Award Decor by Marsha Stigge is an artisan workshop dedicated to creating high end home accessories from treasured memories and awards. Stigge lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and can be seen at many of the AQHA shows at her vendor booth lined with gorgeous pillows. Stigge with the help of her daughter, Dionne Stigge Rucker, mainly transform award jackets into pillows. GoHorseShow sat down with Marsha to find out more about her business and how it all started.
GoHorseShow: Hi Marsha! Thanks for sitting down with us. Tell me about Award Decor and how you came up with the idea of making award jackets into pillows?
Marsha Stigge – My daughter, Dionne Stigge Rucker, and I had toyed with the design concept for several years. I have operated a custom home interior workroom for the design trade for more than 20 years, specializing in pillows, cushions, and bedding. Since I already had the industrial equipment and space to develop this product, it was an easy transition to start working on heavy duty fabrics. It took a semi-sound 16-year-old horse with pre-paid entries (for the 2014 AQHA World Championships) who ended up not attending to kick-start this business. My daughter/business partner was kind enough to donate her closet full of jackets to be the original “samples”. We love attending the AQHA World Championships, so we weren’t going to miss it. So, we found a reason to be there! The motto of “Get them out of the closet” is what started the entire venture.
GoHorseShow: Do you primarily turn AQHA World and Congress jackets into pillows or do you also do other breed jackets?
Marsha Stigge – While it frustrates me to say so, my daughter’s phrase, “Where there is a will, there’s a way”, rings true. Anything of a pliable fabric composition (Neoprene jackets, Cordura horse blankets, soft vinyl, wool, leather, etc…), can be transformed into a pillow. Very seldom is the answer “no” from Award Décor. While the majority of our business has been AQHA Congress and World Show jackets, we have been lucky enough to work on APHA, ApHC, USTRC, Arabian, IFR, Dixie Nationals, IHSA, and so many more associations that give fantastic awards. Unfortunately, you can only store so many items for so long. That’s where we come in!
GoHorseShow: Is it a hard process to transform jackets into pillows?
Marsha Stigge: What most people don’t realize is that we completely “deconstruct” the jacket in order to preserve it. What that means is that every seam, every liner, every part gets taken apart. For more vintage jackets, that can be a labor-intensive process. Anywhere from 30 mins to an hour can be allotted for take-apart alone. The design process can also be quite time-consuming as we are always trying to create the largest, most aesthetically pleasing pillow that satisfies the customer’s request. Total time involved can be as long as 5 hours. As we have become more media-savvy, we have asked potential customers to buy/get the largest coat possible if they are thinking of going straight to “pillow” memorabilia. We get to see plenty of XXS coats in the meantime.
GoHorseShow: Can you use old, torn or worn out jackets?
Marsha Stigge: You may think your jacket is FINISHED, but, oftentimes, whatever your dog/cat/horse did to it can be repaired enough to preserve your big win. We have triaged multiple coats that the owners thought were forever ruined. That’s what makes this job fun; turning someone else’s “lost cause” into a fun piece of decoration.
GoHorseShow: How much do they cost?
Marsha Stigge: Prices for a basic, corded, pillow cover start at $125.00. Depending on the options, your price can increase to as much as $175.00 per pillow. Shipping is always additional as it varies greatly from state-to-state. We have not offered quantity discounts since each item is completely hand-crafted with no time-savings in doing more than one.
GoHorseShow: What exhibitors and trainers have you worked with?
Marsha Stigge: Oh my, too many to list! We have been lucky to have some wonderful customers who have sent not only one, but 15 jackets at a time. We are constantly updating our media pages with “Just another happy customer!”.
GoHorseShow: What do you enjoy the most about your work?
Marsha Stigge: Hands down, the best part of this endeavor is to meet new people and hear their stories! I do not ride. I do not show. This has been a hobby, and now business, that I share with my daughter. We both love the camaraderie of the sport; constantly expanding our friendships within AQHA and beyond. It is truly amazing how horses bring people together! Also, every project is a test. Keeps our gears turning.
GoHorseShow: Are you running any specials?
Marsha Stigge: While we have yet to have a “special” promotion, we do support many silent auctions for a variety of groups/causes. This is a great way to support organizations and find new customers all at the same time. Depending on the bidding, someone may get a great deal on an Award Décor pillow!
GoHorseShow: How long does it usually take to receive the pillows after the jackets have been sent to you?
Marsha Stigge: Turn-around time tends to be 4-6 weeks, however, depending on the volume of jackets, it can be delayed as long as 6-8 weeks, or longer. If you have a deadline that needs to be met for a gift or award, we will do everything in our power to get it to you as quickly as possible.
GoHorseShow: Will you be at any upcoming shows where people can bring you their jackets?
Marsha Stigge: We will definitely be at the Lucky 7 Classic in Murfreesboro, TN May 5-8, 2016 as well as the Big A/Stars and Stripes Circuits in Conyers, GA, June 30-July 10, 2016. Generally, we like to go where there is interest. Message us on our Facebook page if you have any questions about what we do or where we are going. Even if we are not at the show, we likely have a designated “drop-off” person that can get your jackets to us.
GoHorseShow: What is your background with horses?
Marsha Stigge (pictured left): While my background with horses is limited to spectator and financier, my daughter has been riding and showing since she was 8 years old. We both enjoy different elements of horses and horse shows, but we can’t imagine not having it in our lives.
GoHorseShow: Who helps you with your business and what is their involvement with horses?
Marsha Stigge: Once again, the people you meet through horses are sometimes the best connections you ever make. SEC Creative and Sarah Elder Chabot have been a huge help by doing all of our advertising and layout work for Award Décor. Sarah and Dionne have shown together since they were teenagers. Also, we have been lucky to have met wonderful people who spread the word about what we are doing which is a type of promotion you can’t put a price tag on.
GoHorseShow: Anything else you would like to add?
Marsha Stigge: As a parting thought, just remember, if you still wear your special jacket every day and cannot think to part with it, DON’T DO IT! Award Décor is here for the closets full of unworn coats, the boxes of unused embroidered coolers, the piles of wrinkled up ribbons on the floor, or any other item that you adore, but never look at. Just call us when you are ready to clean out your closets!
GoHorseShow: Thank you Marsha!
Marsha Stigge: You are welcome!
Please visit her Facebook page to become a fan by clicking here.
You may also contact Marsha at mcstigge@comcast.net for more information or call her at 615-498-6491.
CLICK HERE to view her ad in the May Fashion issue of GoMag
