Business notebook: 'Sewing is my superpower'

After opening their embroidery, repair and alteration business, Cindy Heuer and her sister Belinda Schearf have become Mrs. Sew and Sew.

"Before Mrs. Sew and Sew, I was the Culligan lady," Heuer joked, referring to her husband's previous position as "The Culligan Man."

"But I've got a friend who says sewing is my superpower. It's what I do," she said.

She said the business at 225 N. Clark St. in Cape Girardeau can handle pretty much any sewing needs. Its current projects include a custom baby onesie, a T-shirt quilt and alterations.

"Say a lady has a dress that's just a bit too big on her," she said. "We can do everything necessary to make that dress fit the way it should.

Belinda Schearf, left, and her sister, Cindy Heuer, show examples of their work Wednesday at their new business, Mrs. Sew and Sew in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

"These jeans were all ripped up," she said, pointing to a torn pair of jeans in her sewing machine. A lace patch was halfway installed behind the hole in one knee.

"We're going to bring them from shabby to chic," she said.

Heuer said she learned to sew from her home-economics teacher, growing up in Delta. Since then, she's kept her skills sharp by making clothes for her children. Either way, she said it always has been a passion.

"I've always wanted to sew," she said. "Now there's really no limit to what we can do."

That's as long the final product lives up to the sisters' standards, they stipulated.

"We really strive to do really top-quality work," said Heuer.

"We make sure our embroidery is absolutely flawless. We do everything we can to make it look like it came out of the store."

Schearf said all a customer needs is a JPEG image to get the embroidery process going.

And although they've been open only a few months, they've been pleasantly surprised with how business has gone.

"We started in June," Heuer said. "And the business started coming in, and I thought, 'Hey, this might work out, you know? This might be successful.'"

Wilburn finishes DRA leadership program

Victor Wilburn, Southeast Missouri State University professor of Child Development, is among the 49 newest graduates of the Delta Regional Authority's Delta Leadership Institute.

The program is designed to teach community leaders how to better the lives of residents in the Mississippi River Delta region and the Black Belt of Alabama.

The graduates participated in seven workshops over the past year to familiarize themselves with regional economic factors and leadership skills necessary to help their communities.

"Missourians are stepping up to create more jobs and higher pay," Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said. "This is an important program that will help our leaders to build our economy and our communities in the Delta region."

Group hosts workshop for tornado victims

United Way of Southeast Missouri will host a financial-recovery workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Richardet Floor Coverings.

The workshop is designed to help residents affected by the February tornado that hit Perryville, Missouri.

There is no cost for attendance, but registrations may be made by calling (573) 352-0904.

Capetown honored for resident satisfaction

NRC Health has awarded Capetown in Sikeston, Missouri, the Excellence in Action award for resident satisfaction.

The award is reserved for assisted-living communities who score within the top 10 percent nationwide in resident satisfaction.

"At the heart of every Americare community is a philosophy of person-centered care. This philosophy guides every decision we make," said Pat Cokingtin, senior vice president at Americare Senior Living.

"The Excellence in Action award remains a true testament to the overall quality being provided in today's long-term care and senior living organizations," said Rich Kortum, NRC Health director of strategic partnerships.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627