Village Stitch about to become a legacy

Kathy Thomas had a circuitous life journey before she and her late husband, Wayne Thomas, settled at 106 S. Main St., where they eventually established Village Stitch — an embroidery business that has continued to grow since 2011.

Now, Kathy says she is “trying to retire,” and she has been teaching her son, Scott Seamon, about every aspect of the business with plans for him to take it over completely soon.

Kathy grew up in Ithaca and is a 1972 graduate of Ithaca High School. She always had an affinity for art, and while still in school, Kathy began creating and selling designs she made from mosaic bathroom tiles.

“I planned to be an art teacher but then met my first husband, Doug Seamon, in 1973 and had four children, one of whom was Scott,” Kathy said.

The family settled in Spencer, New York, simply because they found a house they liked there, and that was where Kathy started her first official business.

“My business partner, Mary Donovan, and I started our business, Sweet Dreams, right there in Spencer,” Kathy said. “We sold custom-made lingerie and wedding dresses. We were doing an amazing business, but we got so busy so quickly and couldn’t find anyone to help, so the business dissolved.”

Kathy then found herself facing a divorce and needing to find another source of income. Leaning on her sewing and crafting expertise, she began making quilts and selling them.

“That first year, I sold 17 quilts and started going to craft shows with them and other home décor items,” Kathy said. “But I also started working as a seamstress at The Statler Hotel at Cornell when it opened in 1989.”

Kathy was extremely busy by day, hemming and altering staff uniforms for The Statler, as well as doing clothing repairs for hotel guests. She remained there for 10 years before switching gears to work as a student account coordinator in the Cornell Bursar’s office for the next 13 years.

In the midst of all that, Kathy met Wayne, who lived in Lansing, in 1998. Wayne was an engineer for Hi-Speed Checkweigher, a firefighter for the Lansing Fire Department and a Boy Scout leader.

“Wayne lived at the fire station in Lansing,” Kathy said. “So, I got an apartment right next door and lived there until we got married.”

In 2000, Kathy and Wayne moved to Groton. Wayne was born and raised here and was a 1971 Groton High School alum. Kathy said he wanted to “come back to his roots.”

Kathy enjoyed her job at Cornell, but she became ill with asthma and bouts of pneumonia that eventually led to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), ending that career in 2011.

“I needed to come up with another career,” Kathy said. “So, I signed up for embroidery classes at Quilter’s Corners in Ithaca. Wayne had to come with me because I was on oxygen.”

Wayne and Kathy were both hooked on the embroidery idea immediately. Kathy had always embroidered by hand as a hobby, and Wayne was impressed with the technology, so they bought their first machine that night.

They named the business Village Stitch to denote that they lived in the village and were doing embroidery there.

“We never even advertised,” Kathy said. “We started going to craft shows and approaching area businesses on our own. Between that and word of mouth, plus selling on Etsy and doing a lot of work for fire departments, we had to buy a second machine a month later.”

In the meantime, Scott graduated from Spencer-Van Etten High School in 2000 and embarked on his own career path before he also ended up in Groton.

“I worked in various grocery stores,” Scott said. “Then, I worked for a time at a sheet metal prototype business, and then landscaping — all in Spencer to remain local.”

Scott’s next endeavor was managing a cleaning crew for Grover Cleaning until life circumstances caused his relocation to Rochester, New York, where he managed another cleaning crew, but also attended Monroe Community College to become an auto tech mechanic.

“I tried working at auto dealerships but ended up starting my own repair business instead,” Scott said. “But when I came home for Christmas in 2018, I realized my parents needed my help more.”

Sadly, Wayne had become ill with PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy) a disease similar to Parkinson’s that progressed quickly.

In the summer of 2019, Scott moved in with his parents, and Kathy immediately began teaching him the business. Wayne was not able to help much at that point, and he died in January 2020.

“Wayne had been doing all the programming of the computerized machines,” Kathy said. “So, Scott and I needed to figure it all out on our own.”

And figure it out they did. Scott is now in the process of learning everything about the business and doing it well.

In the 11 years that Village Stitch has been operational, it has grown to include not only the embroidery machines, but also vinyl and other machines, as well as an old renovated carriage house on the property that serves as a showroom for the finished products.

“COVID did take its toll on our business,” Scott said. “So, we ended up partnering with Go Daddy to get an online presence, and that saved our business life! We were struggling, but we’re back in full swing since, and it’s still a lot of word of mouth because our customers really appreciate the personal touch we give them.”

Scott said he has always had a knack for art and design himself, so he feels this is a perfect fit for him. He is doing a lot of the designing now but is admittedly nervous about the business end of things.

Kathy said she wishes the transition would move faster, but Scott said he wishes it would move more slowly. Nonetheless, at least for now, mother and son will continue to work together to provide the quality work they are known for until Scott takes over completely.

Village Stitch is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment by calling (607) 898-4191, emailing villagestitch@verizon.net or visiting Villagestitch.net.

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Outstanding CTE students

The following Groton students were recognized as outstanding students of the month for October at the TST BOCES Career and Technical Education Center: Emily Cargian, culinary arts; Rachel Houston, culinary arts, and Lexie Loveless, cosmetology.

The outstanding students are chosen based on qualities such as character, leadership, citizenship, work ethic and attendance. They must also be compassionate, honest, trustworthy, responsible and a positive role model.

Congratulations to these exceptional career and tech students in our school!

Ridge Runners spaghetti supper

Groton Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club will hold a spaghetti supper from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 10 at its clubhouse, 748 Salt Rd., 1 mile north of Route 90. Meals include spaghetti and meatballs and a side salad. Cost is $12 for adults, $11 for senior citizens and $10 for children ages 5 through 12. Children 4 and under may eat for free. This is a perfect way to enjoy a unique dining experience in a rustic country setting. Take-out dinners are also available.

Save the date for tree lighting!

The village of Groton’s traditional tree lighting will take place Dec. 2. Santa Claus was able to squeeze in an early visit to Groton, between his toymaking and reindeer feeding at the North Pole, to light the Christmas tree near the C.R. Pavilion on Main Street.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Groton Fire Department will escort Santa to the pavilion, where he will light the Christmas tree at 7 p.m. The final details of the evening’s other festivities are still being worked out at the time of this writing, so be sure to visit the GFD Facebook page at facebook.com/Grotonfireandems/ in the days ahead.