Michelle Fleischer did not start Embroidery Babes with a five-year plan—she started it with a needle, a rainbow and a broken heart.
“I’m a control freak,” she says candidly. “The idea of wanting something so badly and not being able to have it—and realizing there was nothing I could control—was a huge struggle for me.”
Six years ago, Fleischer was navigating secondary infertility and pregnancy loss. While undergoing IVF, she found herself searching for something steady. Something quiet. Something hers.
She picked up an embroidery kit and taught herself through YouTube videos. Her first project was a small hoop stitched with a rainbow—a tribute to the baby she lost and a symbol of hope for the one she prayed for. Today, that piece hangs in her daughter’s room.
“She’s my rainbow baby,” Fleischer explains. “Embroidery became my safe haven. It was the one place where I felt in control in an environment that felt completely uncontrollable.”
What began as therapy became transformation.
A Business Born on the Street
Fleischer started by stitching her daughter’s name onto old denim jackets and sweatshirts she had saved from her son. One afternoon, someone stopped her on the street.
“That jacket’s so cute. Where did you get it?” the woman asked.
“I made it,” Fleischer replied—almost surprised at her own answer.
She created an Instagram account. There was no formal business plan. “I literally thought of the name Embroidery Babes in the shower,” she says with a laugh. “I really did not put much thought into it. It was like, let’s just see what happens.”
What happened next was momentum.
An invitation to vend at Haworth Day led to craft shows. Craft shows led to 20 orders at a time. Word of mouth spread quickly throughout Bergen County.
“I was dragging my husband out in the freezing cold with bins of denim jackets,” she shares. “It was chaotic and exciting at the same time.”
But success brought a new challenge.
“When you’re rushing through 30 orders on your couch, you lose the outlet part of it,” she explains. “You start to resent it.”
She knew something had to change.
More Than a Craft—A Connection
Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Fleischer worked in corporate training, traveling for sales conferences and leading development sessions. She missed teaching. She missed bringing people together.
So she asked herself a simple question: What if I taught embroidery instead?
“We treat every workshop as if no one has ever threaded a needle before,” she notes. “It’s not technical. It’s not intimidating. It’s supposed to feel good.”
Embroidery Babes workshops are intentionally low-stress. Participants learn one or two stitches, choose from dozens of stencils and thread colors and create something entirely personal—from denim jackets and pouches to baby gifts and sweaters.
“We don’t just give you a project—we give you a skill you can take home,” Fleischer explains. “I’m basically telling people, don’t pay someone to do this—you can do it yourself.”
Guests often arrive unsure. They leave empowered.
“Almost every single person says, ‘Wow, this is easier than I thought,’” she smiles. “And I always tell them, even if your project comes out terrible, I’m proud of you for showing up.”
A Creative Reset for Women
At every event, Fleischer shares a 30-second version of her story. And every time, someone approaches her afterward.
“Without fail,” she shares. “Even at a 10-person event.”
Women share their own experiences with infertility. Cancer patients attend workshops looking for an outlet. Mothers and daughters come for quality time. Best friends treat it as their night out—instead of dinner reservations.
“If you’re not open, you don’t realize how many people it impacts,” Fleischer emphasizes. “When I was struggling, I felt so alone. I don’t ever want someone else to feel that way.”
She describes the workshops as a creative reset—a space to put phones down for two hours and simply be present.
“You don’t even have to be creative,” she laughs. “You just have to not use your phone for two hours.”
In a world of constant notifications and digital overload, that invitation feels radical.
Scaling With Intention
Now averaging multiple events per month—including private baby showers, corporate team-building sessions and large-scale International Women’s Day gatherings—Fleischer is thinking carefully about growth.
She recently trademarked Embroidery Babes and launched “Stitch Like a Babe” kits—at-home embroidery boxes complete with materials and instructional videos. The kits allow customers outside New Jersey to experience the brand and offer a more budget-friendly option for private gatherings.
“I love doing every workshop myself,” she says. “But growing means letting go of some control.”
Her vision for the future includes training additional instructors, expanding corporate partnerships and continuing to build creative community events that bring women together—not just to stitch, but to connect.
Because at its core, Embroidery Babes was never just about thread.
It was about healing. It was about honesty. It was about creating something beautiful in the middle of uncertainty—and inviting other women to do the same.
To learn more about upcoming workshops, private events or Stitch Like a Babe kits, follow along on Instagram at @embroidery.babes or visit embroiderybabes.com.
“When I was struggling, I felt so alone. I don’t ever want someone else to feel that way.” - Michelle Fleischer
“Embroidery became my safe haven. It was the one place where I felt in control in an environment that felt completely uncontrollable.” - Michelle Fleischer