It all started with a Bernina 830 Classic.
Over 11 years ago my beloved mother in law passed away. Her very presence was a gift. She was gentle, graceful, and also a skilled seamstress--she was inspiring, to say the least! With her passing not only did she leave me with the beautiful memory of knowing a woman like her, but she also left me her sewing machine. A vintage Bernina 830 Classic.
I like to think I was born with a creative streak that I believe was passed down from my father. I had been drawing since I could hold a pencil, painting with a brush, and could be caught making something out of nothing whenever I had the time. Although I had hand stitched with my Grandma when I was a child, I had not a clue how to use a sewing machine. I felt a certain draw to the Bernina though and a desire to not let this grand machine sit and gather dust.
I decided to take my first sewing class. I started out with the usual beginner projects. I made pillow cases and curtains for my newborn son's room. I made bags and other such things, but true to form my mind started to wander. I found myself thinking outside the box often for more unusual and unique items to sew.
One afternoon my new love of sewing merged with the hairstylist in me. I had decided to deep condition my hair at home as I often did. I took a warm wet towel (the commonly prescribed method dished out in salons like the one I worked in) and wrapped it around my head to provide the much-needed heat for my treatment. I was a mom now and couldn't afford the luxury of sitting to do my treatment. I was trying to care for my son and handle things around the house. The towel was continuously falling off and needing to be put back on. It was cumbersome, and I was left feeling very frustrated. Somewhere in between all that a light bulb went off. The idea of sewing a hair cap and filling it with heat producing flax seed came to me, and so, Hot Head was born!
It has been a very long and trying journey working on Hot Head. My life has had many ups, downs, and plenty of obstacles to derail me. Yet, I have always pulled back to working on this magnetic journey of mine.
The biggest derailment came in the summer of 2012 when my family and I lost our home in a large wildfire. I had lost all of my work related to Hot Head, along with all of our personal belongings. I was ready to call it quits, but then fate stepped in. We were living in a hotel at the time when suddenly I started to receive email after email from women around the world inquiring about Hot Head. Until then I had only received the occasional email inquiring about my product, but then I started to receive a multitude of emails from women asking when they would be available for purchase again. Upon hearing my story, each person would share kind words and encourage me to follow my dreams. This swelled my spirit from the inside out, and before I knew it, I was ready to take the plunge and open shop again.
Thermal Hair Care reopened in February of 2013 and has grown leaps and bounds since then! I am so grateful for this business and the encouragement I received not to give up when I needed to hear it the most. I love what I do - It is interesting, fulfilling, and has shown me that the true power of community is not dead! Thank you, thank you, to all of you wonderful women that I have met through Hot Head and also in my personal life that have lifted me up and helped me to find my way!!!
