Made in the Hudson Valley: Irvington mother shares love of embroidery through Mermade Brooklyn
Stitch by stitch, Meredith Siegel turns another ordinary piece of clothing into a personalized piece, embracing the artistic side she's had since she was a little girl.
An Irvington mother is sharing her love of embroidery through her business.
Stitch by stitch, Meredith Siegel turns another ordinary piece of clothing into a personalized piece, embracing the artistic side she's had since she was a little girl.
"I've always been creative," she said. "My mom was a knitter and always did embroidery... So, she was always making things and encouraging me to make stuff. My dad painted also, and was really handy and built stuff. So, that was around me all the time...and then, when my daughter was little, I embroidered a denim jacket for her. My friends saw it and they were like, 'Oh, my God.' So, I made some for my friends… I embroidered some jeans, and I embroidered some jackets...and then I thought, 'Oh, maybe I should try to make stuff.'"
From jackets to towels and other household items, Siegel always found a way to keep embroidery in her life. After years of making it a hobby, however, she decided to finally turn that love into a business by launching Mermade Brooklyn in 2016.
"I'm from Brooklyn…and in high school, I had a friend who called me 'mermaid,'" Siegel said. "My nickname's [also] 'Mer,' so I sort of made the pun of like 'Mer Made'...I liked the whimsy that it evoked because a lot of my stuff is pretty whimsical and decorative and fun."
What makes Siegel's work especially rewarding is knowing each of her whimsical pieces become gifts, keepsakes or simply items customers can use in their everyday lives.
"I have a lot of repeat customers," Siegel said. "I just feel really grateful that I have the opportunity to do this...I've made somebody's day happy or a gift, or they'll hold onto something that could be an heirloom."
Many times, those pieces have an extra personal meaning.
"I had one woman contact me, and she asked specifically for butterflies and flowers on her jeans," Siegel said. "She sent me a note afterward [saying] the butterflies represented her mom who had passed away, and she also had lost a child. So, this particular flowers that she had requested were an homage to this...so, that made me feel really special... I [also] did hankies for a mother of the bride, and this woman told me she brought her grandma's wedding dress. She wanted me to cut pieces of the lace out and put them on the hanky...and I had to write 'Tears of Joy.' The grandma's name was Joy, so it had the double meaning...That's kind of nice to be part of people's special events. It's very personal for me."
No matter the occasion, however, Siegel says each piece is made to ultimately share her passion with the world.
"That's my special ingredient," she said. "I handmake with love."
Custom orders for any piece of clothing or item can be made on Mermade Brooklyn's website.
Siegel's pieces will also be available in-person at this year's Make Your Market pop-up shop in Hastings-on-Hudson.
