Hope Yoder

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HOPE YODER

Hi, I’m Hope, the entrepreneur behind Designs By Hope Yoder. I started my journey in the embroidery and fabric industry by creating products, courses, designs, and fabric for the home market. I have had the privilege of inspiring many along the way with our magazine articles, workshops, and our corporate projects. Most days, you can find me dancing to Cupid Shuffle, in front of my computer designing, or behind my laser creating handmade happiness. My superpower is education, coaching, and community. This is my story. I hope it inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone, accomplish your dreams and goals, and be who you were meant to be!

If we haven’t met, let me share a little of my past that still shapes my future.

High School: I took a home economics class where part of the course was sewing. After ripping out an A-line shirttail hem three times, I distinctly remember saying, “I’ll never sew again!” I experimented with every type of crafting, including the Bedazzler. Do they still make that? If you are smiling, you probably bedazzled anything that wasn’t nailed down just like I did.

College: I graduated with a degree in dental hygiene, and one day, I came into the office like a proud peacock sporting my new “scrub top” fashioned from a t-shirt in the same shade of hot pink as my pants. On the front of the shirt was a cutout of a Holstein cow, as they were trending that year with the rise of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream I thought I was all that and a bag of chips

because I had up-scaled this shirt using fabric glue and glitter. The dental assistant looks over at me in the middle of the staff meeting and says, “Oh, you’ve been crafting this weekend.” I think you would like quilting, and I could teach you.” Thinking back, I should have picked up on the fact they weren’t as in love with my craft as I was.

I took her up on her offer and bought a sewing machine that turned into an embroidery machine that evolved into me teaching sewing and embroidery in my local shop.

That grew into being bold and submitting a project to teach at the Husqvarna Viking Dealer Convention, and guess what? They accepted it! I was so shocked and honored they picked my project.

That experience led to designing machine embroidery collections, sewing patterns and writing magazine articles, and more teaching at sewing machine conventions.

In 2015 I started teaching consumers nationally by combining my love of “Tea Parties and Sewing.” The event was called “Hope Yoder’s Sip And Sew Tea Party.” Thank you to all the dealers reading this who hosted one of my events! It means the world to me.

From there, I had the privilege of working with Baby Lock, Brother, SVP Worldwide, Janome America, Janome Australia, Blank Quilting Corporation, Martha Pullen Company, OSQE, Tacony, Brewer, and RNK Distributing.

cialize in sewing themed watch bands, personalized charcuterie boards, and engraved tumblers at Designs By Hope Yoder.

I’m thankful for every success and every failure/learning moment that has led us down this exciting journey.

This year, we have created a program to train and equip laser owners through our new Hands-on Laser Retreats. We are proud to be the first in the country to offer hands-on laser learning

Our retreats are team-style, combining the technical aspect of laser theory with project techniques, including entrepreneurship training for business owners. Please find information on our lasers, retreats, and business courses by visiting www.HopeYoder.com/Retreats.

I have used my thousands of hours and two decades of experience selling, training, and coaching to start fresh, on my own, as a leader in the crafting industry

For me, the next big thing is lasers! It’s a natural progression to go from sewing to digital cutting to laser engraving. Last fall, we transformed our warehouse into a working studio where we use our lasers to design handmade goodness. We offer our products wholesale and retail and ship all over the country We spe-

My passion is reaching my community through networking. Many call me the queen of networking as I work hard to make new connections, build relationships in our community and be that goto place for team-building events. Reinventing yourself isn’t hard. It takes intent, effort, outside-the-box thinking, and a willingness to change your mindset! One of the ways we are becoming the “it” place in our community is by creating a fun space for crafting, learning, and networking.

We took a chance and hosted our first “Art and Charcuterie Party” this spring.

I figured, what the heck, let’s give it a go. It required moving things around, throwing away old dusty inventory, and some forward thinking. Wow, did it ever pay off. We have turned these events into networking and team-building events for big and small companies.

Continued on page 20.

“I’m thankful for every success and every failure/learning moment that has led us down this exciting journey.”

The Future

While no one can predict where we will land, I hope I can reconnect with you soon. I would love to help you grow your business and offer opportunities to reinvent your business by taking a different approach. If I can do it, so can you.

I want to challenge you to look into your space with a different mindset. What would you like to change, and where do you want to go? What if you took a chance and made a change?

What if it worked??? What if you owned a laser to create your rulers, templates, and hip new merch

for your shop? Or, what if you could transform your business, reach your community, and be the “go-to shop,” bringing in a new younger generation?

I look forward to connecting with you at VDTA in 2023, and the good news is that I’m bringing my favorite lasers with me. Stay tuned for more information coming soon

Don’t let my drive scare you, follow me!

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