History

Initial Artistry is perhaps one of the oldest embroidery businesses in Wayne County, Michigan. It began when sewing initials on shirts, christening gowns, and bridal handkerchiefs  was transitioning from a tedious job (done by hand) to the advent of the new ’embroidery’ machines that could sew hundreds of times faster. And the finished product was better. Better in the sense the machine operator could exactly duplicate a name or design time after time. The ability to quickly incorporate different colors into the work was another step forward. The business started with a single needle machine that could sew one job at a time. It grew until one machine with twelve sewing heads utilizing 15 needles could turn out a dozen finished garments in the time it had taken to do a single job.

The 1990’s saw tremendous growth in the embroidery business. A computer could store thousands of jobs that could be recalled and sewn at a moments notice. That same computer used software that permitted the operator to change designs ‘in house’ without sending the work out for expensive time consuming editing. Sewing speed doubled. Designs grew larger and more intricate. Embroidery had become the clothing decoration of choice. And most of these advances allowed the cost of the work to remain nearly constant.

Screen printing, another method used to decorate clothing is a direct competitor of embroidery. It is inexpensive when done in quantity but is limited to colors that lack the quality, appearance and feel of embroidered goods. The inks used have a tendency to crack and peel fairly quickly. The solution to these screen printing problems is the development of the heat transfer process that allow multi-colored designs to be imprinted on clothing and a wide range of other items. Initial Artistry has started to develop heat transfers as an important and growing part of its business.

Our Customers

Our first customers were individuals needing rather simple embroidery on very few pieces. Embroidery was limited to filling the needs of those who could afford it. The ability to mass produce embroidered products while maintaining reasonable prices certainly expanded the market. Companies began to see the advantage of placing their logos on golf shirts, hats and jackets. High school and bowling teams decorated shirts and jackets promoting their colors, mascots and spirit. Service groups and Boy Scouts are some of our customers.

• The Henry
• Ritz Carlton
• Churchill Transportation
• Cherry Hill Concrete
• Ford Motor
• GM
• Chrysler
• Garden City Hospital
• Oakwood Hospital