Louvenia Lillard holds up two of the many little girl's pageant dresses she sells in her business Tender Love Fashions located at 308 North Ozark. Lillard opened her business in November of 1998.She does sewing and alterations for the public. The store also rents wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, prom and pageant dresses. (Democrat photo/Ruth Ann Estes)

Louvenia Lillard sewed her first dress at the age of 11 and hasn't looked back since.

An expert seamstress, she has sewn for the public since 1982. She has owned and operated Tender Love Fashions in Trumann since November of 1998 doing sewing and alterations and renting wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, prom and pageant dresses.

Lillard also plans weddings and offers many other wedding items for sale in her shop located at 308 North Ozark.

She sews for area cheerleading squads and also offers cheerleading uniforms for little girls.

A native of Poinsett County, Lillard grew up in Marked Tree, Lepanto and Harrisburg.

She is the daughter of the late Woodrow and Gracie Pulley.

"My dad had a fruit stand in Trumann on Highway 63," she said. "He used to peddle fruit all over town."

Louvenia Lillard moved back to Poinsett County from Texas in 1982.

Lillard didn't become a Trumann resident until she returned to Arkansas from Texas.

"I had lived in Texas for one year," she said. "While I lived in Texas, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1981. I underwent a modified radical mastectomy."

Her kids were 10 and 12 at the time. She decided to move to Trumann to live near her parents.

Her cancer has been in remission since then. From 1982 until 1998 she worked out of her home doing many types of sewing projects for the public. She first operated her business in the building housing Wedding Fantasies on Highway 463.

She bought her current building on North Ozark from Johnny Moss.

"We made major repairs to the building," she said. "In fact, the city was getting ready to condemn the building."

The building and land are listed as Springfield Lumber Company property on the deed of sale. The building has been used as a service station and as a church in past years.

Becoming a seamstress was an easy transition, she says.

"My grandmother and my mothers were both seamstresses," she said. "I made my first dress when I was 11 and it turned out so well, I was able to actually wear it. And I've been sewing ever since."

Tender Love Fashions offers wedding announcements and other types of announcements. The store also provides napkins, jewelry and other types of accessories. Lillard sews bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses and also rents wedding attire. She sews prom and pageant dresses as well as rents them from the store's stock of dresses.

"I specialize in sewing," she said. "I take on many types of seamstress work. I sew for a lot of people in town."

Lillard said she makes curtains and takes on other sewing projects as well.

Lillard also worked in several Poinsett County factories before going to work for herself.

She has been married to Jerry Lillard for 20 years. She has three children from her first marriage: Lester Herod, Velina Detect and John Daniel Herod, all of Trumann. She also has four grandchildren, Ryan Herod, Kammellia Montgomery, Dylan Montgomery and John Dalton Herod.

Lillard says she stays busy with Tender Love Fashions.

"I love sewing and enjoy the variety of projects I work with," she said.

She also does wedding flowers and has, at times, planned whole weddings.

Tender Love Fashions is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. For further information about the business and the service it offers, contact Lillard at 483-1448.