Sew Much More

Michelle Minner is the owner of Blue Roof Cabin Upholstery, located in Washington state. She’s a solopreneur, specializing in residential furniture reupholstery. Michelle fell into the upholstery trade by accident. As a DIY blogger looking for a project she decided to try her hand at reupholstering an old chair and fell in love with the transformation process. Self-taught, Michelle is passionate about sharing knowledge and supporting fellow upholsterers. She loves to share upholstery tips on her YouTube channel and Instagram stories. She is currently a Virtual Instructor for FLC training systems.  You can find Michelle on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Links and Resources; Michelle's article in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest The Funky Little Chair You're A Bad Ass by Jen Sincero   Atomic Habits by James Clear   Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design  by Amanda Brown, Grace Bonney    Singer book by Steve Cone   Podcasts Brene Brown Jennifer Allwood   The Sew Much More Podcast is spons

Karen Barnes is the former owner of The Elegant Window.  She owned her business for.  years.  She is now retired and is sharing her journey with us. The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Links and Resources; Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow Podcast Episode #60 - Karen Barnes - I Was Like A Sponge Michele Williams - Scarlet Thread Consulting Pricing Without Emotion

Nancy Sargent is the owner of Cobani Bleu. A creative upholstery business whose mission is The Art of Sitting Soft, a tagline inspired by her mom. The ‘sit soft’ philosophy is all about gathering with family and friends, to be enveloped in a warm, nurturing and comfortable environment. The goal of Cobani Bleu is to always create furniture that sits soft.   After spending way too much time in corporate America, she took early retirement and has never looked back. Her passion is artisan textiles. Combining grain sacks and mudcloths, quilts, woolen blankets, and leather hides with more traditional fabrics to create bespoke furniture.   Nancy does client work as well as designs and sells her own unique furnishings on Etsy. She is a proud member of the National Upholstery Association. As a firm believer of there is always something new to learn, she teaches one-on-one upholstery out of her she shop in Nashville, TN.   Nancy is on Facebook and Instagram.   Links and Resources; (I do use some affiliate links)   The

Donna Redmond is the owner of Undercover Sewing.  She has been a member of WCAA since 2016 and participates in ongoing professional education.  Donna loves to work with both to the trade interior designers and local homeowners.  Donna is always striving to provide high-quality window treatments, cushions, and/or pillows that transform a house into a special place for special people.  You are special! Links and Resources; 30 Minutes with Workroom Tech - Mentoring Association of Sewing and Design Professionals Women's Business Association of Maryland Susan Woodcock's Craftsy Classes Custom Workroom Conference Window Covering Association of America Comfortex Workroom Tours on the Library Ann Johnson's books on swags Susan Woodcock's book M'Fay manuals Kim's Upholstery Calendly EZ Pleat   The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consu

Whitney Kaufman is the owner of Whitney Kaufman Designs in Grand Rapids, MI.  Whitney is a busy wife and mother of four teenagers. As a teacher turned stay-at-home-mom she began sewing shortly after her oldest daughter was born, and for years she enjoyed sewing Halloween costumes for her brood. Over the years she tried her hand at making both Roman shades and quilts. At the suggestion of some friends, she began looking into ways to turn her passion for sewing and decorating into a career. In December 2020 she opened Whitney Kaufman Designs. Whitney quickly jumped on the opportunity to join the 2021 WAM group and credits the group with helping her to build her business.   Links and Resources; Sailrite The Workroom Channel Elki's class Rowley EZ rig system Laurie Gutberlet's podcast The Funky Little Chair Boxed Cushion Course Workroom Tech Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades, and Top Treatments: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Installing Window Decor by Susan Woodcock The Slipcover Maker Business Gui

  The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Jonathan Bennet, owner of Unsprung Upholstery is originally from Martinsville, VA.  He caught the sewing bug from his great grandmother at a young age. He moved to Richmond, VA on a whim in August of 1989 and earned a BFA in Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. Directly after graduation, Jonathan taught in the Fashion Design department as an adjunct professor for 13 years. He started his first workroom job in 1997, learned how to make various types of window treatments, cushions, pillows, and more;  since then, he has done freelance workroom client projects in his home for over 25 years. Jonathan opened Unsprung Upholstery LLC in August 2019 and will continue this beautiful journey for the rest of his life!   Website:  Unsp

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   I hope this year is off to a great start for you!  Happy 22! Links and Resources; Gretchen Rubin's 22 in 22 pdf

In what has become our annual tradition, Michele Williams and I spend some time together discussing this past year, our plans for next year, and what great books we have read. I hope you enjoy today's podcast.   Links and Resources Scarlet Thread Consulting   Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team  by Scott Jeffrey Miller, Todd Davis, Victoria Roos Olsson   The Vision Driven Leader: 10 Questions to Focus Your Efforts, Energize Your Team, and Scale Your Business by Michael Hyatt   Get Different: Marketing That Can't Be Ignored! Kindle Edition by Mike Michalowicz   Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt   The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals Kindle Edition by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling, Scott Thele, Beverly Walker    Getting Things Done by David Allen   Atomic Habits by James Clear   Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Hardcover – April 3, 2012 by Gin

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Debbie DiFrancesco, who has been sewing since the age of 7, founded Creative Hands in 1990 to supplement the family income.  Initially, Debbie provided general sewing and bridal alteration services while working a second job as an assistant manager/Craft Department Manager at House of Fabrics/So-Fro Fabrics until 1991.  Two years later, Creative Hands transitioned from alterations to exclusively fabricating window treatments and selling hard treatments.  Soon after, in 1997, Debbie attended courses at the Professional Drapery Workroom School, later known as the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Swannanoa, NC under Cheryl Strickland.  Since then, she has participated in the Custom Home Furnishings Conferences and International Window Coveri

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association     Dennis Locke is a 3rd generation furniture upholsterer in Greenville, Tx. Serving the Dallas area. He came into the family business as a child, and has doing it professionally for over 40 years. Dennis took over the business in ‘97, when his mother passed. He does commercial and residential furniture, as well as specializing in repair and foam replacement.  You can find Dennis at Payne's Upholstery.  For some insight into Dennis's writing ability, be sure to visit his About Us Page.

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Theresa Harmon is a graphic designer turned one-woman drapery and soft furnishings workroom. She loves transforming beautiful fabric into custom creations not found in the mass retail market. Theresa works with retail clients, a handful of decorators, and her daughter Lee, owner/designer at Contented Interiors, and her other daughter Nivette who is her project manager. Her husband is her admin, on-site measurer, foam cutter, bookkeeper and tax man. Theresa grew up with an artistic mother who kept her supplied with a plethora of arts and crafts kits. She learned to sew at summer camp and through middle school home ec classes and have had a love affair with sewing and fabric ever since. Her high school guidance counselor didn't have an answer f

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Susan Souza grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, NY. She went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC after finishing high school. She was petrified to be going to school in the big city, but she got used to it and loved the whole atmosphere of being in the fashion world. Susan landed a job as an assistant designer in a children’s wear firm in the garment center. She had no idea what her future held for her. Susan went on vacation to Bermuda and that is where she met my future husband. She got married and moved to Bermuda. When she got there thought "what am I supposed to do now – there weren’t any jobs to be had in fashion design." Susan made all of her own clothes which included making the patterns. Years later she found myself w

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Carol Blow is the owner of a retail workroom – CMB Designs, LLC -- located in Richmond, Virginia. She started her business in 2018. Carol learned to sew at an early age. Her zest for learning new techniques, combined with a can-do attitude, provided the foundation for her business … along with years of experience! Creating custom items gives her great joy and satisfaction. Carol has been a member of WCAA since 2019 and currently serves as Vice President of the local Richmond Chapter.   Links and Resources; Donna Skufis  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   Kristin Speyer started Red Head Sewing LLC ten years ago in the Texas Hillcountry. She works to the trade, and has a core group of designers that keep the sewing machines running furiously. There is currently a small team of two other workers, and plans for expansion are underway. Kristin and her husband have been married for 22 years and spend their downtime mountain biking, traveling, and trying to outsmart their dogs. She also has a passion for books, friends, and office supplies. https://www.redheadsewing.com/ https://www.instagram.com/redheadsewing/   Links and Resources; (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and I am grateful if you choose to use my links.) Jenny Lawson - Furiously Happy, A Funny Book About Horrible Things The

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Terry Sandlin has been a part of the soft furnishing industry since 1992.  Starting in a 1 person workroom, 1 day a week, making cording & ruffles.  In 2007 she and her husband relocated to Birmingham, Ala, where she opened Terry’s Designing Windows.  Terry was a member of the WCAA Birmingham Chapter and served as Secretary for 2 years before they disbanded. Terry was a winner of the 2018 Artisan Project, Demonstrator in the Construction Zone of the 2019 IWCE Conference, and was slotted to demonstrate in the 2020 IWCE -newly named- Workroom Central before it was rescheduled.  She was also selected to be an Instructor for the 2021 Custom Workroom Conference. Terry is on Facebook, Instagram Here is the link to Terry's article in the Draper

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association In today's podcast, I am talking about paying attention to what we have accomplished, not just what we have to do!   Links and Resources; The episode with Sarah Devaney O'Neil    

In this Opportunity Thinking Series of the Podcast, Cynthia Bleskachek of The Funky Little Chair shares the journey of creating the education necessary for today's upholsterer and what it means for the industry. Links and Resources; Previous podcasts with Cynthia; #45 Cynthia Bleskachek - A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships #199 - Cynthia Bleskachek - I'm Having A Wobble! Procrastinate On Purpose 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time Rory Vaden CSFRL Circle Time Video on Lean Manufacturing with Jeanelle Dech (Please note, this video is for PRO Plus Members of the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library)   As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and I am grateful if you choose to use my links.

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   I enjoyed talking with Cheryl so much and I recently noticed that she has moved her location and I thought it would be fun to listen to her again!

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association Cathy and Mark Schulz own Silk Mountain Creations of Carmel, Indiana.  Cathy started the business in 2001 and Mark joined her a little later.  They have built the business from there and have built an award-winning business.   Links and Resources; The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   Michelle Moldowan of C'est Jolie Designs styles inspiring spaces, makes houses feel like homes, and owns and operates a custom drapery workroom in Castle Rock, CO. She delights in walking alongside homeowners as they plan and execute home projects from minor changes to whole house remodeling, as well as designing and fabricating bespoke window treatments across the country.   Using a design process carefully cultivated over 10 years in the industry, Michelle prides herself on listening carefully to homeowners to truly understand their lifestyle and design a space that not only meets theirs needs but tells their unique story. Michelle promises to have something on her Instagram account!   Links and Resources; A Well Designed Business Podcast Elki's Roman Sh