Sew Much More

  I am so excited to share this episode with all of you!  I have now been producing this podcast for one year!  And 54 episodes and 52,000 downloads later, I'm still excited and happy to be bringing it to you every week. To celebrate, I asked my first three guests to come back on and answer some of the questions I added after I had interviewed them.  To do this, I had to relisten to the first three episodes, and I enjoyed hearing from Susan Woodcock, Michele Williams, and Donna Cash.   So listen in as I ask them the questions my newer guests have been tortured with! I made the podcast into two separate podcasts because aparently, I have added more questions than I realized! You can find Susan Woodcock at Home Dec Gal and on Facebook and her find out more about her newest venture; Workroom Tech!   Susan Woodcock owns Home Dec Gal a how-to sewing and decorating resource and custom workroom in western North Carolina, and is a Craftsy.com instructor and international speaker. She’s also worked in marketing and br

Elizabeth Gerdes is the owner of Stitch Above The Rest, LLC, a full-service retail drapery fabrication studio, in Woodstock, GA, established in 2003. Elizabeth specializes in helping clients create their vision by offering high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail in every area, from design to fabrication, to installation. Her work has been noticed and published in numerous trade and local magazines. Elizabeth has won eight VISION awards, including Workroom of the Year 2017, multiple trade competitions, and several local “Best of” votes.  Elizabeth loves a good drapery challenge and doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff. You can also find Elizabeth on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Houzz

Nancy Letts started Pine House Drapery, an award-winning full-service workroom serving interior designers in the lakeside resort communities of northwestern lower Michigan, in 2001, with her husband Rob joining the business as an upholsterer in 2008. Nancy is a CHFA Career Professional in Slipcovers, a CHFA Alumni Showcase winner in 2012, has written how-to articles for Drapery & Design Professional magazine, is a member of Drapery & Design Pro Network and has taught at the Custom Workroom Conference in 2016 & 2017. You can connect with them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.   Nancy will be teaching at Workroom Tech.  You can go to their website to sign up for classes now.  

Frances Pusch has worked with textiles in some form her entire professional career. Her training includes art school and a bachelor’s degree in textile design from Boston University. She also studied tailoring and fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). During twelve years in New York, Frances worked for two leading textile companies, had a custom tailor shop, was a pattern-maker for outerwear companies, including London Fog, and taught tailoring and pattern-making at FIT. As a business owner, she has made men’s and women’s custom suits, designed and produced a collection of women’s clothing, and later a line of gift items for dog lovers. Her sole focus, starting in 2002, has been creating fine products for home interiors. Frances keeps her business up-to-date by actively participating in online discussion groups and webinars, as well as traveling to conferences and workshops around the country. She is always searching for better techniques, resources and technology—all the while keeping

Today's podcast is a little different!  Michele Williams and I tackle the question, Why? Why is it important in our businesses and in our lives?  Why do we need to ask that before we do almost anything else? I hope you enjoy this week's podcast.  It's a little different, but different is good, right? You can find Michele at Scarlet Thread Consulting and you can join Michele's Facebook group, Build a Profitable Business for Interior Designers and Workrooms. You can order Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why from Amazon. We also mentioned Jack Canfield's The Success Principles(TM) - 10th Anniversary Edition: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be I have also mentioned, more than once or twice, Gretchen Rubin's book Better Than Before.  I loved this book and learned so much about myself (and the people I love!). And if you would like to hear more about Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why, join Sandra VanSickle's Wednesday morning book club on her Facebook page, New Tech-Style

Anna Welsh is the Founder and CEO of littlebags.BIGIMPACT, a company that hand makes clutch bags from resourced, vintage materials. littlebags.BIGIMPACT is a social impact business, with 15% of the proceeds donated to Treehouse Books, a giving library and literacy center in Philadelphia. Anna is the 2017 recipient of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Philadelphia Center for Advancing Entrepreneurs and the National Association of Women Business Owners Philadelphia Chapter. She was accepted into the 2017 Young Entrepreneurs Academy, an entrepreneurship program for middle and high school students. Anna is the youngest recipient from the YEA Philadelphia chapter to win the “Shark Tank” investor competition and her company received the largest investment in the chapter’s history. Anna went on to complete at the YEA national competition in Rochester, NY.   Anna just completed 6th grade at Welsh Valley Middle School in Gladwyne, PA. This past year, she was selected to participate in the Lower Merion Sc

For Beuancha Jeffries, it was a natural progression from many years of hand crafts, knitting, needlepoint and cross-stitch to creating her business, Soft Furnishings and Home Décor. A combined 30-year career in the Corporate manufacturing process using assembly equipment, and working in an office environment interpreting blue prints, schematics, following government standards prepared Beuancha for her passion, creating beautiful Home Decor for the home furnishings industry following professional standards and specifications and also managing a workroom.    Sew Cozy Interiors (SCI) opened its doors in June 2003 as a part time home based workroom offering pillows, bedding and draperies. Beuancha worked in her workroom at night after working her day job. In 2009, she received a retirement package from my company and she began working in her drapery workroom, Sew Cozy Interiors full time, and has never looked back.     Beuancha is a Certified Career Professional in Window Treatments, Advanced Window Treatments, P

On this podcast, we talk with some of the first time instructors who applied for and had their classes accepted for the Custom Workroom Conference.   I interviewed them both before the Conference and after.  I wanted to hear what they were excited about, what, if anything they were nervous about and then how they felt after they taught.   Pamela Lin The Sophisticated Touch Bianca Henry Impressions Decorating and Design Ken VanSickle Install What's New Liz Hawkes Windows by Liz

Jana Platina Phipps is an embellishment expert known for her refined vision in the use of trimmings in home furnishings and fashion. She is a designer and an agent for Classical Elements, which supplies trimmings and drapery hardware to the home furnishings industry, customizes private label programs for interior design distributors, and sells to retail stores nationally.  She develops custom trimmings for NYC-based fashion companies, and also designs bespoke home and fashion accessories herself, using trimmings and vintage jewelry.  She teaches others her technique of Trim Alchemy, the concept of turning something ordinary into extraordinary using trimmings, to express their personal creativity. Affectionately called “Trim Queen” by her clients, she started her blog in 2013 and uses her social media channels to chronicle how the design community uses trimmings creatively. With her knowledge of the history of passementerie and hands-on experience with fabrication, she lectures at The New York School of Interi

We have an upholstery theme going on again this week!  I visited Kim Chagnon while she was teaching a three day, hands on class in Lancaster, PA.  I already knew a few of her students but there were some new people there and they all shared why hands on is important to them and what they brought with them to learn! Many thanks to Kim and to the women in the class who spent their dinner time with me and shared their experiences with me. The Air BnB that the class was held in was just adorable, lots of space and had beautiful window treatments!!!  Mary Jo Huyard is the owner and it was just lovely! You can find Kim Chagnon at; Kim's Upholstery Facebook Page Kim's Upholstery Mary Jo Huyard at; MH Designs Adrienne Lucas at; Adrienne's Luxury Interiors Facebook Adrienne's Luxury Interiors   Annette Brandt at; Annetti's Custom Window Treatments Facebook Annetti's Custom Window Treatments   Diana Hershey at; DBH Designs DBH Designs Facebook page

Cynthia Bleskachek has been working as a professional upholsterer since 2001 and teaching since 2010. In 2008 she won a first place craftsmanship award through The Upholstery Journal for a tufted chair. She was a featured presenter at the 2015 Minneapolis Junk Bonanza, with appearances on Kare 11 and Fox 9.  She's also presented at numerous events for the PUAM (Professional Upholstery Association of Minnesota) in 2014, she was contacted by Craftsy to help create their first online upholstery class, Getting Started with Upholstery, a class which now has a 5 star rating and over 6,000 enrolled students from all over the world. Cynthia currently works and teaches at her shop, "The Funky Little Chair" in St. Paul, Minnesota. She continues to look for new ways to share her love of upholstery with clients and students.  Here is a link to Cynthia's class on Craftsy that includes 50% off!

Recorded at the Custom Workroom Conference, this podcast is a roundtable discussion with workrooms from the US and the UK, headed by Penny Bruce from Denton Drapes and Nancy Letts from Pine House Drapery. Also featured in this podcast are; Jennifer DeRosa of Beyond Windows, LLC Theda Hadden of Springwood Upholstery Jane Crawford of Jane Crawford Interiors Diana Heinen of Two Sisters Drapery Laurel McGee  The Instagram accounts  we mentioned during the recording are uniquefurnitureuk and workshopdesigns.  

Laura Kelly is the  Founder and President of The Handwork Studio, a kids’ needle arts, machine sewing and fashion studio and camps.  THS helps kids build confidence and express themselves creatively through practical arts such as knitting, embroidery, machine sewing, fashion and crafts.  Founded in 2001, today The Handwork Studio is in 10 States and 40 summer locations.  Recognized as the leading educator of kids needle arts and machine sewing, THS is currently working on its first nationally licensed at home learning tool for kids that will launch in Spring 2018.   Laura has always been passionate about kids.  Whether she was babysitting at 10, a resident assistant in college, or running The Handwork Studio, kids have been the center of her life.  She sits on the Leadership Team of Garrett Williamson Foundation, a non-profit organization that delivers quality educational and recreational programs for children in Newtown Square Pennsylvania.  Laura also served as a co-chair, along with her husband John, of

It's a solo podcast today!  I want to let my listeners know about a few changes to the podcast and to ask you to be even more engaged with me and other listeners and with my guests. Please check out The Sew Much More Podcast Page and let me know what you're thinking, what questions you have for my guests, and what you like about the podcast!

This is a special podcast being brought to you by Home Dec Gal with a special announcement from Susan and Rodger!     Susan Woodcock and Rodger Walker own Home Dec Gal and are producers of Custom Workroom Conference and Custom Workroom Weekend events.  Susan is a respected educator and workroom professional with over twenty five years of experience.  In 2016 she published her first book Singer® Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades and Top Treatments.  Rodger is retired from City of Richmond, VA Fire Department and has many years of event management experience for both private and non-profit events. Susan and Rodger will open Custom Workroom Technical Center in 2017.  Located in Tryon, NC, Workroom Tech will offer weekly, hands-on classes for sewing custom window treatments and soft furnishings.    

Today's podcast is a traveling podcast!  I drove with a few of my WCAA friends to the NJ WCAA Chapter's Windows To Success and while I had a captive group, I took the opportunity to ask them some questions. Jen DeRosa is the President of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of WCAA and owner of Beyond Windows, LLC. Annette Brandt is a past treasurer of the SEPA Chapter and owner of Annetti's Custom Window Treatments. Marie Weaverling is the owner of Marie Weaverling Design. My thanks to all three of them for answering my questions and sharing their answers with my listeners!

Penny Bruce is the creative force behind Denton Drapes, a couture soft furnishing business established in the UK making bespoke window treatments for the luxury residential market and providing a trade service to high-end Interior Designers. Denton Drapes’ client list includes top celebrities from the sport, film and music world along with iconic design brands like Liberty of London. Penny has been a member of The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft furnishers (AMUSF) since 2004 and joined their Board of Directors in October 2012. She is also a member of the Window Covering Association of America (WCAA). Penny has presented training courses, written articles, and spoken at seminars on soft furnishings in the UK and USA. In 2016 Penny was made a Fellow of the AMUSF and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Upholders in recognition of her contribution to the craft. She also received the Freedom of the City of London and in March 2017 she was named as Self Employed Businesswoman of the Year for the Co

Kate the Socialite runs a marketing firm that helps interior designers and window covering specialists become professional and profitable.  Kate is also the founder of Socialite | Subscribe, a place where home pros can get premade newsletters that look as pretty as Elle Décor magazine. These newsletters are completely customizable and the no-nonsense solution for home pros who don’t have the time or ability to create their own email newsletters. Go to www.socialitesubscribe.com and select your industry to learn more.    

Kevin Kise owns a workroom and is a designer for Kise Interiors. Coming from humble beginnings in Rural Franklin County, Ohio, his passion for fabrics began when at 8 his Grandmother showed him how to sew, and cook. Her beliefs were that every man should know how to fix a hole in his jeans and cook for himself. Kevin took both of those tasks to heart by going to culinary school out of high school. His dossier includes working in a Michelin 3 star restaurant, managing a fabric store and working in a commercial drapery workroom. He credits his talents to a myriad of mentors including an elderly Japanese woman who taught him the art of Japanese tailoring and fabric draping and the much loved Cheryl Strickland for whom his questions would have never been answered without the direction of her amazing forum and workroom conferences. Kevin is married to his husband, Josh, they have a chocolate lab named Teagan and live in Columbus, OH.    

Jen Anderson is the owner and designer of two businesses based outside Philadelphia, PA.. Once Upon a Time Creation transforms your sentimental clothing into beautiful, lasting keepsakes. For the past nine years, Once Upon a Time Creation has focused on personal service and modern design to create heirloom gifts that celebrate love and family. GiGY™ has brought this love of personal design to the music industry, offering fun, customizable cases for guitars and ukuleles. Through a patent-pending system, every musician can travel in style with their personally designed GiGY™ Bag.  These businesses were founded by three generations of women working together to bring creative energy to the communities they serve.