I've had a long career in the fashion/sewing/ design industry starting in New York State, then South Florida, and now in Western North Carolina. I always knew that sewing and designing were to be my profession and I started that journey when I was a freshman in high school when I would do alterations for my father and he actually paid me! I used to dye old white cotton sheets with Rit dye in my mother's washing machine, then make shirts for lots of my friends, girls and guys alike! And I even made shirts for my vice principal for his vacation trip to Hawaii! Well all that got me on my way........

  While still living in my hometown of Elmira, NY after graduating high school, I was hired by a family that owned two of the best menswear and ladieswear stores  downtown where I was in charge of all the fittings and alterations for the ladies store and occasionally helped out with the menswear tailoring orders. But it was there in the menswear store that I received some wonderful training and encouragement to continue on my  path and I eventually went to school after a big move to S. Florida, and received some proper training for fashion design and patternmaking which I excelled in. I was already an accomplished seamstress and dressmaker with a reputation of neat and precise sewing, while gaining more and more experience in custom sewing, high end fashion alterations, design and fitting to perfection!

  After completing fashion design courses, I immediately upleveled my employment situation and was hired as sample maker/ pattern tweaker for a design salon in Palm Beach, Fl and then on to a couture bridal salon in Boca Raton, Fl. doing the same. Then I decided to enter the theatrical costume profession and things got interesting.....

 

  Here's what I did next:

 

  For Footlights Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale Fl., designed and constructed 16th c. costumes for their debut production of As Fate Would Have It.

 

  For Broward Stage Door in Coral Springs Fl as their contracted in-house costume designer and coordinator, created for musicals such as Falsettoland, Sweet and Hot, Swingin' On A Star, My Favorite Year, Swingtime Canteen, Sweet Charity, Company, A Chorus Line, Victor/Victoria and many more.

 

  For Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, Fl. as their contracted in-house designer and coordinator designed for shows such as Mornings At Seven, Enchanted April, Take Me Out, Stones In His Pockets, The Loman Family Picnic, Modern Orthodox  and Where's Charley.

 

  Then I moved to Asheville, NC in 2006 and found a whole community filled with amazing fiber artists and people who respected and needed my talents in patternmaking and sewing. Wow! I hit the jackpot! So I started an in-home custom sewing and patternmaking/design development business that I am still busy with. I also landed a part-time job at Waechter's Fine Fabrics when it was on Charlotte St. which helped things along tremendously. It was there that I met several fiber artists and professionals , one of which is Kate Mathews from Folkwear Patterns and Folkwear.com. She hired me to design the not-in-print (maybe not ever!) Chinese Hanfu, #268 Metropolitan Suit, #270 Metro Middy Blouse and #142 Old Mexico Dress. What an honor to make patterns for a commercial sewing pattern company and an opportunuty to provide precision, well executed pattern designs to the world! I really put my sewing and design experience to the test after having so many instances with other commercial pattern company's patterns not sewing together well. Every complaint I've ever had with those companies, I tried to work it out in Folkwear to make it easier for  home stitchers to happily and successfully sew together the pieces and have good results. Hope it worked!

  I have also been very privileged to contract work for Libby O'Bryan at Western Carolina Sewing Company through The Oriole Mill in Hendersonville, NC as an everything kind of person: on site contract sewing, product development, even making ginormous draperies for their beautiful tall ceilinged showroom. I was also asked to participate for the filming of Craft In America's Industry segment in which The Oriole Mill and WCSewCo were featured. Aired in May of 2014.

  Then I became a member of Local Cloth, an organization focused on creating strong links in the farm to fiber to fashion chain within a 100 mile radius of Asheville, NC. This organization is exceptional at providing the inspiring atmoshere in which long term collaborative creative partnerships amongst it's members can thrive. So in it's first year Local Cloth organized a runway show entitled Project Handmade in 2012, in which over thirty designs exhibited on models who walked the runway at the Asheville Art Museum. And it was through Local Cloth that I met Karen Donde, and together we created a suit dubbed Roman's Holiday, named after the alpaca (Roman) who contributed his fiber to to be spun into yarn to be woven into fabric to be made into a wearable garment.

  Then we did it again in 2014 for Local Cloth's second Project Handmade show. But this time the collaboration encompassed the two weavers from Sutherland Handweaving Studio, Karen Donde and Barb Butler. For Karen, I designed and sewed the Monk's Belt Peplum Dress, woven by Karen. And for Barb, I designed and sewed a Swing Coat to die for! Woven by Barb with wool, silk and rayon yarn. Such happy and successful projects! In 2016, Local Cloth is doing it again. I wonder what will be created this time?

  So now that brings things up to current time. I've enjoyed designing and sewing for so long I feel it's a mission of mine to provide opportunities to my local fiber arts community and its growing number of fashion designers for learning and expressing themselves creatively while also focusing on quality craftsmanship. So an additional phase of my career now is teaching pattern making and its precise nature, as well as couture sewing techniques, to the many interested creatives who seek me out. I feel very privileged to be of service in this way......

 

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