This article originally appeared in The Vantage student newspaper, published Oct. 17, 2024.
Written by Matthew Fowler, managing editor
Newman junior Lucy Cheatum is many things: an artist, an athlete, a student and a future nurse.
Now, she can add “entrepreneur” to that list of titles thanks to her budding custom embroidery business, Chip to my Lu.
Cheatum, a student in the nursing program and a runner for the cross-country team, said she began embroidering as a hobby over the summer.
“That just really interested me because in high school, I took graphic design and yearbook and would make T-shirts, and I knew how to work all the software, so I thought that was really interesting,” she said. “And it was also fun to be able to customize your own shirts and that kind of thing.”
However, she said, she quickly realized that there was a high demand for her work and that she might be able to provide customers with meaningful, personalized clothing.
“I think it’s awesome just because then you don’t have the same sweatshirt as everyone else, and then it’s also a unique way to show your personality and be able to show your sense of fashion,” Cheatum said.
A burgeoning business
Through Chip to my Lu, Cheatum is designing and selling custom embroidered apparel. Many of her customers have been members of groups on campus including the nursing program, the cross-country team and the bowling team. She even designed a custom sweatshirt for a cross-country teammate’s father.
“Her dad really liked the sweatshirts, but he wanted something that looked a little bit more masculine because, of course, cursive is very girly,” Cheatum said. “It was cool to be able to customize that just for him, and he loves it, and he wears it to every meet now.”
In addition to designs for school groups, Cheatum also sells custom keepsake sweatshirts for new mothers where small pieces of the babies’ outgrown clothing are embroidered onto the mothers’ sweatshirts.
“That’s been fun because it also makes it unique to each mom for their newborns’ clothes,” Cheatum said. “Being able to have each person be able to show their own unique interests and stuff in their sweatshirts has been great, too.”
To get more information or place an order, reach out to Cheatum at her student email, [email protected], or message Chip to my Lu’s Instagram page @chiptomylu.
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