Janette Butrym’s journey led her halfway around the world to become the proprietor of “Personalised for You” — spelled as a nod to her Oceanic homeland.

Butrym makes personalized embroidered hooded theme towels, bowl cozies, mouse ear headbands, tiaras, earrings, metal straw holders, rainbow hairpieces, and more.

It was a rather circuitous trip from Auckland, New Zealand to Bolton, Massachusetts.

Butrym left high school and worked for a bit in her native country before coming to the United States in 1995 to be a nanny. She lived in New York and Connecticut prior to meeting her American husband and getting married. Together, they moved to Illinois, Hawaii (where they had two boys), and Missouri before settling in Bolton in 2011 so her husband could work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She tried a bit of everything for work as she traveled — Warehouse jobs, dog walking, daycare, libraries, bookstores, and even the USO.

It was in Hawaii after the birth of her sons that Butrym got her first embroidery machine — “to give me something to do with a newborn,” she said. She started making towels personalized with names as presents and then people started asking her to make them for money.

Now, Butrym is a one-woman business, but relies heavily on the support of her family.

“All the creating is on my shoulders but my family is amazing and always helps me with whatever they can,” she said. “They will help me pack the car and set up and my husband and both boys are amazing at cooking dinner if I am busy sewing or just tired from working. My husband is always there to bring extra product to my fairs and spends quite a few weekends helping to set up and break down my tent and everything else. My youngest can run the tent without me and quite often sends me away so he can do all that selling. My oldest is great with anything I ask of him.”

Her mother has always done embroidery and sewing, so Butrym learned from her while growing up.

“I am a crazy, shy, outgoing mix of compassion, sarcasm, creativity, chaos, and laziness,” said Butrym about herself.

She said “it’s the best thing in the world” to make kids (and adults) happy through her handiwork.

“I love it when people think my work is good enough to pay money for. The best part of my day is when someone comes to buy a towel because they have one at home and just want another one. I have so many repeat customers and I love them all! (They) talk to new people and say how great my products last.”

Her favorite things to make are mouse ears because they are “all different with trim and fabrics,” as well as towels and bowl cozies with so many varying patterns and themes.

“I make things that I would enjoy having and I love to make things that are useful as well as fun,” Butrym said.

During the pandemic, Butrym made masks for two years. She made more than 15,000 masks and still has hundreds of yards of elastic left over. She said buying that much elastic has been her biggest mistake, but that she “learned nothing and still buy too much of everything.”

Butrym works out of a craft room in her Bolton home, but works all over her house — “sometimes too all over,” she said.

“It just comes naturally now; I don't know how I do what I do,” she said about her creative process. “I love that I can take a piece of fabric and make something that people can use and be excited to gift to others.”

She considers herself crafty more than an artist.

“I think I have an eye to put colors together and combinations of fabrics that work,” she said.

Butrym loves the independence of having her own creative small business so she can also be there for her family, being able to earn money, but also being able to drop everything while her kids are growing up to be home for them if and when they need her or to be able to take time off for school outings.

“It also gives us a bit of extra money for family trips and Mummy trips to Broadway shows with my best friend,” she said.

Butrym is also very charitable, always willing to help by donating to a raffle or competition for a cause.

With Butrym’s support, her youngest has been making his own crafts like beanbags, monkey fist knots and ball buddies, and selling them to earn money for devices and technology he wants.

She traditionally does a lot of in-person vending, which was tough during the pandemic, but she’s now back to a full slate of booths this season. “Personalised for You” will be at events including Lancaster’s Horseshed Fair next weekend, the Bolton 5K at Schartner Farm, and the holiday fair at Mohegan Sun.

Butrym also holds ear-making classes at Serendipity in Hudson once a month, and offers private classes for mom’s nights and birthday parties at a host’s home.

Teaching is new to Butrym, but classes have been going well.

“People were curious and I love to share my skills,” she said. “It is great to see people unsure how crafty they are, going home with an awesome pair of ears they made themselves … I haven't had a failed student yet!”

“Personalised for You” can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Janettebutrym.

“I am just a girl doing what I love and loving that people love me doing it,” Butrym said.