Sew Much More

Springwood Upholstery started when Theda Hadden went shopping for the perfect fabric for window treatments and pillows for her first house. Everyone who walked into her house asked “Where did you get your window treatments?” and were surprised to hear that she made them. The upholstery part came later, when on a whim she picked up a lovely wing chair from a used furniture store. The chair sat in her house for a few years until she started dating her (now) husband and told him how she wanted to recover the chair herself. His reply was “I have all of the tools if you need them. My grandmother used to reupholster furniture.” After finishing her first chair, which sits in her living room today, she was hooked. Theda started making custom window treatments and reupholstering furniture for friends and family. Today, she owns a to-the-trade and retail upholsterer and soft furnishings workroom.   You can find Theda on Facebook and Instagram.   

The podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Kristin Nicholas is an all-around creative artist who works with paint, yarn thread, fabric, clay and more.  Throughout her work, her love of color and pattern is the cohesive element that gives the definitive style to her interior decoration, paintings, ceramics and needlework.  Kristin is an avid gardner and her love of flowers and nature inspires much of her work.  She lives on Leyden Glen Farm, a working sheep farm in Western Massachusetts with her husband Mark and daughter Julia.   Kristin was the creative director of a yarn company for sixteen years.  She has appeared on PBS's Knit and Crochet Now! for many seasons and has appeared on Martha Stewart TV and many DIY television shows.  She teaches various subjects online on the Creativebug and Craftsy platforms.  She is the author of numerous books. Links Kristin Nicholas Designs   Kristin Nicholas Designs Facebook  Instagram Paint Magic by Jacosta Innes Apartment T

Tracie N. Bresnahan The owner of Custom Creations   Tracie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Engineering and a Master’s degree in Quality Assurance Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University. She worked in the apparel and the consumer products industries for 12 years. Tracie opened Custom Creations in 1996, fabricating custom window treatments and accessories. With her engineering background, she has built a business specializing in one of a kind and challenging design solutions for clients; such as custom cornice boards, headboards, ottomans, draperies, valances, bedding, pillows, etc. Tracie’s work has been seen in publications such as Southern Living, Jezebel, Better Homes and Gardens and Kid’s Rooms. Collaborating with her on some of her projects is her husband Brian, who has a degree in Architectural Engineering. He is a huge asset in designing and building custom projects with her for clients. Member – Window Coverings Assoc. of America (WCAA) 10+ years Atlanta Chapter Publicity Chairpers

This episode of the Opportunity Thinking Series is recorded live with members of PUAM - The Professional Upholsterers Association of Minnesotapuam.  Moderated by Jeanelle Dech at The Funky Little Chair in St. Paul, Minnesota, we discuss the loss of education, the need for more and hope for the future upholsterers!   We mentioned; Steve's Book - Singer Upholstery Basics Plus

The Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Peggy Morgans is the owner of Parkway Window Works, a custom drapery workroom serving the interior design trade in Upstate New York. She has a chemical engineering degree and an MBA. Peggy brings her analytical and problem-solving skills to the drapery world and is known for tackling complex and technically difficult projects.  In 2008, Peggy shared an award for best workmanship and execution in DW&C magazine’s Designer & Workroom contest. In 2011, Peggy won an award for ingenuity and workmanship in Vision Window Fashion’s workroom competition. She is an active member of the Western NY chapter of WCAA and served on the WCAA national board in 2016/2017. Peggy has taught nationally at the 2007 D&WC conference, 2009 and 2011 Custom Sewing Institute’s Creative Camp, and the 2011 and 2012 WCAA Inspire conferences. You can find Peggy on Facebook.    On the Podcast we talked about; LuAnn Nigar's Podcast - A Well De

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Melissa Hammann is the owner of Riviera Décor a high-end retail and wholesale custom workroom that also specializes in outdoor décor. She resides in Corpus Christi, Texas a resort coastal town located off the gulf coast of south Texas where she lives with her husband and four children Melissa is the recent recipient of the 2018 IWCA/Visions Award for first place in Curtains and Draperies Workroom competition. Her work has been published numerous times in local media and trade magazines. She holds a Master of Science degree and Bachelor of Business Degree, from Texas A&M along with design training at the New York Institute of Art and Design and twelve certificates from the Custom Home Furnishings Academy located in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a member of the Window Coverings Association of America- Virtual Chapter, wherein she serves on the executive board as Vice President of the Window Coverings

The Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Today's podcast is a solo podcast, and I share some of the lessons I have learned while learning to podcast.   I hope you will reach out to me on my Facebook page and tell me something that you have learned from listening to the Podcast.     I mentioned Carol Dweck's book The Growth Mindset

  Episode 3 of the Opportunity Thinking Series is an interview with Kitty Stein, author of Price Your Work With Confidence.  Ann K. Johnson is now the publisher of the book and she joins us in an entertaining conversation with Kitty.  It is a little bit difficult for me to comprehend not thinking about window treatments or our industry on a daily basis, but that is what retirement looks like for Kitty now! Encompassing a career of 30 years in the Window Covering Industry, Kitty became a highly respected personality who wore many hats as an entrepreneur: Soft covering designer and fabricator, some of which appeared in national magazines and local designer show houses; sole proprietor workroom to the trade; partnership owning a retail decorating business and wholesale workroom; employer of decorators and workroom fabricators; monthly columnist for two prominent magazines to the trade, wrote well over 200 articles spanning 13 years; seminar presenter; teacher and development assistant to the original window co

The Podcast is Sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Sharon Gizzi is the owner of Styles by Sharon, a custom drapery workroom located in Richmond, Virginia.  She has been creating exquisitely crafted window treatments and bedding, with a conscious attention to detail and outstanding customer service, since 1999.  She learned to sew from her mom, who was a custom dressmaker, at age 5.  Sharon graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising and a Master's degree in Clothing and Textiles.  She pursued a career in retail sales, management, and buying, from Blacksburg, Virginia, to Richmond, to Washington, DC.     Sharon started attending industry conferences in 1999, her first one being Cheryl Strickland's Sew What Conference and has attended many since then.  She has been published in the Sew What newsletter and Richmond House Trends magazine.  She joined WCAA in 2001 and has served as president, vice president, and treasurer of the local R

The Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA   A Chick & A Chair started when Lindsay Orwig kept bringing home wonderful vintage furniture that needed new fabric. Always creative and hands-on, she decided that upholstery was something she wanted to try on her own. She grabbed every book she could put her hands on and scoured the internet for videos and blogs telling her how to upholster. Throughout this time, Lindsay was working on the pieces at home, and posting pictures of them to her personal page on Facebook. Eventually, friends began to notice her work, and one friend decided to take a chance on this do-it-yourselfer, and actually paid Lindsay to reupholster some chairs for her! But they weren't just any chairs - they had belonged to her friend's grandmother, and they were special. They had a story. Lindsay was hooked. From then on, she realized she had found her calling, and A Chick & A Chair was born in 2016. Lindsay now enjoys specializing in chairs w

    The Workroom Channel,  Scarlet Thread Consulting,  The WCAA      Kristen and John Vince are the owners of Custom Elegance a to the trade drapery and upholstery Workroom located in central Florida. Their work has been seen in the Wall Street Journal, Design Bureau, and MCBC builders. They are current members of WCAA. After marrying and moving to Florida Kristen started her home-based business decorating and fabricating window treatments for vacation homes. Later she bought an upholstery shop with a small showroom and moved her business to a commercial location. Five years later, after more than 22 years with a Fortune 500 company, John was laid off as a result of the recession and joined Kristen full time. They have now transitioned their business to strictly fabrication and installation. They provide services to both residential and commercial decorators and have clients throughout the state of Florida and the U.S.   You can find Custom Elegance on Facebook, Instagram. 

The Opportunity Thinking Podcasts are sponsored by;       On Today’s podcast, Vita Vygovska, Jeanelle Dech, and Sue Fresconi talk about business growth. we talk about the decision to grow or not and how many factors and decisions are involved.  There is a lot to take in today Vita shares her growth risk analysis where she lists and ranks the pros and cons of the adding employees as a path for expanding her business. If you haven’t listened to Vita’s first podcast with me, number 63 be sure to listen to that as well.  We refer to a spreadsheet that Vita put together and if you go to http://www.curtainsandsoftfurnishingspro.org/ you can get a copy of the spreadsheet for free.    Jeanelle Dech is President and Co-Founder of Adaptive Textiles, an innovative textile printing company in West Chester, PA. She is a friendly and engaging speaker, known for her Fit-Like-a-Glove slipcovers, SPEED sewing method, and workroom profitability training. She is the creative inspiration behind The Workroom Channel's METHOD SHA

 Ruth Zahler started Connecting Threads Inc in November 1998, serving interior designers in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. In 2008 the business went through substantial growth and thus creating the need for her husband Dan to join her in the business. This growth came about when they decided to venture into bringing commercial fabrication to the business. Ruth and Dan have been serving design firms that design interiors for senior living facilities. Creating custom window treatments and more for senior facilities all over the country. Servicing projects that were in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and their home-based state of Minnesota. Connecting Threads has been featured in Vision Magazine WFV-Sep/Oct 2011 for an article on Color Blocking using programs like Minutes Matter and Dream Draper. And, featured in Vision Magazine as fabricator for Draped in Luxury in October of 2008. Ruth is active in the industry as being a current member of WCAA Virtual C

The Sew Much More Podcast is brought to you by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Jennifer Assetto is the owner of In The Fringe, LLC, a to the trade atelier in Havertown, PA.  At In the Fringe, they believe that to live well one must have both awareness and an appreciation for the details surrounding them. For example, a dress or a swag cut on the bias will drape more beautifully than one cut on the straight grain. Fresh cut flowers can bring the outdoors in, adding fragrance and color to an interior décor. Food arranged artfully on a plate can elevate a meal to a fine dining experience. Or, the “attention to detail” that the staff pays at a hotel can improve the overall comfort of a guest’s stay.   You can find Jen on; Facebook  Instagram Houzz  Pinterest   Links; The Feminine Mistake The Happier Podcast The app we mentioned was Measures Light.

The Sew Much More Podcast is brought to you by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Jennifer Assetto is the owner of In The Fringe, LLC, a to the trade atelier in Havertown, PA.  At In the Fringe, they believe that to live well one must have both awareness and an appreciation for the details surrounding them. For example, a dress or a swag cut on the bias will drape more beautifully than one cut on the straight grain. Fresh cut flowers can bring the outdoors in, adding fragrance and color to an interior décor. Food arranged artfully on a plate can elevate a meal to a fine dining experience. Or, the “attention to detail” that the staff pays at a hotel can improve the overall comfort of a guest’s stay.   You can find Jen on; Facebook  Instagram Houzz  Pinterest   Links; The Feminine Mistake The Happier Podcast The app we mentioned was Measures Light.  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA       Working as an interior designer, drapery workroom, and upholsterer for over 20 years Jill Ragan Scully, owner of Impressive Windows & Interiors, LLC,  has a strong passion for the soft furnishing industry. This diverse skill set is apparent in each space in which she designs for the clients in which she has the pleasure of working.  Jill has been a fixture within the WFCP program for eight years teaching design and workroom of classes at both IWCE as well as online. She recognized the need for access to a broader range of products and services for her peers, so Jill founded My Designer Concierge, a buying group for the soft furnishing industry. She recently expanded these efforts by providing valuable business services such as digital newsletters and affordable websites exclusively for her peers. Jill also works as the content manager for Drapery & Design Digital Digest, seeking articles and

  This episode of the Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;    The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library   OPPORTUNITY THINKING- Episode #1 Jeanelle Dech talks about the launch of the Curtains & Soft Resource Library and introduces RISK as uncertainty, with both a negative and positive potential outcome. Jeanelle Dech is President and Co-Founder of Adaptive Textiles, an innovative textile printing company in West Chester, PA. She is a friendly and engaging speaker, known for her Fit-Like-a-Glove slipcovers, SPEED sewing method, and workroom profitability training. She is the creative inspiration behind The Workroom Channel's METHOD SHARE and REAL WORKROOM series and the new Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library which hosts the industry's largest collection of educational resources for Home Decor Professionals. Here is a link to "The Growth Mindset" by Carol Dweck. Here is a link to a Youtube regarding Risk.  In this PM Channel interview, David Hillson (The Risk Doctor) discusses wit

The Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Zona began her business in 1981 after her family moved to the Des Moines metro area from her hometown. Before moving to Des Moines she worked in a furniture store workroom for 9 months, where she learned how to make custom pleated drapes, which was the trend back then. Patterns for swags and Kingstons weren’t available to her back then, so she self-taught herself to draft patterns for top treatments. Zona later added upholstery and slipcovers to her repertoire. Her business has evolved over the years, starting out to the trade only, then retail, now back to mainly to the trade again. She has had up to 3 employees working with her and also her husband as an installer, but now it’s just her, which she prefers. Zona’s Drapery House is an award-winning workroom. Zona has taught at many of the conferences available for workrooms. She was an instructor at the Custom Home Academy. She is a member of WCAA and served on the boar

The Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   Callie is the owner of Draped and Tailored, a new fabrication studio in Little Rock, AR. Working specifically with the Trade, she creates everything from draperies and pillows, to bedding and Roman shades. By the age of 30, she had several upscale projects in her portfolio, including the Arkansas Governor's Mansion and country music star, Justin Moore. She is also the curator of @fdworkrooms, an Instagram account where she showcases the work of fellow drapery and upholstery workrooms across the world.    She is a member of the WCAA where she serves on the Education Committee. With a focus on the Young Professionals Initiative, she has a desire to bring a new generation into this industry.    Callie has an Interior Design degree from the University of Central Arkansas.   Follow Callie on Facebook and Instagram.  

Pamela Ptak is a couture fashion designer, owner of Ptak Couture and co-founder of the Arts and Fashion Institute in Riegelsville PA & a designer on Lifetime TV’s Project Runway season 7. During Pamela’s casting, Tim Gunn called her work “...among the most beautifully constructed clothes I’ve ever seen” and said, “I think you are on the cusp of something big.” Pamela can be found on Facebook and Instagram. The podcast is sponsored by; Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel The WCAA