Meet Stacy Rumble

We were lucky to catch up with Stacy Rumble recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stacy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I think this is such an interesting question. Maybe it’s because I just had my 40th birthday, or maybe it’s because I’ve always been so curious and interested in knowing other people’s stories, but I’ve thought a lot recently about how different every single person is. Even within a single field of study, life experiences, group of friends, or in my case a creative outlet, there are so many things that play into each individual’s outlook and vision in any given thing; making any given item, job, story, drive, idea such an innate expression of that person. It’s wild to me.

I guess to answer your question, I would have to say that surrounding myself with supportive, loving friendships; finding my stride with what works and what doesn’t, and being okay with the process it took to get there, and trusting my God-given talent to blossom in it’s own time are how I have learned to be effective. When you try to reproduce something that is not your heart song or fixate on what other people want or want you to do rather than what you enjoy doing and the way you enjoy doing it, it squelches the fire inside of you and causes you to not do your best work. But finding a way to incorporate what you love in a way you love to do it, and figuring out how that works for you is how I learned to be the most successful. Successful in my time, successful in my family, successful in loving what I do. God has been very gracious and patient with me as I’ve slowly found that even the things that we THINK are not doable or feasible as a profession or beyond, can in fact work out in ways I could have never imagined (and I’m talking dense, trying and trying unsuccessfully to do things my own way – the way I “thought” it should go based on what schooling and life swirling around me was telling me).

I’m talking – learned to sew at 16 years old and LOVED it, went to college to be a pharmacist, graduated with a degree in public relations and marketing, finding myself unable to secure a job in my field and honestly not thrilled at the idea of what life was going to look like. I worked as management at Chick-fil-A for several years, got married, worked at a bank, worked in the oil and gas field, and then I lost my job right before our first child was born. It was a weird, seemingly hopeless place to be. It cut our family income in half and we felt desperate at that point. But God knew. He knew I would never actually stop working on my own because being a stay-at-home mom was a foreign idea to me that I never imagined would be doable. He knew that we COULD function on a budget, and that the numbers would work out monthly if we just tightened our belts a lot and did what was necessary. He knew that I would never actually push myself in the creative side of sewing if I was working a job outside of the house. And that’s when I finally found my true love of sewing, and that being able to start a small business while home with my babies could actually work.

All that to say, effectiveness and being successful are what you make them, and comparison is the thief of joy, so let others shine brightly around you and find what makes you glow!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

The first time I remember using a sewing machine was in middle school HomeEc class. It’s so funny because I still remember the feelings that I had sitting down and using a machine that I could control with my foot and hands, and how it could do such intricate work. I have no idea what I made in that class, I’m sure my mom could tell me, but what an impact it made. My mom would let me tinker with her old machine that she’d had since college and I loved it so much. When I was 16 I mentioned wanting to be able to make a blanket to one of the ladies I babysat for on the regular, and without hesitation she said “want me to teach you to make a quilt in a day?’. From there, my love for sewing blossomed quickly. All the fabrics, the colors, the textures. I couldn’t get enough of it!

I made blankets for friends for high school graduations, and then as friends started having babies during and after college, started making blankets for them. I opened an Etsy store in 2014, once we moved to Pittsburgh, and it’s been so much fun to make blankets for people I know and love as well as people I’ve never met – each incorporating something special that is just for them into my work. I make everything to order, so you can tell me what you envision, what you love, your favorite fabrics and I incorporate them into a cohesive piece of art that you can keep and snuggle for years to come. The most incredible pieces I’ve gotten to make recently were for a widow that wanted blankets made out of her late husbands clothing for herself and her kiddos. It was such a beautiful way to pay tribute to his life, and to keep his memories close to them. I did not take that task lightly, and enjoyed getting to be able to love on her family in that way. I just love being able to put ideas and thoughts together into a beautiful creation that is specially tailored to each person. Hence the name Beloved Blankets; each person is created to be beloved (deeply loved and cherished), which is also how Jesus refers to each of us throughout the Bible.

Each blanket can also be personalized with a name, initial or monogram if desired, making it truly a one-of-a-kind gift. I design and create each blanket myself with the highest quality fabrics, and use precision stitching that has been tested against years of use for blankets that will endure thousands of washes and snuggles! Check out belovedbabyblankets.etsy.com for more upcoming sales and discounts in the coming months (holiday shopping is upon us and blankets are a universal gift for anyone special in your life!).

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Perseverance, learning to trust your talent, and space for growth.

Perseverance is such a hard thing to learn, because it looks like tears on your sewing machine, frustration with orders not coming in, not being sure that what you’re doing is going to work, not being able to buy the fabric you want to buy because it’s out of your budget in the beginning, seeing other people’s crafts and business grow at speeds much different than your own, persisting even when it feels like the climb is insurmountable in starting something new and scary. But everyone has to start somewhere, so try!

Learning to trust your talent is such an art, and such a gift when you find it. I remember double and triple guessing every decision I made for many years when I started making blankets for other people. I’d pick the “safe” option for a fabric instead of the one that I knew would make it pop for fear that others would think I was crazy. I’d do the neutral thread instead of the bright pop of color because I thought that would sell better, or it would hide any mistakes I might make. I’ve learned that the moments I take the bold choice, that I choose the one that feels right but might seem different than what others would do, that those are the moments that I am the proudest, and to be honest, the moments that people love my ideas the most. I know some people are born way more confident in this way, but for those who fall into the category of people pleasing that I have found myself in: Be bold! Try the thing! It’s ok!

Space for growth goes with perseverance, but is totally it’s own thing, too. Allow yourself margins – space that things can bloom organically, or space for you to find ways to push yourself. My current space for growth would be plans to have a larger business in the next few years, once all 4 of our kids are in school – pushing myself to have more sales, or selling more than just blankets – I haven’t decided yet. But the brainstorming and space for that has started and I’m so incredibly excited for what’s to come. Space for growth over the years has looked like: a website outside of Etsy that didn’t take off like I’d hoped, using stitches that didn’t hold up and having to trial and error to find a solution, using fabrics or trying designs that didn’t stick, hand-designing and hand-stitching letters on blankets that was taking entirely too long, finding a rhythm with working and stay-at-home mom life with a family of 6, and figuring out what success looks like in different stages and seasons of life. Giving yourself grace, and finding ways to stretch yourself are so important in the journey.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

First and foremost, God has been the most essential in helping me overcome challenges and have confidence in my skills. Even on the worst day, week, month, year, He is the light inside of me that gives me hope and peace even in the hardest of times.

Secondly, my incredible, adoring husband, who has never been anything but supportive and confident in my abilities, skills, and aspirations. He pushes me to be do what I love, and encourages me when I am ready to throw in the towel. He’s my biggest supporter and I cannot say it enough – marry your best friend! It’s a game changer!

And last but absolutely not least, my friends are my biggest cheerleaders. They push me, challenge me, ask the hard questions, and work through things with me consistently. Allowing other people to pour into you, teach you, guide you, and even question you at times, can be such a huge building block in your success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://belovedbabyblankets.etsy.com
• Instagram: @belovedbabyblankets

Image Credits

family portrait – Take Heart Images, Amanda Kupniewski