Vincie Walzl opens business, offers classes

Vincie Walzl has opened her own business, Heirlooms by Vincie, which offers classes on smocking and embroidery.

Vincie can teach her pupils the art of fine needle work to create smocked dresses, hankies, hand towels, purses, bikinis, onesies, socks, Christening gowns and bonnets. All of it is detailed, tailored and wearable.

“I can also personalize the orders,” says Vincie. “I can write the name of who it’s for, what the occasion is, the date, who it’s from and ‘by Vincie.”

Vincie will either make the item for the customer and sell it to them or teach them how to do it themselves. She has samples to show of the garments and will take orders.

“If someone wants classes, they get their friends together and we have it at their house, like a Tupperware party,” she says.

Most of Vincie’s business is generated by word-of-mouth or through craft shows. Last week she had a booth in the “Grandma, Mommy and Me” craft show at the Kansas City Symphony Women’s Association. Next Tuesday, May 17, she will be the featured speaker at the Gallatin Garden Club meeting. On June 14 she will speak at the meeting of the Daviess County Business Women’s Association. Her next show will be May 21-22 at the Women’s Life Expo at the Overland Park Convention Center.

Vincie’s handmade work has been featured in the magazine Sew Beautiful, displaying the dress that is pictured above being worn by her granddaughter, Victoria.

In fact, Vincie took on the personal challenge to learn the craft when her granddaughter was born six years ago. She was inspired by her own grandmother who embroidered roses on silk socks for the little girls in the family.

“I had four daughters, so we went through a lot of socks,” said Vincie.

Vincie taught herself how to do the embroidery technique by looking at the roses with a magnifying glass. She studied the unusual and sometimes forgotten art further by consulting old books and doing research at the library.

Vincie’s hobby started as a creative outlet, but soon the hobby turned into a passion.

“Once I started, I really got into it,” she said. “I’d find myself sewing in the middle of the night.”

Vincie’s “Heirlooms and Smocking” was recently on display at the Daviess County Library. She has submitted an article to Sew Beautiful, this time displaying a needle case which she designed. She explains how to make the case in the article.

Heirlooms by Vincie is offered out of the home of her daughter, Jane Smith, located at 1401 NE Bronze Drive in Lee Summitt, Missouri. Anyone who wishes to view the sample heirlooms or sign up for classes, should call Jane at 816-853-0733.