When Nancy Eckert opened The General Store at the Inn at Silvercreek this summer she was hoping to keep herself busy in retirement. But now, as Nancy opens her second business in Grand County, she realizes she’s going to be very busy for the foreseeable future.

Nancy has started a new embroidery business and along with producing unique gift items for her shop she can also accommodate larger orders for business customers.

The General Store inside SilverCreek Inn sells various souvenir items, coffee and snacks. Among the items for sale are numerous clothing items and tea towels with unique and comical statements embroidered on them. Nancy does the embroidery work on the products herself, selling all sorts of location specific items from Granby T-shirts to sweaters bearing the Inn at SilverCreek logo emblazoned in dark blue on the front. She even has a line of embroidered toilet paper rolls with snarky statements appropriate for their use as gifts.

As word of her talents on an embroidery machine spread, Nancy was soon approached by local businesses special ordering large numbers of shirts and vests displaying their respective company logos. Currently Nancy has three companies from the area she is filling orders for and continues to produce the handmade items sold in The General Store.

Nancy’s embroidery business, called The General Store No. 2, does work on hats, blankets, pillows and a wide range of other products monogramming the fabric or adding other things like names or special dates. Right now Nancy is looking to purchase a new and larger embroidery machine to expand her new business to include work on baseball caps and items such as sneakers.

Nancy has been embroidering for years but her experience working with sowing and fabrics began with her mother.

“My mom was an avid sewer,” Nancy said. “She went to college and did a lot of designing for Vogue but she decided she wanted a family more than a career.”

Nancy explained she grew up sowing but got into embroidery later in her life.

Before moving to Grand County Nancy lived in North Carolina and did embroidery work for local police officers and law enforcement offering her services free of charge.

“I talked to one of our officers from the Sheriff’s Department,” Nancy said. “I told him any time they need anything, I don’t charge the police. It’s my way of giving back.”

The General Store No. 2 doing handmade embroidery work by the order is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Inn at SilverCreek just inside the main lobby. If you have questions about placing a large order with Nancy she can be reached at 252-676-2964.