Sew Much More

    Links and Resources; Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon Covid Notes from a Non-Covid Expert by Margie Nance Paperlike Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential by Tiago Forte The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Loretta McGranaghan is the owner and President of Loretta’s Designs, LLC. She has been in the business for more than 30 years as a workroom, servicing retail & wholesale clients.  They offer many services including soft treatments (panels, shades, cushions, cornices/valances, etc.), hard treatments (shutters, wood blinds, woven wood shades, etc.), fabrics, hardware & faux painting. Loretta's Designs also offers a full interior design service. Loretta received her Interior design degree from the Art Institute of Philadelphia & studied Fine Arts at Rosemont College.  Loretta is proud to say that although she graduated from a prestigious institute of education she is a self-taught sewer.   Instagram: lorettasdesigns LinkedIn: loretta-mcgranaghan Loretta's Designs   Links and Resources; Susan Woodcock's Roman Shade Class Pilot Fixion Pens

Links and Resources; My first interview with Taylor in Podcast Episode 259 Taylor's Podcast with Kate the Socialite   Atomic Habits by James Clear  

Justin began his journey into the world of furniture and soft goods working in and managing antique showrooms. After receiving a degree in Interior Design, he began working in a full-service Design and built-to-order luxury home furnishings showroom. He designed residential interiors, attended market as a showroom buyer, and eventually opened a satellite location as Design Director and Showroom Manager before leaving the Design profession in search of a new challenge.   Now nine years into his career in Upholstery, Justin draws heavily on his past experience in the antique and design fields to inform his work as a prior Studio Director and Current lead upholsterer working for Castillo's Custom Upholstery in Seattle Washington. When not in the workroom or the studio, you can find him contributing as a co-administrator of the Professional Upholsterers Network, or at the helm of his latest personal side project, "Foxglove Artisan LLC" created to explore upholstery and adjacent craft, education, research, and tra

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

Elaine Parry is English, born in London and brought up in Bath. Elaine studied retail design in Paris and worked in haute couture boutiques and soft furnishings for over 20 years before moving to the countryside in Touraine. She has two grown-up children who have gone back to England to work and study. Elaine is surrounded by chateaux, vineyards, and forests and has two miniature donkeys, three miniature sheep, two cats, and a little cairn terrier who keep me busy when not sewing. Elaine owns Pretty Petite Choses and she can be found on Instagram.     Links and Resources; Houles Declercq

Podcast 240 - Resources for Your Business Laura Nelson's Artice in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest Sarah O'Neil's Podcast Custom Workroom Conference Jill Robson's Policies & Procedures Webinars (Available to PRO Access and PRO Plus members of the Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library) Seamless Workroom A Wild Plan Donna Skufis's Calendar Blocking Laurel Studio Planner   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  

What a thrill is was for me to interview Laurie Medford on today's podcast! Laurie joined the window treatment industry in 1983. Her workroom Centsible Creations specialized in window treatments, bedding, and upholstery. Laurie was an upholstery instructor at the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Charlotte, N.C., and has written how-to articles for multiple magazines. From 2009 to 2018, Laurie worked for Rowley Company as an educator. In addition to her workroom experience, Laurie is an expert at crochet and shares her ideas and talents by teaching beginning through advanced classes both in the U.S. and internationally at conferences and seminars. In her spare time, Laurie enjoys testing patterns for international designers of yarn art. In 2021 Laurie joined Workroom Tech in Tryon, N.C. as an instructor for professional workroom courses.   Laurie is on Facebook

Jennifer Csanyi is the owner of Jennifer’s Sewing Studio located in Cocoa, Fl.  Jennifer has been sewing most of her life and learned from her grandmother, a wonderful and patient teacher. Jennifer started her business as a single mother, needing to create more income for her family.  She is focused on educating herself to increase her skills and confidence. When Jennifer attended the Custom Workroom Conference for the first time it was a life-changing event for her and her business and she had the pleasure of meeting Ceil and Susan while there and many other wonderful workroom owners and workers. Jennifer has also been taking virtual classes with Susan. The classes have been fantastic and she has learned so much from them! She is also a member of the WCAA virtual group and has recently been elected President.  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 m

With unwavering conviction, Jessica Harling can break down complex decisions to simplify an action plan. Her dynamic problem-solving can confront potential obstacles proactively and energize any team, making others feel valued to achieve their ambitious company goals. She is the founder of Behind the Design, a People Operations company that enthusiastically collaborates with leadership to build dream teams! From recruiting to training and process development, their intuition for creating strong emotional connections discovers and nurtures rockstar talent with established streamlined processes that impact the company’s bottom line.   You can find Jessica on Facebook and Instagram.

I wonder if any of you were as impressed with the idea of Excellence rather than Perfectionism as I was.  Please let me know what you thought about Jeanne Swartz's conversation on her podcast.   Links and Resources; Growth Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carole Dweck

Jean Lawes has been a guest on the podcast a few times, and on this episode, she shares what winning the Jill Robson Scholarship meant to her. You have until April 30th, 2023 to apply for the Scholarship. Visit WCAA's Scholarship webpage to find out more. Ann K. Johnson's Swag Books Ann K. Johnson's Workroom Skills Class The Complete Book of Curtains and Drapes Lady Carolyn Wrey Bluprint  is back to Craftsy - Cynthia Blescakchek's class - Getting Started with Upholstery  The Workroom Channel Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library  

Jeanne Henzel is a creative artist with the mind of an engineer. She practices the kind of visionary magic that comes from a degree in fine art and a background in theatre design and theatrical costume crafts. Theatre requires couture-level quality with bomb-proof design — costumes that can be used over and over and modified from frog to princess and back again. It is wonderful training for a creative problem solver. Her work has appeared in the theatre, in museums, and in beautiful homes throughout California and the United States.   You can see Jeanne's work here on her website. She is also on Instagram.   Links and Resources; Kim Buckminster - YouTube channel Louise Turner - Gareth R. - Upholstery Education   PUN group on Facebook NUA Kitty Stein's Book - Price Your Work with Confidence Michele Williams Pricing without Emotion Splashtop - anywhere access for multiple people VA in Montana Seemless admin Amber Robertson Zoho desk  Turboscan document scanning app

Michele Fugazy is the owner of a to the trade soft furnishings and hard treatment window coverings company in Fairfield County CT since 2000. Prior to this, Michele worked for 12 years as a fashion industry executive designing & selling accessories in NYC, making biannual trips to Europe, India, & Japan working on product development and fabrication. Her garment center experience provided the foundation for owning her own business. Michele Fugazy Designs for the Home Michele 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!  Working with Soft Furnishings by Charlotte Dunkerley Episode 64 - Adding Hard Treatments to Your Workroom Business with Freddie Graves Michele Williams LuAnn Nigara IWCE The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey  

Jean Lawes is the owner of HomeStyle Workroom, LLC, a Custom Workroom to the Trade, located in Jarrettsville, Maryland. With an extensive background in Sewing and Design, Jean is thrilled to be working with outstanding Interior Designers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Thanks to Jeanelle Dech’s marvelous “Real Workroom” series, she met her “partner in crime,” Cindi Gray, owner of Manor Decorative Services. Fabricating, and collaborating together (two business ventures working in a cooperative), they truly make a Dynamic Duo!     Cindi Gray learned to love sewing as a small child and eventually leveraged that love into a business when she established Manor Decorative Services in 1999 in her home in Monkton MD.     This allowed her a flexible schedule to be available to her family, as well as allowing her to earn a degree in Interior Design from Harford Community College.   She has recently joined forces with Jean Lawes of Homestyle Workroom LLC, working together to create beautiful window treatment

Polly Waite is a classically trained and qualified upholsterer and furniture restorer. She is a member of the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishing and has been working professionally in the industry for over 12 years in her business, Pollyander. Polly comes from a background in design and a family history in antiques. Since the training, she has been using her trained eye to turn tired old chairs into one-of-a-kind, coveted pieces. There have been many creative and challenging commissions over the years; from double-decker buses, hand-made cloud sofas for a festival, and countless treasured antique restoration projects. Nothing has been too big, small, or strange to be taken on with passion and skill.   When Polly isn’t busy sharing her skill, passion, and knowledge with others, she’s putting her creativity and skills into practice. You can normally find her in her studio creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind chairs. She truly believes that chairs are not just functional pieces of furniture but

Harmony Maraldo is an upholsterer, a pricing strategist, and the current president of the National Upholstery Association. By day, she works as the Head of Pricing & Packaging for a tech company in Boston. On nights and weekends, she runs a small traditional upholstery business, Tack & Tuft while also juggling the demanding needs of directing a non-profit. Harmony believes that demand for reupholstery services will continue to rise as consumers increasingly choose sustainability over convenience. She seeks to build awareness of the craft and to develop training and career paths for those interested in entering the trade. Harmony is on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest   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! National Upholstery Association - the NUA is on Faceb

Kelli Vitari is an award-winning owner of the window treatment store and drapery and upholstery workroom, Wild Fern Window Furnishings, in Olympia, WA. She has been fabricating for the industry for the past 18 years in various workrooms across the country and has been sewing since the age of 8. Her educational background ranges from architectural engineering and interior and commercial design to biology and medicine. She lives in Olympia, WA with her husband and business partner, Willie, 3 yr old daughter, Tezra, 2 dogs, and a snake.   You can find Kelli 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  

Denise Korynta, of Smith Mountain Lake, VA, created her slipcover business, Details by Denise when the need arose to find a job that would give her the flexibility to work around her husband’s schedule, spend more time at their lake house, and with their 6 grandchildren.  It was the perfect option that combined her love of decorating, sewing, fabric, working with people, and problem-solving. It quickly evolved into cushions, pillows, and other home decorating accents.  It’s taken 40 years, 8 duty stations, and 22 homes to get here, but having her own creative business has always been on her vision board.   Denise believes strongly in learning as much as she can, taking on new challenges and also sharing her knowledge and completed projects on her blog, Detailsbydenise.com as well as her Instagram and Facebook page.     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

Audrey Campbell is the owner of Boxwood & Ivy, a drapery workroom located in Cincinnati, OH, servicing both retail and to-the-trade clients.  She credits her start in the industry to her creative mother who loved to redecorate and was never afraid of a good DIY project. In 2015 Audrey purchased a used industrial straight stitch machine on a whim while making items for her own home and a seed was planted in her mind. She began researching the custom workroom industry and spent the next 2 years slowly learning the craft. She is also a busy mother and is grateful to have the opportunity to work from home while having the flexibility to be available for her children’s sports and activities.   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! Links and Resources; Finding your Why by Simon Sinek Profit F