My sewing Journey began before I can remember. I was hemming tea towels, being wrapped in handmade quilts, and watching my grandmothers knit, crochet, and hook wool rugs. My mother made all of my important dresses; first communion, prom, wedding.

 

I grew up in a small Midwestern town which was known for its Ben Franklin store, affectionately known as “The Dime Store” to the locals. The fabric corner of the store, “Calico Corner,” was a quilter's haven of calico and gingham. When I wanted my mother to sew something for me, she took me there to pick a pattern out of the pattern book, locate it in the correct drawer, pick out a proper fabric, determine yardage, and choose notions. I learned so much about sewing before I ever touched a machine. Sewing was a second language that was spoken in my household. At least it was a special language spoken between my mother and I. My mother eventually let me experiment with her machine. I took Home Ec in high school, and she bought me my own heavy green metal Sears Kenmore machine. 

 

Since then, my sewing journey has taken many twists and turns. I love upcycling old things into new ones and my children have worn many of my experiments, from wool diaper covers fashioned out of felted sweaters from thrift stores, to prom dresses refashioned into Halloween costumes. 

 

In 2016 I found myself at the Paperhand Puppet Studio, and through a fun twist of being in the right place at the right time, they asked me to be their seamstress for the summer shows. They are my artistic heroes, so of course I accepted and have been there ever since! I also began working that year as a teacher’s assistant at The Expedition School in Hillsborough, where I have learned more about the gentle art of teaching than I have learned anywhere else. 

 

In the spring of 2019, I did my student teaching in the apparel class at Orange High School in Hillsborough, where my love of teaching others to sew really bloomed. That June, I earned a Family and Consumer Science Education degree from North Carolina Central University, where I took as many fashion and apparel classes as I could squeeze in. 

 

Since then, I've been meditating on having my own Sewing School where I can help others figure out how art, craft, creativity, and self-expression overlap and combine in their lives to create Joy. I also want to help myself and others realize radical self-expression and acceptance as a form of meditation and self-fulfillment. To me, the end product doesn't matter nearly as much as the things we learn on the way there, and the feelings that we put into it. 

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My goal is to help you learn the technical skills to bring your ideas to life and to help you find some joy along your path. I can't wait to work with you!!