Sew Much More

Carly Melcancon redesigns and revives once forgotten upholstered furniture into one-of-a-kind western statement pieces using vintage Mexican textiles, rugs, and hair-on hides. Carly is on Facebook and Instagram.   Links and Resources; (I do use some affiliate links and appreciate it if you use them, no worries if you choose not to!)   Enneagram Test Kim's Upholstery Profit First Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki E Myth Revisited Michael E. Gerber Goal Digger podcast 212 The Extra Degree: Extraordinary Results Begin with One Small Change by Sam Parker Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones Gretchen Rubin Getting Things Done by David Allen Professional Upholsterers Network on Facebook   The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   Klimaka Studios   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   National

Amy Petersen is the owner of Gray Duck Upholstery, located in Parker, Colorado.  She began upholstering in 2011 after taking classes at a local trade school.  Prior to making upholstery her profession, Amy had a long career in public accounting.  She has master’s degrees in Business, Accounting and Taxation.  Amy sold her CPA practice and made Gray Duck Upholstery official in 2019.  She strives to help clients make their homes custom, beautiful and comfortable through upholstery.  Amy is proud to be the Treasurer for the National Upholstery Association.  When not upholstering, Amy and her husband love to spend time at their lake cabin in Minnesota.   Amy's Article in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest   Microsoft To Do Clockify Mile IQ  

Greer Woollcott lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her partner Tobin.  She comes from a family of creative and skilled women where she learned she could make anything if she set her mind to it.  She studied fine arts and art history for 2 years at Concordia University and then changed programs and attended the Ontario College of Art and Design and pursued a degree in Environmental Design.  She started her career as a kitchen designer, went into commercial interior design then material sales for the design industry as a rep for architectural panels. After reuniting with her love for sewing she took a leave from work in 2021 and went to the UK to pursue a diploma in curtain making and soft furnishings as well as some upholstery training.  Since then she has been building her workroom business part time as she goes on the adventure of building a business from scratch, fabricating, and continuing to learn the craft.    Woollcott and Co Instagram     Victoria Hammond Collective   Interior Design Masters   Link

WRT Podcast - What's So Scary About Confidence     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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech    

The Wendel Works, started in 1999, is a nationally recognized custom fabrication studio specializing in inspired window and bedding designs.  Owner, Gillian Wendel, bring years of fine art and graphics experience to the business as well as drapery expertise.  With a BFA from Texas Christian University, she makes sure that a well proportioned design is at the center of every project.  Gillian has been a frequent speaker at the annual International Window Coverings Expo as well as teaching at the Custom Sewing Institute for 6 years, a hands on conference, where she illustrated such topics as details and embellishments, hand sewing and headboards.  She is a three time winner of the IWCE Vision Ingenuity Contest, a member of The Drapery and Design Professional Network, and Past President of the Houston Area Custom Drapery Association.  Her work was recently included in Charles Randall’s new book, Designer Window Fashions. Gillian is on Facebook and Instagram You can see her work here; www.picturetrail.com/wendelw

Jill Stroh was born in Ohio, and has a younger brother and older sister. (She's the middle child!) She was always doing something creative in some form or fashion and was always encouraged to be creative.  Jill went to school for Communications and concentrated her studies in Advertising.  She had a short career in advertising, and switched gears to sales for a multi-media marketing firm.  Jill met her husband, got married, and moved to Pittsburgh where they started their family and where they currently live. Jill has two children, a daughter who is 15 and son who is 13, plus their dog Brin. Jill is on Instagram and Facebook   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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech    

We are a family from Ukraine who have been living and working in the UK for over 17 years.  Our backgrounds were unrelated to the interior design business. But we always love craft , had ambitions, and lots of ideas.  Our shared passion and belief in each other led us to start Kott Soft Furnishings.    Our busy working studio is nestled in the beautiful countryside of Hampshire,  UK.    I’ve worked as a curtain maker for over 10 years and it's my absolute love and passion.    After being overwhelmed with orders, my husband joined me, leaving his previous job. He does upholstery and fitting and has become an integral part of our family business.    We are happy and united more than ever.   Together, we provide a comprehensive service, from initial measurements and fabric selection to the final fitting.  Our children also enjoy helping out, and perhaps one day, they will carry on our family business.   Social media : www.olgakott.co.uk Instagram - kott.soft.furnishings  Facebook - kott.soft.furnishing  YouTube

Laurie Gutberlet began her business in February 2020.  Her one-person, small workroom is located in the Atlantic Coast region of Bethany Beach, DE.    The catalyst for Laurie's “startup” is largely due to the relationship built and training received from Susan Woodcock at Workroom Tech.  Laurie has a life-long love of sewing and always thought about doing professional work.  She figured “If not now, when?”  Her company name—SeaGlass Seams, LLC—is largely based on her location.  My work to date includes draperies, cushions, roman shades, valances, bedding, and those random projects of “can you sew this for me?” Laurie is on Facebook and Instagram Links and Resources; Workroom Tech Price Your Work With Confidence by Kitty Stein Nancy Letts Rosemarie Garner Emily Petit Deb Cronin The Funky Little Chair Kai Scissors Stevenson Vestal   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

In this OPPORTUNITY THINKING episode of the Sew Much More Podcast, Ceil DiGuglielmo joins Jeanelle Dech in her office at Adaptive Textiles in West Chester, PA. They talk about the origins and growth of the textile printing business and the launch of KLIMAKA STUDIOS https://klimakastudios.com/, a new collection of workroom-centric fabric and wallpaper, featuring artists collaborations and engineered designs.    You can watch this episode of the Podcast on YouTube here.

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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech    

Amber De Lagarza's Time Blindness Podcast   Gretchen Rubin - The One Minute Rule and Will Future Gretchen Thank Me?   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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech    

  Will Linn is the Head workroom manager at Marquis Design Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. With over 15 years experience in the world of Fashion and Interior Design, he manages the day-to-day operation of the shop, building and upholstering beds, ottomans, cornices, and walls for Marquis Design Group as well as pillows, roman shades and drapery. As a native Florida resident, he loves spending his time, when not working, at the beach and theme parks. Having graduated from Mount Ida College in Boston with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design in 2009, Will enjoys putting his degree to use in his passion for costume design and construction. His costumes can be seen gracing the stages of theatres and ballet companies in South Florida in such productions as: “The Nutcracker”, “Cinderella”, “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Romeo & Juliet”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Don Quixote” and many more. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering at his former elementary school drama department helping create costume

Renee Gurganus is a native of Augusta, Georgia and now lives in beautiful Wilmington, NC.  With over 20 years of leadership experience in the non-profit  and for-profit sectors, Renee brings a wealth of knowledge to the WCAA. Previously she was the Executive Director of a community organization in Murrells Inlet, SC, where she lead the organization in a new Strategic Plan that they continue to use today.   After becoming the Executive Director of the WCAA, Renee began working with the Board of Directors on a new Strategic Plan as well as rebranding the organization. 

Keaven Willa Hartt was born in Bar Harbor, Maine, and grew up in the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. She moved back to Maine in 2010 to attend the Maine College of Art, in Portland, where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Woodworking and Furniture Design, with a self-directed thesis on Sustainability Through Upholstery. Keaven founded her upholstery business, Willa Hartt, in 2019. She joined the National Upholstery Association in 2021, and was nominated to the Board of Directors, where she served first as Secretary, before recently becoming the President. Keaven still lives in Portland with her husband and their two dogs. Keaven is on Instagram     Links and Resources; (Some of the links I provide, specifically to Amazon and a few others, require me to let you know that if you use those links and make a purchase, I will make some money.  I won't make a million dollars, but I might be able to get a cup of coffee, so thank you!)   Spruce Upholstery by Amanda Brown and Grace Bonney Upholstery: A Complete Cours

Rachel began her business in 2004 on the dining table of her mother’s living room after a fluke encounter with a family friend at the local bakery.  Who knew that croissants would be the catalyst to begin a soft furnishings business? The seed had been planted several years after visiting a stranger's home and noticing custom bedding, draperies, and floor-length round tablecloths. “I remember thinking …’hey I wonder if I could do that!’ after a sneaky examination of the undersides and backsides of those items.”  Sewing had begun for Rachel at the age of 11 and 4-H sewing programs, but it was not until 17 years later that the entrepreneurial bug bit hard and spawned a new vocational life trajectory!   Rachel is on Instagram    Links and Resources; Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein  

Deborah Cronin is the owner of Leatherwood Design Co is a custom window treatment fabrication studio, located in Ossining, New York, in the breathtaking Hudson River Valley. Deb and her team work to the trade and delight in fine fabrics and workmanship. It's an understatement to say they love what they do! Begun as a part-time pillow and cushion workroom in 1987, in 1999  Leatherwood Design Co, became a full-time workroom creating window treatments. Fabric and sewing has been Deb's life-long obsession and she considers it a privilege to be able to make a living doing what she loves. Deb has a blog that is dedicated to documenting what they do every day: they enjoy showing off the gorgeous fabrics they work with, and the window treatments they make from them; discuss the design and fabrication process; and share information about some of their resources, colleagues, and inspiration.   Today Deb is sharing her journey to overcome pain in her body and to make it last longer so that she can continue to do what sh

Jamie Terral is the owner of Workroom Creations by Jamie LLC.  With encouragement from Jamie's husband, Bob, and Susan Woodcock, she made her hobby and love for sewing into a soft furnishings workroom, where she uses beautiful fabrics and trims to sew amazing home decor.  Jamie is a window coverings specialist that is honest, reliable, and dedicated to the client that she serves.  Her tagline and mantra is "So Much Fabric, Sew Little Time!" Jamie is on Instagram,  Facebook, and Pinterest Huston Area Work Custom Drapery Association   Links and Resources; The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library WCAA   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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech    

Sharon Coppede is the owner of Custom Window Treatments, Inc. In 1982, when her children were 4 and 2 yrs. old, Sharon joined a neighborhood cottage industry in Plymouth, Mass. as a seamstress for aprons, toaster covers, and tab top drapes stenciled on the lead edges.  She realized she had a gift for making window treatments and when she moved to our next assignment in Virginia, she built a 4 x 8 table in the walk-out basement and that is when she started making draperies for customers.  Sharon went to Sew What conferences as a student and then, over time, went as a presenter.   After a few more moves and when they moved to Charlotte, NC in 1996, Sharon's goal was to get out of the basement and into a space and Custom Window Treatments, Inc., a “to the trade workroom” came about. She targeted high end designers and she now has a thriving business with a staff. Her company fabricates not only for local designers but designers throughout the country contact CWT for their customers moving to the area.   Sharon's

Cristina Alamdari was born in Colombian and moved to the US almost 30 years ago. She lives in Phoenix AZ and she has 3 beautiful children, her husband is Iranian, and they have a unique family of combined cultures and religions.  Cristina enjoys traveling and learning. She has been working in the industry for 24 years, and as a business owner for 22. Cristina owns AZ Draperies and Pillows and it is a mix of 80% retail 20% designers. She offers in-home consultations for window coverings.  Her workroom is in a separate casita in her home.  Cristina is on Facebook and Instagram   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   National Upholstery Association   Workroom Tech