I grew up in a Flyers family. And when I say a Flyers family, I mean my sister attended the team's Stanley Cup championship game in 1975 at just TWO WEEKS OLD, courtesy of my Dad and Uncle's season tickets.
So when the Philadelphia Flyers reached out to have me embroider at Game 3 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I was beside myself. Getting to work with the team I'd grown up cheering for was already pretty incredible. Getting to do it while nine months pregnant with my own future Flyers fan? Even better.
Growing Up Orange & Black
Growing up in South Jersey, the Flyers were practically part of the neighborhood. Many of the players lived nearby, and my childhood was filled with memories of watching games on PRISM, collecting autographs at Sports Authority, and trick-or-treating in Kings Grant and Voorhees with the hopes that a Flyers player might hand out a REALLY big candy bar.
My sisters and I even had arguments that ended in tears over which member of the Legion of Doom was our boyfriend. Important childhood stuff!
The Flyers continued to find their way into my life through college, when my Big's older brother worked for the team and occasionally invited us to happy hours with the current roster.
So to say that being invited to work a Flyers playoff game was meaningful to me would be an understatement.
Custom Flyers Embroidery for Playoff Fans
On May 7, I brought my chainstitch embroidery machine to Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Flyers invited me to offer complimentary live embroidery on merchandise purchased by ticketholders that day. I was set up during the pregame tailgate festivities, and the energy was fantastic!
We had visits from the Flyers dance team, Gritty himself, and loads of enthusiastic fans eager to personalize their new gear.
With Mother's Day just around the corner, we received lots of requests for gifts for Mom, which I thought was especially sweet.
And then there was 3.8%.
Earlier in the season, the Flyers had just a 3.8% chance of making the playoffs. They defied those odds, and fans were NOT about to forget it! That number became one of our most popular embroidery requests of the day.
I loved getting to stitch something that represented such a specific moment in Flyers history. It's exactly the kind of personalization that makes live embroidery so much fun.
A Little Press Coverage, Too!
As if working a Stanley Cup Playoff game wasn't exciting enough, I was interviewed by Ariel Simpson from The Philadelphia Inquirer!
We chatted about how That Crafty One came to be, my lifelong connection to the Flyers, and how much it meant to be involved with Philadelphia sports from this side of things.
Seeing my little embroidery business featured in The Inquirer alongside coverage of the Flyers' playoff run was a pretty surreal moment.
You can read the Philadelphia Inquirer article here!
One Last Embroidery Event Before Baby!
This was also a pretty significant milestone for another reason: it was my final live embroidery event before maternity leave!
At nine months pregnant, I squeezed myself into my husband's Mikael Renberg jersey, pulled it over my very large belly, and headed to the arena with my embroidery machine.
I was more than happy to tell anyone who would listen about the future Flyers fan I had brewing.
There's something really special about getting to share a lifelong family tradition with the next generation. My parents were bringing their newborn daughter to Flyers games back in 1975, and here I was, more than 50 years later, stitching for the team with my own daughter along for the ride.
A huge thank you to the Philadelphia Flyers for inviting me to be part of such a memorable playoff experience. Between the fans, Gritty, the Inquirer interview, and my little passenger, I couldn't have imagined a better way to wrap up my embroidery events before becoming a Mom.
This wasn't my first time getting to combine my love of Philadelphia sports with embroidery, either! I previously had the opportunity to work with Veronica Beard and the Philadelphia Phillies for a VIP shopping event, customizing blazers for the players' wives and girlfriends. Between the Phillies and the Flyers, my little embroidery business has given me some pretty incredible opportunities to work with the teams I've cheered for my entire life.
Read about my embroidery event with Veronica Beard and the Phillies!
Live Chainstitch Embroidery for Sporting Events & Brand Activations
That Crafty One provides live chainstitch embroidery for sporting events, retail activations, corporate celebrations, and VIP experiences in Philadelphia and beyond.
Whether you're looking to personalize team merchandise, create custom fan giveaways, or add an interactive element to your next event, I'd love to help make it happen.
Get in touch to book live chainstitch embroidery for your next event!
Visit my Instagram or watch this reel capturing my favorite moments of the day!