CHARLOTTE, N.C. — She may be unknown to many, but you see her work on display every single game during both the NBA and NFL season.
Phyllis Dempsey is the sole seamstress and embellisher for both the Charlotte Hornets and the Carolina Panthers. A dream come true for a lifelong Hornets fan.
"I would've never in a million years thought when I was sitting in those stands back in the 90's," Dempsey said. "That I would one day be doing their jerseys."
Her love for sewing started at a young age along with the Charlotte Hornets, ever since the team's inception in North Carolina.
"I remember going to the games in the original arena and wondering who worked on those jerseys and who did that work," Dempsey said. "And to be doing that myself is kind of surreal."
Phyllis learned the ropes from watching her mother behind the sewing machine over the years, but still couldn't shake her love for NBA hoops. She later pursued a career in clothing and textile merchandising at Appalachian State University, until one day she and her passion for the Hornets were finally stitched together.
Dempsey started her own business selling embroidery, and eventually met a customer who introduced her to the Hornets organization.
"My first jersey that I did was with Adam Morrison," Dempsey said. "In fact I have a picture of my son wearing the first jersey I did. I loved the Hornets and always followed them closely."
Dempsey has worked with the Hornets for now thirteen seasons, stitching and sewing every jersey for the entire roster. A craft perfected over the years.
"It's not just the things you see on the outside, but it's the things you see the inside of the jersey," The Hornets seamstress said. "If someone were to turn your item that you're making, inside out, is it made as well on the inside as it is on the outside?"
The simple answer would be yes.
Dempsey has never made a mistake when crafting together hundreds of jerseys every season (around 250-300 each year), although she has had her moments of anxiety.
"I am constantly concerned will I misspell one? That is one of my biggest fears," Dempsey said. "On draft night, whenever the team selects a new player I just hope it is a short last name and a single digit."
After twelve seasons with the Hornets, her work impressed the Carolina Panthers so much, they decided to bring her on board as well.
"I do a lot of the alterations to the pants and jerseys and it requires me to be very creative," Dempsey said. "I have to figure out a way to make whatever that player wants, happen. Whether they want their shirt tighter, their pants shorter, it needs to get done."
When trades are made, she is one of the first to know and gets right to work crafting the new jersey. A woman working diligently behind closed doors, at times 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, whose final product is seen by the thousands.
"I'm a perfectionist, and I make sure that when it leaves my hand it's perfect," Dempsey said. "That is the stress, the pressure I put on myself, to have it perfect."
And when you take a closer look at both the Hornets and Panthers jerseys, that is exactly what you will find; perfection stitched down each and every seam.