The story of Mei’s Sewing Embroidery begins in the 1990s. Mei Liu, founder of Mei’s Sewing Embroidery, would venture to the United States as the first to immigrate of her immediate family.
Mei started her journey in the textile industry at the early age of 18. One of her earliest occupations was to work for a clothing factory in New York City. There she would find herself working with women’s clothing as her first official experience with sewing and textiles.
Mei had a busy schedule in her youth between attending school at FIT and working at her job. She would even incorporate night classes and work into the weekends. Mei had to rely on public transit being her main source of transportation. Mei recalls often feeling fatigue regularly and frequently falling asleep on the train.
In 1997, Mei would find herself married and moved to New Orleans the same year.
In 1999, Mei started a new career in a men’s tie factory, primarily sewing. By 2000, she would work in a men’s clothing factory doing custom tailoring and creating custom clothing for men. This lasted until the year 2002.
From 2002 onward until 2013, Mei found herself embracing the hospitality industry. In these years, Mei would occasionally staff her two oldest daughters in their sushi restaurant as a part of the family business. Running a hospitality business was arduous work and required long hours, but Mei found growing success through her determination and efforts.
Unfortunately for Mei, around the year 2015, Mei learned that she had pancreatic cancer. She had to slowly let go of her businesses and focus on her health.
After battling pancreatic cancer for several years and even surviving a short comatose state, Mei had managed to overcome one of the most challenging years of her life. But to make matters more difficult, it was also around this time that Mei found herself divorced and supporting her three daughters primarily herself.
During this time in between her recovery, Mei, and a partner of hers had also operated in the laundry business and opened a laundromat close to home. This would last between the years 2013 to 2020 and proving to be a successful venture. Through her clever insights and natural entrepreneurship, Mei was able to turn an inefficiently run business into a thriving one.
Between this time into March 2020 would be when Covid-19 hit the New Orleans, plaguing the entire world. Many were out of work with the pandemic. Mei, as a survivor of pancreatic cancer, had to be far more cautious than anyone else during these trying times. She had to forfeit a lot of her work and further isolated herself. She can recall that her priority was to not get sick and catch covid, because she wanted to be there for her three little girls.
With her three daughters as her number one priority, Mei yearned for a way to provide for her family while also doing something she loved.
Around this time, Mei connected with one of the local church members after hearing that they needing face masks during the nation's shortage... Despite creating hundreds of masks and donating many long hours, Mei refused to accept any form of payments and did this as an act of charity for the local community. With the support of the community, her selfless act of generosity manifested into what would become Mei’s Sewing Embroidery.
Mei had always been fascinated by the art of embroidery. The delicate interplay of threads, the creation of intricate designs – it spoke to her soul as something she had always lived and done since youth. Late at night, after her children went to bed, Mei would sit at her sewing machine, lost in the rhythmic dance of needle and thread. It was in those quiet moments that the idea of opening her own embroidery store began to take root.
Mei’s Sewing Embroidery became more than just a store; it became a community hub. From the local school students, to church, friends, and family alike, many different people from different walks of life have visited Mei’s business. Although Mei has long since outgrown her initial business, she still enjoys most helping the occasional student with their prom dress alterations.
Mei’s giving nature, her dedication, and hard work thrives within the requests of each customer.
Today, Mei’s Sewing Embroidery stands as a symbol of the strength that lies within every single parent's heart. Mei’s story continues to inspire not only her children but everyone who walks through the doors of her beloved embroidery business, reminding them that money isn’t necessarily everything, and that dreams stitched with passion, hard work, and a mother’s determination can withstand any challenges that come along.