Today we’d like to introduce you to Becka Ramírez.
Hi Becka, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m the founder of Thread and graphic designer based in Tijuana.
Thread never started with the intention to become a brand or a product. Back in 2017, I started practicing hand-embroidery as a sort of “me-time” activity that I quickly found to be very beneficial for my mental health, a form of therapy that disconnected me from the outside world for a couple of hours, and with having plants and flowers being a big part of my home, it was the first thing I practiced making.
I’ve always loved the romanticism behind saving dried flowers and this was my take on that. A little botanic keepsake that would stand the test of time. I started posting photos of the first pieces on my personal social media and to my surprise, people not only liked them but wanted to have them. It wasn’t long before a local concept store offered me the chance to sell my pieces with them and that’s pretty much where everything started.
4 years later, Thread is an inclusive project that seeks to restore the art of hand-embroidery and its traditional techniques, in the form of contemporary and mostly botanic designs.
We create products to decorate your spaces, give your gifts a personal touch and we welcome everyone who’d like to join our community of new embroiderers through our workshops and starter kits for those who rather learn at home.
You can find our products in a few stores around Baja, in different pop-ups and designers markets, and of course, order online through our website threadbybecka.com.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The first thing that comes to mind is when the workshops started. I was getting a lot of messages from people wanting me to teach them all the tricks and techniques… but being self-taught, I didn’t really have any idea of the proper names of the stitches I was using or even knew if maybe there was an easier way to make what I was figuring along the way.
So, when another local studio asked me to make the first workshop with them, I told them just that and in the conversation, they said that if people wanted to learn handbook embroidery they could just do a little research online, but that it was more “my way” they were interested in instead. I’ll never forget that, it gave me the motivation to share and not just teach what I already did, but learn more myself.
To this date, I think we’ve had more than 15 workshops in various places around the city.
And once the pandemic hit and we stopped all activities, we launched the Starter kits, which was pretty much our workshop’s to-go. These included all the materials, a digital guide, and support videos to guide them through making the design of their choosing. We sold the first 300 in 2 months.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For college, I went to Film School and focused more on the photography and design aspects of the field.
So, besides Thread, I own a design studio called Esthéte Studio where I specialize in branding and have the opportunity to be an advocate and supporter of other local projects and brands launching or revamping their businesses. I also consult for bigger/more established companies from time to time and give conferences about branding and design at different colleges a couple times a year.
I like to believe that working in the film industry for the years I did, gave me a different view and perspective for it all. That even though most of it always comes down to sales and numbers, I have an opportunity to connect and tell people’s stories through the things they make and love.
It is truly my life’s joy to work full-time as an independent creative and share my passions through both these projects… well, that and my dog.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
That success looks very different to everyone and for that reason, we shouldn’t take it personally when get criticized for “always being busy” and the crazy amount of time we put into our work.
There’s this misconception that when you work for yourself “you can make your own hours”… and in some way you can, but they end up being 3 to sleep, half to eat, and half to shower.
So even though it’s not always as fun and glamorous as it may seem, it’s all worth it in the end because those same hours of sleep you skipped, were put right back into what YOU love… and it shows, the dedication it always shows.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@threadbybecka.com
- Website: https://threadbybecka.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/threadbybecka
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/threadbybecka
Image Credits
Becka Ramirez
