A Hobby Becomes A Business With A Little Luck of the Irish

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There are many reasons why audiences around the world thrill toIrish step dancing - made famous by the hit show Riverdance. Notonly are the dancers wildly talented, they also wear beautiful,hand-sewn, embroidered costumes. These costumes inspired MartiWalsh of Cincinnati to pick up a new hobby.

"I was especially intrigued by the dresses. They were so intricateand detailed, truly works of art onto themselves," says Walsh, whodecided to try her hand at crafting these costumes herself afterher daughters began taking part in step dancing competitions. "Somewere skeptical that just a 'mom' could make step dance costumes.But after perseverance, I was able to master the craft."

Sure enough, Walsh succeeded and soon she decided to transform herhobby into her livelihood, Kilkenny Creations. Equally important tothe construction of the costumes is the embellishment that isunique to each dancer. In order to craft these works bothbeautifully and efficiently, Walsh needed professional equipmentthat could handle the workload, perform specialized tasks, and workwell on different types of fabrics.

Walsh visited the showroom of Hirsch International, the leadingprovider of advanced embroidery, screen-printing, and textile lasersystems and services to the North American graphic and decoratedapparel marketplace, and explained what she was trying toaccomplish.

"Because the costumes are so specialized, I brought an example withme and asked which machine might help," Walsh recalls. "All of theemployees were very knowledgeable. After I purchased my machine, Icontinued my relationships with Hirsch by attending theireducational workshops that helped me grow my business. When Ineeded a sequin machine, the supplier put me in touch with otherpeople who used them and could provide guidance. Their customersare like a club."

As the world of Irish Stepdance has evolved, so has KilkennyCreations. "I left the basement behind long ago and am now runningfive embroidery machines, one with a sequin attachment, in acommercial location with a staff of eight," says the entrepreneur."We have customers all over the country who've found us mostlythrough word-of-mouth. You find that degree of enthusiasm at alllevels of Irish step dancing and it's evidenced in every aspect onstage from the movements to the costume design."

For more information visit www.hirschinternational.com.