From the shack to the sewing machine — meet the woman behind DX-Threads

Lori KB2HZI traded shifts at the hospital for a machine that stitches callsigns. Here's why — and what she's building for the ham radio community.

By Lori KB2HZI · April 2026 · 4 min read

If you know the name W2RE, you probably know Ray — one of the most respected operators in the ham radio community, with a presence on the bands that's hard to miss. What you might not know is that behind the shack, there's been a nurse, a ham herself, and now an entrepreneur quietly building something new.

That's me. I'm Lori, KB2HZI, and a little while ago I made a decision that surprised even the people closest to me: I went part-time at the hospital and launched DX-Threads.

Why "DX"?

Anyone in the hobby knows what DX means — that long-distance contact, the thrill of reaching somewhere far. It felt like the right name for something built from inside the community, for the community. But DX-Threads is also about the craft of embroidery itself: precise, deliberate, built stitch by stitch. The double meaning felt right.

I wanted to make something hams would actually be proud to wear — not generic gear with a callsign slapped on it, but pieces where the design itself speaks the language of the hobby.

The S-meter sweatshirt below is a good example of that. The needle, the scale, the dB markings — it's a design that means something specific if you know the bands. That kind of detail is what DX-Threads is all about.

Custom S-meter design for N4RCW Ricky — every marking embroidered by hand.

Call sign hats — your identity, on your head

The most popular item so far has been our custom call sign hats. Every hat is made to order — your callsign, your colors, your design. The USA Flag series has been especially popular, with bold embroidery that holds up at Field Day, hamfests, and everything in between.

AL1G — Corliss in Anchorage, Alaska, with her cat Mason. No two orders are the same.

That AL1G hat for Corliss in Anchorage is one of my favorites — she wanted her cat Mason worked into the design, and the result is exactly the kind of personal, joyful piece I love making. No two orders are the same, and that's the point.

Not a ham? That's perfectly fine. DX-Threads embroiders for everyone — clubs, teams, small businesses, families, pet lovers, you name it. If you can imagine it, we can stitch it.

Made for hams, by hams

There's something different about ordering from someone who actually understands the hobby. I know what an S-meter is. I know why your callsign matters to you. I know what it means to be part of this community — Ray and I have lived it for years.

When you order from DX-Threads, you're not filling out a form on a mass-production website. You're working with someone who gets it, who cares about the details, and who wants the finished piece to make you smile every time you put it on.

Going part-time at the hospital wasn't a small decision. But watching the first few orders come in, seeing people wear something I made — something that represents their callsign, their hobby, their identity — made it an easy one to stand behind.