Local seamstress’s business
bursting at the seams
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Seamstress Terry Burtchell is looking forward to what 2013 has to offer, having just completed her best year in business to date.
THE SEAMSTRESS SHOP at the Aroostook Centre Mall has added a Millennium long-arm quilting machine capable of working on quilts up to 14 feet wide. Standing with the new acquisition is Manager Holly Burtchell and Terry Burtchell, owner of the business.
SEWING MACHINE REPAIRS are among the many offerings at the Seamstress shop at the Aroostook Centre Mall. Here, customer Sam Barrett, of Presque Isle, listens as Stephen Burtchell, the company’s sewing machine specialist, discusses what type of repairs the Kenmore machine requires.
“2012 was my best year of my life. I worked on countless orders for weddings, proms, police uniforms and much more,” said Terry Burtchell, owner of the Seamstress shop located at 830 Main St. at the Aroostook Centre Mall, next to the interior entrance for Sears.
A professional seamstress for over 36 years, Burtchell said a good relationship with her customers has been the key to her success.
“I take the time to listen to my customers — not just about the proper fit of their clothing but about their lives. I find when you take the time to get to know a person and what their needs are, they remember that and come back,” she said.
A recent addition to her services — a long-arm quilting machine — is the direct result of customers’ requests.
“I expanded to offer this because of their needs. As one who loves to quilt myself, I’ve listened to customers and decided I could offer quilting services, in addition to the alterations and other sewing I do,” said Terry.
The machine, an APQS Millenium, 2012 model, was an early Christmas gift.
“We (she and husband Stephen Burtchell) purchased the machine Dec. 20. I’m very excited to have it,” said Terry. “It does everything for us.”
Terry said Stephen put the unit together. The machine is capable of handling quilting projects up to 14 feet wide.
“We had the choice of going with a 10-, 12- or 14-foot wide and opted for the largest. We value our customers and listen to each one’s needs,” said Terry.
“This is capable of doing quilts up to king-size plus,” said Stephen Burtchell. “We did a bit of quilt work before Christmas and had people stopping by to watch.” The Millenium is set up in the shop’s front window, visible to shoppers passing through the mall.
Terry said they welcome folks to stop by and ask questions and always take the time to respond.
“Prior to acquiring this machine, I had customers telling me they had to travel up to the Valley or down toward Houlton for help with their quilting projects, often taking months to complete due to demand. This will make it much more convenient for those from the Central Aroostook region,” said Terry.
“We hope to turn quilts around in a couple weeks. It’s a week’s turnaround for clothing orders. Hems can be done in a day,” said Stephen.
Terry said she’s been quilting for about a dozen years and studied various brands before selecting this one.
“This one was made in a little factory in Carroll, Iowa. We try to buy American-made products as often as we can. We use threads made in the U.S. We studied the history of the company — that’s important to us,” she said.
A family project will likely be Terry’s next completed quilt.
“I’m working on a memory quilt for one of my daughters from her wedding. It has notes, written on muslin, from loved ones, with various photos printed on cloth. It will be turned into a wall hanging,” Terry said.
She said she’s made a couple such quilts before but they were done by hand and time-consuming.
“With this machine, you can have a queen-sized quilt done in four hours,” noted the seamstress.
In addition to alterations and quilting, the business also has a wedding planner on staff. Manager Holly Burtchell, the couple’s daughter, is now offering her services as a wedding planner.
“I’m a licensed wedding planner. Whether you need help putting the whole affair together or just need some assistance the day of the wedding, I’m available,” said Holly Burtchell.
The shop also carries tuxedoes.
“Our tuxedoes just came in Jan. 1 and will be featured at the Bridal Expo on Feb. 16. That’s my husband’s brainchild. He’ll be tailoring the Paul Morrell brand menswear,” said Terry. “For more information on what’s available, visit www.mytuxedocatalog.com. Bride’s can call up that up and look through the catalog at their leisure.”
“It’s our goal to make the men look good,” said Stephen.
Terry said working with Stephen has been a blessing, since many of her customers are men and find talking to another man about the right clothing fit is easier.
Stephen said while some people question the price, there’s more to a good fit than a price tag.
“We may not be the cheapest but we’ll be the best. We’ll do whatever it takes to make them look right,” he said.
“We don’t close at 4 p.m., we stay until it’s right,” said Terry. “We try to go above and beyond to make all our customers feel special. In turn, they share their experience with others. We benefit from word-of-mouth.”
“We’re a small family business. We do whatever we can to make clothes right for our customers,” said Holly.
As if all this isn’t enough, Terry said the business also offers consignment services.
“We run a consignment shop. It’s a win/win situation. Individuals can bring in their garments and we have them professionally cleaned — basically wedding and prom gowns. They get a return on their investment, the customer gets a deal and often we do subsequent alterations,” said Terry.
“We also get a lot of little girl and pageant/prom dresses. Those are in high demand,” added Holly.
Terry said hemming and zipper repairs top her list of regular work orders.
“We offer quotes, so there’s no surprises. We just have to see the garment and then can give an estimate,” said Terry.
In addition to helping with the male customers, Stephen does the heavier work, such as hemming jeans and also does sewing machine repairs.
“Stephen does sewing machine repairs — plugs them in while the customer’s here. When they return, he provides a sample sewn before the repair and one after, to show the difference,” said Terry.
“We also can steam and press articles we’ve worked on,” she said.
“And we do a lot of curtain alterations,” added Stephen.
Business hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and evenings by appointment. For more information, call 764-1919. The facility features two spacious fitting rooms, with one large enough to fit a bride-to-be and her wedding party.
Terry and Stephen agreed the business has kept them too busy to notice their children have all grown and moved away from home.
“This is definitely a cure for empty nest syndrome. It’s an honor to have taught Holly to be a seamstress. It’s a pleasure having her here. It’s neat to have a family business,” said Terry. “I ended 2012 on a mountain top and am ready to conquer 2013.”
