EAGAN, Minn. - The woman who makes sure Minnesota Vikings players are looking their best for game day has officially retired her sewing machine.
On Friday, beloved seamstress Penny Bryce was all smiles as 21-year-old rookie and new Cornerback Mike Hughes showed off his jersey, Penny's last piece of work for the team.
Bryce started with the team in 1969, after learning the skill from her great aunt.
Bryce owns Hopkins Garment Lettering Service, and she says her hands and arms are not as strong as they use to be. Come the end of May, she plans to pack up her shop and enjoy retirement.
She says she would stitch last names on at least 400 jerseys a season.
She shared with KARE 11 some of the trickiest names.
"Guggemos, long time ago; and Igwebuike, Donald was his first name, a kicker; Zaunbrecher, long one. Williams got misspelled," she said. "And it missed everybody.”
She's giving credit to the owners of an old store in Hopkins called Kokesh, and her great-aunt who got her involved with the Vikings and inspired her to make sewing a career.
"That was the philosophy of my great aunt, you can go into so many facets with sewing," she said.
Bryce says she and her family have had great experiences with the Vikings, from access to the football field to meeting some of the players. But above all she says there's one thing she'll miss the most.
"The people," she said. "There have been so many people."
Teammates, friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Bryce plans to spend more time golfing and fishing.
The Vikings are now having the jerseys done by a company in Pine City.
Bryce was the Vikings' seamstress for 49 years.
Congrats Penny!
