Sassy Gift Shop Embroiders Life at Harmony Day Spa

Embroidery has been around for thousands of years, with everyone from the Egyptians to Phoenicians, Romans and Vikings sewing colorful patterns, words and decorations onto their clothing, outerwear and accessories. Traditionally, women spent year’s hand sewing designs on linens and clothing for special occasions, or for altar cloths for church.

Fortunately, Mercer Islanders can now have kitchen, garden and personal items embroidered by machine in half the time by Fawn Harmon of in her new Sassy Gift Shop.

“I have always loved arts and crafts, and I decided to get into embroidery last year because they’ve developed commercial embroidery machines that are affordable and easy to work,” said Harmon. “I opened up the front part of my shop (Harmony Day Spa) last September to specialize in aprons and towels and tote bags, but I also offer custom work, so I can monogram bed and bath items as well.”

Harmon’s brightly embroidered aprons and towels are displayed on antique furniture in the front of Harmony Day Spa, and customers purchase those items on the honor system by putting cash or checks into an envelope and inserting it into a mailbox on the wall. “I honestly haven’t had any thefts or problems at all,” said Harmon. “It’s a quaint, old-fashioned way to do business, but it works.”

A Coeur D’Alene, Idaho native, Harmon moved to Bellevue in 1992 to be closer to her children who had gone to college on the West Coast. As a licensed massage therapist for 30 years, Harmon was the first for-profit business to land in her current location on First Hill 14 years ago when the moved out. “Massage has changed from a luxury that people get on special occasions like an anniversary or birthday to something that is prescribed by physicians as part of a regular health regimen,” she said. “I specialize in the ‘kitchen sink’ massage, because I’ve taken dozens of classes over the years in different techniques and adapted them to my own style, which is different for every client, depending on what they need.” Though she doesn’t massage clients through their clothing as many LMTs do today, Harmon said that she gets clients seeking rehabilitative massage for sports injuries as well as people seeking a stress-relieving Swedish-style massage. “I don’t do what I call “rubby-dubs” like you’d get at some resort spa,” she said. “People come to me for more therapeutic massage.”

Some might assume the recession has caused Harmon to add embroidery to her repertoire; they’d be only half wrong. “Business is down some, but this embroidery thing is my 3-5 year retirement plan,” she said. “In the last few years monograms and decorative embroidery have become very popular—it’s given me the tools to become the creative artist I’ve always wanted to be.”

All of the embroidered items in the Sassy shop are one-of-a-kind because Harmon picks out matching fabrics and color coordinates the embroidery in unique patterns to enhance each item. So a frog in a chefs hat lounges on the front of a green apron with a frog-patterned fabric as backing, while a cheery sunflower pattern is coordinated with old-fashioned flower seed packet embroidery. Prices range from $25 to $45, and all tote bags come with a free name monogram. Harmon has a book full of monogram letter styles to choose from sitting in the front of the shop. “I’ve done personalized dancing shoe bags and gift towels for weddings,” she said. “Embroidery is one of those things that makes you feel good by personalizing your home or items you cherish…it warms up whatever it is sewn on.”