offers numerous stock
designs.
She suggested chosing one from
the big book to demonstrate the
process. To herald the upcoming
holiday season, something Christ
masy was chosen. Cindy punched
the stock information from the
book into her office computer. The
picture came up on the screen.
She proceeded to select choices
about how she wanted the design
to be embroidered. Then the com
puter figured how many stitches
would be used for the chosen
design.
Depending on the selected size,
the requited number of stitches
also changes. And what’s a com
puter if you can’t vary the style of
lettering. Plain, fancy, or some
thing in between? Should it be cen
tered, or off to one side? All perti
nent information is filed before
being read by the direct embroid
ery machine across the hall in the
compact workroom.
So when ordering an embroid
ered logo or design, just remember
that the stitch count determines
your cost, according to Cindy.
The direct embroidery machine
uses hooping, where the needles
Cindy Newman, owner of Compu Stitch, northeast of Somerset on ,/ote ,
stands with her display of computerized embroidery Items. She’s holding a Slmmen*
tal pillow. On the Jacket back Is an embroidered tractor. There are towels and wash*
cloths, placemat and napkin sets.
go straight up and down while the
table moves around to embroider
the taut material held in the flat
hoops. For hat embroidery special
hat hoops are used.
Cindy’s Japanese-made
machine can do the same design
simultaneously on six pieces,
using as many as six thread colors
while doing it. However, a right to
left order is used instead of the
American left to right method.
That can be tricky for an amateur.
But Cindy and Patricia Pritts
the only employee and an exper
ienced sewer - seem comfortable
with the equipment.
“My husband is the brains
behind the business,” says Cindy,
“but I know what sells and the col
ors and threads to use.” is
the thread choice because its sheen
reflects the light Metallic thread
tends to get kinky but using a
mesh-type sock prevents it said
Cindy.
As the women changed thread
colors, Cindy said time is saved by
tying the thread ends in a square
knot then pulling it on through the
needle’s eye.
Cutaway or tearaway backing is
always placed on the material
before the embroidery process
begins, said Cindy. Solvy is used
for knits and naps similar to
terrycloth.
“I do like the specialty work
where I can sell Cin
dy said, (meaning the towels,
sweatshirts, etc. included with die
embroidery). But individual cus
tom requests are filled, too, such as
the leather jacket Cindy did with
great fear and quaking for one
Cindy Newman, foreground, and Patricia Prltts, assis
tant, secure the backing material in the hooping process of
computerized embroidery at Compu Stitch.
gentleman. To her great relief, it
turned out fine.
Compu Stitch embroidery also
offers applique choices Cindy
said.
With their sons, Justin and Ryan
Mostoller, ages 12 and 9. the New
mans live at “Eldora,” a farm of
400 acres situated near Friedens.
They raise Simmentals and Belted
Galloways which also make dandy
embroider designs.
In fact, their Simmentals recen
tly took top honors at the Keystone
International Livestock Exposi
tion by winning the Pa. Capital
Futurity for Simmentals. Hie boys
belong lb the Junior Simmental
"'Association.
Compu Stitch fronts the Wheel
er Industrial Supply building along
Route 281 northeast of Somerset,
just off the Friedens exit of Route
219.
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