| Martha Pullen--Local International Businesswoman | |
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When you mention the "heirloom embroidery," one woman's name comes to mind. It's Martha Pullen, a resident of Huntsville. Martha Pullen is perhaps better known internationally than locally. Martha is does business internationally covering 5 different continents. Although she lives in Huntsville, Martha is widely known for her Public Television show, "Martha's Sewing Room" that is aired on 151 stations, airing in all 50 states. Martha says she tapes 26 shows in the summer at the University of Alabama Center for Public Television. These shows are then aired throughout the year. In the Huntsville area, you can see "Martha's Sewing Room" on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. on Alabama Public Television.
Sewing is making a comeback. Martha says that women are not sewing so much because of economics, but because it affords them "stress relief and an outlet for their creativity." She calls these women "re-tread sewers"--the ones who use to sew years ago and are starting to take up sewing again--but this time for the pleasure of it all.
Martha
has a new warehouse in Brownsboro, just outside Huntsville. She employees
25 full-time and 75 part-time workers. Martha admits that she is so busy
teaching others to sew that she only has time to sew about two outfits a year
for herself. When her business took off, she had to make a choice between sewing
for her own pleasure and spending her time sharing the pleasure of sewing with
others. She chose to help others.
Martha is the founder and editor of the nationwide magazine "Sew Beautiful." This issue features one of Martha's granddaughter's on the cover. Martha's sewing business has truly become a family affair. Her retired dentist husband is her business manager and her daughter oversees the children's division of the company.
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