While other high schoolers are spending time outside class with sports, art , or part time jobs, freshman Macey Harrill participates in a family owned clothing line.
“My mom has a clothing line for baby and toddler girls on a website called BabyHarrill.com. I help out a lot along in the process so in a way we’re like a team,” Macey said.
Harrill has gained a lot of experience in needlework after working alongside her mom in the business. It seems that sewing may be in the blood.
Macey said, “All of my life, I’ve been around my mom sewing. She learned the skill through her mother, and when I was young I wanted the skill passed down to me.”
Harrill’s mom decided on baby garments because of an old family tradition.
Anytime a baby is born in the Harrill family, the women make blankets and other handmade accessories to celebrate the birth. Harrill’s involvement began with the dresses.
Although the mother-daughter business is successful now, they didn’t establish Baby Harrill overnight.
“My mom started out small, making things like quilts, blankets and the occasional Halloween costume,” she said.
What was once a small hobby making items for family births and friends, now has turned into a pretty successful online enterprise that makes bibs, changing pads, and other baby items.
At first, Macey did not see much purpose in her mother’s business. Eventually, she began to appreciate the process of completing orders.
“I started small, sewing the basic outlines of the dresses and soon worked up to helping put them together.”
She can now do everything from replicating top items to designing custom pieces. All this has lead to a newfound appreciation for the clothing industry and in particular seamstresses.
“Making clothes. . . even ones so small, is a lot of work,” declares Macey.
Macey spends many hours working with her mother, and they have worked out a system which has taught her to “uphold my responsibilities and work efficiently.”
Although Macey does not plan on pursuing her own clothing line, she plans to maintain her sewing talents. Harrill has also begun to help with financial aspects of the business giving her a small business owner experience not many teenagers have the opportunity to gain. Macey is extremely grateful for preserving tradition and getting job experience.
“I love working with my mom, and I know that I’ll always cherish having an ability as valuable as sewing, especially when I grow up and have a family one day.”
The Baby Harrill infant line is available at babyharrill.com.