Embroidery business is far-reaching

Rawlins Daily Times, Janice Kurbjun

Jennifer Bowen, owner of Custom Creations in Elk Mountain, punched commands into one of her embroidery machines. Her business is run from home, creating custom apparel designs for companies as far away as Washington state.


By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

In the shadow of Elk Mountain, behind the bikes strewn across the gravel, the Volkswagen parked by the street and the well-used basketball net, a small embroidery shop sits adjacent to Jennifer Bowen’s home.

Serving companies from Elk Mountain to Washington state, Custom Creations is run at Bowen’s leisure.

“I hardly pound the pavement,” she said about finding customers. “It’s all word of mouth.”
She and her husband decided to buy the business almost two decades ago while still living in Rawlins. It and her two commercial embroidery machines moved with the family to Elk Mountain in 1996 and has continued to flourish.

“‘Tis the season for hats,” Bowen said, pointing toward stacks of hats of various colors sitting amongst odds and ends on the worktable. She’s currently doing projects for the Carbon County Road and Bridge Department, weed and pest and the Old Baldy Club.

Among Bowen’s more unusual projects was a wedding dress embroidered with green and brown elk tracks, designed for a Rawlins woman.

“It sounds wacky, but it looked really cool,” she said.

Bowen said she has never turned a customer away. With thousands of designs to choose from, including the copyrighted University of Wyoming cowboy, she can create a satisfying design for almost anyone.

The business is Bowen’s way to pay her share of the bills. It allows her the flexibility to go to her children’s’ events, which are many. She is also involved in the parent-teacher association and town council.

“My kids are number one,” she said. “And the business is fun and never the same. It’s never boring.”