Stitching Together Her Career in Embroidery

You figure it.

After working as a civil engineer, teacher, book binder, draftsman in a shipyard, author, sculptor and marketer of fruitcakes, fiber flowers and toy bean bags, Donna Friebertshauser, 64, decided her lot in life was embroidery.

Now she spends her time writing, teaching and lecturing about the value of embroidery, specifically Brazilian embroidery.

“I just like the look of it and the freedom it offers in the use of vibrant solid and shaded colors that come from Brazilian rayon thread,” said Friebertshauser, a recognized authority on the subject.

Brazilian embroidery is unique because of the way it is sewn in layers, she said. Other forms of embroidery are made with flat cotton and wool cross-stitches, a method she once taught on “Love Boat” cruises to Alaska.

“They (Princess Line) called me out of the blue, and I accepted,” said the Costa Mesa resident.

“I have a lot of people ask me where I get the energy. I guess I just have a lot of ambition and am relatively patient and calm,” said the Pepperdine University graduate.

During the time she raised her two children, she remembers, “I became Mrs. Volunteer,” serving as president of her PTA and a field director for the Camp Fire Girls in Orange County.

She also worked as supervisor of crafts for the Orange County Fair for 13 years, work which she feels coaxed her to her work with thread.

She attended Purdue University to study civil engineering, but left after two years because of cold weather.

“Somebody once told me I wasn’t corn-fed enough to handle the weather there,” cracked Friebertshauser, who is often called Donna F by tongue-tied students in her Brazilian embroidery classes.

“A lot of people just refer to me as the lady with the long name,” she said.

Friebertshauser recently completed a workshop on “Brazilian Embroidery Wreath Stitch-In” as part of Orange Coast College’s 21st annual Fall Fair.

She also founded a mail-order firm, Crafts by Donna, that specializes in Brazilian embroidery. She is also sought after as a judge of embroidery and a lecturer. A number of embroidery magazines carry her writings.

“At this point in my life, I’m turning more to writing and lecturing to provide more information about Brazilian embroidery,” said Friebertshauser, who stitches each design before letting others try it. “But I only want to do it once.”

She also is a consultant on a 29-week embroidery telecourse.

“My name is at the end of the credits, but if you blink you’ll miss it,” she warns.

When traveling across country to give seminars, she seldom stays in hotels or motels.

“I have met a lot of people who have become my friends who want me to stay with them” she said.