Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
GRAFTON - A new local business is off to a strong start as the official merchandise supplier of Grafton’s veteran’s memorial.
Seed to Sewn, a direct-to-film garment printing company, has partnered with the National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA) to provide merchandise for the new veteran’s museum and memorial to be built in Grafton. A percentage of the proceeds for every shirt purchased will go toward NMMA to help fund the memorial.
“We’re honored, blessed. It’s been an exciting road for us inside of doing business for our company Seed to Sewn, and this is some involvement that we never expected,” said Joellen Sudmeier, owner of Seed to Sewn. “Special shoutout to the mayor Mike Morrow in Grafton and his lovely wife Lynn. Really, everybody that we’ve met in Grafton. This is huge for us, and we are honored to be able to do this for them.”
Sudmeier started the business with her friend Chris Grigsby after the two of them spent a lot of time together as grocery managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The duo decided they were ready to start their own business venture, and Seed to Sewn was born.
But it wasn’t an easy road, and Sudmeier recalls all of the research and testing the pair did as they figured out the best way to print their shirts. They ultimately decided to utilize the direct-to-film method, a form of printing that uses full color and bakes the design into the garment.
This printing method allows for “endless possibilities,” as Sudmeier and Grigsby can print any customized designs on t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts and hoodies. The press is also mobile, so the duo have spent many hours at events printing shirts on the spot for customers.
“We’re a print-on-demand company and we’re right down the street, so you know the quality and if there’s something that we have done, our turnaround time to be able to take care of that issue [is short],” Sudmeier said. “You don’t get those limitations. You get that person-to-person print-on-demand kind of customer service, which is what we want to offer.”
As Seed to Sewn has grown, Sudmeier and Grigsby have found new ways to get involved in the community. In October, they printed shirts for Witches on the Water, a major Halloween-themed event in Grafton. The event raised money for NMMA, and Sudmeier and Grigsby donated $5 per every garment to the NMMA fund.
Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow was impressed by their work. He suggested the partnership between NMMA and Seed to Sewn, and Sudmeier and Grigsby jumped at the opportunity. The company prioritizes giving back, Sudmeier said, so they are eager to help out with NMMA and any other nonprofit that might be interested in designing shirts. They designed and began selling NMMA merchandise, with a percentage of every sale going toward the memorial fund.
Sudmeier encourages people to check out the shirts on the official Seed to Sewn website, but she also hopes people will donate to NMMA even if they don’t make a purchase. To learn more about NMMA and the Grafton’s veteran’s memorial, you can visit GraftonMemorial.org.
“With this monument honoring our veterans, this is good for Grafton, this is good for business, this is good for everyone. Business owners, property owners, anybody along that route, that stretch of road,” Sudmeier added. “This is a vision that they have with this monument for Grafton, and we’re totally behind it. I want to see that happen.”
For more information about Seed to Sewn or to purchase your own NMMA shirt, visit their official website at SeedToSewn.com or check out their Facebook page.
More like this:
