Hi, my name is Alexis. I'm 27, and I'm the creator behind Creative Edge. In addition to being an entrepreneur, I'm a seamstress and a mother to a beautiful three-year-old girl. I’m currently an architecture & construction design student, pursuing a career in Green Construction and Engineering a Sustainable future.
Many of my customers ask how a young woman like me ended up mastering the art of carpet binding and why I had enough passion for it to create my own business and make and repair rugs every day.
So I thought I'd take a moment to share a bit of the story.
In 2013 I graduated from small town Georgia as the Star Student in the top of my class. My best and favorite subject was math. I went to the nearby college in Statesboro, Georgia for general studies for a year before deciding to move to Fernandina Beach where my mom grew up and lived. I started working full time as a dog kennel tech and grooming assistant. I knew I wanted to get back into my studies as soon as I became a legal Florida resident(for tuition purposes) but I wasn't quite sure which career path to take. I knew I was good at math and art, and loved the ocean and traveling. Without a doubt I knew I wanted to help save the world.
In 2015 I began working at Rowland’s Upholstery Plus as a workroom helper and fell in love with the craft. Over the years I mastered the art of making and stuffing cushions, among many other tasks, while training to become a seamstress.
In addition to furniture, they also make window treatments, sell flooring and more. The owner, my boss(who eventually became family,) had a carpet binding machine at home that he used to make and repair rugs only upon customer request. I was amazed to learn that carpets and rugs could be sewn on! "Pops", as I called him had already begun passing the trade & knowledge down to his son, Clay, and I eagerly watched, helped, and learned as they completed jobs. This was something he did on nights and weekends, on top of his fulltime job upholstering. While Clay was doing the carpet work, I handled communication with the customers and since I was a seamstress and mechanically inclined, I helped him troubleshoot and maintain the machine. I learned it in and out.
Then in 2018, I became a stay-at-home mom and eventually a part-time student pursuing architecture: a perfect combination of both math and art. Eager to generate income, I began tackling the carpet binding jobs on my own and I quickly fell in love with it! I loved being able to help with the labor in our house and generate a little income for our family. I got so much enjoyment from taking something that would otherwise get thrown away and turning it into something functional and beautiful. As someone with passion for environmental stewardship and sustainability, I felt like this was making a big difference, far beyond just recycling my plastic bottles.
I imagined the difference I could make and the waste I could reduce if more of the community was aware of the unique and skilled service of carpet binding. I imagined that I could save thousands of pounds of material from going to landfill by doing this. Not to mention the manufacturing and shipping costs(monetary and environmental) of having to purchase brand new rugs.
So I learned and practiced as much as I could, bought the portable carpet binding machine, and began Creative Edge in 2021. Now, I am so happy to be able to save homeowners time and money and prevent waste by repairing their beloved rugs and using their carpet remnants to make useful throw rugs. I think it's so cool that I can even help with unique flooring needs like fringe replacement, unusual shapes, sizes, or cut-outs. The possibilities are truly endless!
I am so blessed to have learned about this special craft and I’m thrilled to be able to share it with my community and earn a living for my daughter and I while continuing my education.
Thank you for reading about my small business. I cannot wait to help you!
If you have a moment, please like and follow my business on facebook faceebook.com/creativeedgecarpet , and instagram to stay up to date with my services, to learn more about rugs, and be alerted of special deals and offers!
Share with a friend that has a rug issue, I would so love to help them solve it!
With much love,
Alexis Buchanan