PHILADELPHIA -
On the Fourth of July, it's time to meet the "flag ladies." They're the artists who sew the stars and stripes you see when the president addresses the nation.
FOX's Jamie Colby reports that these women, from varied backgrounds, take special pride in their work.
In the flag room at the Defense Logistics Agency in Philadelphia, 13 so-called "flag ladies" work stitch by stitch to make the presidential standard.
"The vice presidential and the presidential flag are very unique. It takes two ladies, sewing in tandem, 45 days to complete one flag," said Lisa Vivino, of the Defense Logistics Agency's Troop Support group.
"With the hand embroidery work, we put a little bit more love in our work," said seamstress Christine Bryant.
More love and hand sewing allows for the flag's double-sided mirror effect. There are no knots or stray threads on either side. Their appearance signals the presence of America's leader.
"It really makes you feel good when you see, you know, you see the president next to the flag. You say, 'Well, I did that,'" Bryant said.
Many of the embroiderers have been doing this job for decades.
"They're a very unique group of people," Vivino said. "Many of the ladies in the room are from outside the United States who have come here, and they just enjoy serving the president, serving the military in this very unique way."
Hue Ngyuen sketches the pattern onto the fabric before the embroidery begins. She came to this country from Vietnam in 1983 and has been a flag lady for 20 years.
"I'm proud because I'm supporting the world fighter, and I'm proud because I do something, you know, for the country," Ngyuen said.
Bryant has been stitching for presidents for 35 years. She says that, in all her years in the flag room, no sitting president has come for a visit. So, she has a message for the commander-in-chief.
"President Obama, come and see us," she said.
The ladies have made 96 flags for President Obama's administration, and it took two years to complete that order, Colby reported.
