Oakley's Blind Stitch

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Business Spotlight Questions

Name of business: The Blind Stitch

Type of business: Embroidery

Owners: Jackie and Brian Panos, along with employee their daughter-in-law Shannon Knight

Founded: October 2002

Address: 1625 Main Street, Oakley

Phone number: 625-5411

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturday by appointment; closed Sunday

Number of employees: 2

Products and services: The Blind Stitch offers a wide variety of embroidery services to individuals, teams, schools, non-profits and businesses. They have access to over 40,000 stock designs and many different apparel companies. The Blind Stitch can also work with custom logos and designs.
“We believe in our slogan ‘We are only limited by Your Imagination’,” Jackie Panos said.
They offer several different levels of embroidery specializing in the one of a kind item that the customer chooses. Customers can also personalize items with their name or a phrase. Panos said that they could put embroidery on many different types of surfaces, including T-shirts, active wear, outerwear, woven, fleece, accessories and knit. Embroidered items can be used for any occasion even gifts.

How did you get into the business? “I’ve been sewing all my life,” Panos said. She started out working on upholstery items with her father when she was in high school. “When the individual machines came out it started out as a hobby that ran a muck,” she said. Friends and family started asking her for some work to be done and then she was doing it as a business out of the house. When her husband, Brian, moved his television repair shop into Oakley, she decided to open the storefront next door to him.

Best part about the business: “Doing a special gift item for someone and anticipating the smile on the recipients face,” she said. “I don’t even need to see it.”

She also said she has made a lot of new friends since she has opened the storefront in Oakley whom she knows she can count on if she needs anything.

Worst part about the business: Panos said there really wasn’t a worst part about the business she loves what she does.

Key to success: “Do what you do and do it well,” Panos said. “It is always our goal to do the best we can do.”

Biggest misperception about the business: Panos said that many times people come in thinking that they can do alterations, which they don’t do. Also, because of the name they think, The Blind Stitch is about making blinds for window coverings, which they don’t do either.

Future plans: Currently Panos is working on putting together a website that will allow her customers easier access to ordering. Her site is at www.theblindstitch.net.