Sew & So...

Sarah Veblen from Sarah Veblen Clothing Originals has led a life dreaming of owning hew own business and in 1985 it all came true. Now an Haute Couture mainstay, she shares her story of taking chances and achieving her dream!   (2:28) Sarah shares her story of learning to sew…her mom said she was already sewing circles around her by 9th grade. She also explains what it means to be a “thinking sewe...

Our guest today is Kelly Dempsey – a sustainable fashion designer and Project Runway Season 14 runner-up. She has become a leading voice for sustainability and equitability in the fashion industry and has been featured on Good Morning American and in Marie Claire. Born and raised in Munsen, MA, Kelly taught herself to upcycle when she was 9 years old. Bullied in school, she used these experiences...

Born in Salinas Kansas and eventually raised in Oklahoma, Kenneth knew at a very young age who he was and what he wanted to do. He just didn’t understand the road he would travel to get there. He earned a BS in fashion merchandising from Central State University in Wilberforce, OH and learned pattern making in San Francisco from Paris trained Simmin Sethna Kenneth has sold to boutiques across the...

Our guest in this episode is Catherine Stephenson who lives in Ajijic, Mexico. The owner and name behind Catherine Stephenson Couture, she’s been in the sewing world doing what she loves for more than 35 years.   Originally from Portland OR, she travelled to Madison WI to earn her BA in textiles and clothing from the University of Wisconsin. Returning to Portland after that, she opened her busines...

(3:00) Her thirteenth birthday was a watershed event as she received her very first sewing machine – it was second hand. Sewing by necessity she hand sewed up until this time.   (4:18) Who’s the equivalent of Barbie in the UK…Philippa tells us about these dolls.    (5:19) Philippa shares the training regimen people who want to learn to sew must follow.    (6:43) She went to work with Courtaulds Li...

(2:28) Maritza shares the beginnings of her sewing learnings and her journey of improvement. She takes us through her progression in costume creation and how she was affected by the events of 9/11. She even “almost” had an opportunity to meet Mikhail Baryshnikov.   (15:21) She grew up in a circus family and gives us a first-hand account of what it was like. She also shares some of the superstition...

(2:25) Abby shares why she initially didn’t like sewing when she took her first course in high school. But reading Vogue magazine turned this around for her as she wanted the fashion she saw in the magazine – but couldn’t afford. She also talks about how her children were the genesis of her learning to sew for uniquely sized people. And she talks about how her unique talent for doing what “just ma...

Show Notes: Mary Grabenstatter (1:40) Mary shares her story about why arts and crafts were important to her as a child. Hear about the origami birthday party and her favorite crafts!   (3:20) Studying French and Film in college and working at Barnes & Noble her early adult years were filled with many experiences…starting with being a chemistry major. Hear about her adventures!   (7:07) When The Hu...

R'Bonney Gabriel is an eco-friendly fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor based in Houston, TX, and New York City who also happens to be the current Miss Universe titleholder. Born in Houston, TX she became the 1st Miss Universe of Filipino descent. As the first Filipino American to win Miss Universe and Miss USA, much of her platform is about embracing her culture. She is a voice for Asi...

(2:39) The opening ceremonies raised the excitement of the crowd – kicked off by Paul Ashworth – President of BERNINA of North America. ( https://www.sewandsopodcast.com/episodes/episode-22-paul-ashworth ) He was followed by several more BERNINA luminaries…Christy Burcham - VP Training and Education BERNINA of America, Claudia Stauber – VP Marketing BERNINA International, and Kai Hillebrandt – CEO...

Born in China, raised in her early years in Germany, Yaya moved on her own to the United States in 1998 while still a teen. It didn’t take her long to make a name for herself in the cosplay community. Now a successful designer, model, author, tv personality and social media influencer with more that 3 million followers.   (2:24) Yaya tells us of how she learned to sew out of necessity through gett...

Cookie Washington, born in Morocco, is a fourth-generation needle worker, award winning textile artist and guest curator of the African American Fiber Arts Exhibit which is part of the North Charleston Arts Festival.   Her passion for fiber art is infectious and she comes from a long line of sewists dating back to her great-grandmother.   She’s been selected as one of 44 master quilters to create...

Amanda Carye, the owner of Broadcloth Studio and the co-host of Quilt Buzz has been quilting “since forever”. On this episode she shares her journey outside her comfort zone and shares her adventures in starting both her business and podcast   Show Notes Amanda Carye, who owns Broadcloth Studio and hosts the Quilt Buzz Podcast has been quilting for her whole life. From Boston, she currently lives...

(2:30) Alex takes us back to the beginning of her sewing journey and tells us of the first thing she ever sewed!   (4:47) Alex takes back to her very first quilt studio and tells us of the moment she began to take herself seriously as a quilter. The “Quilt Life” (7:25) became a mantra for her as she found that she really belonged…Alex explains how this happens and what this means to her. What is “...

Jedimanda is a professional seamstress, author and avid costumer. She’s been features in numerous publications, won awards for her costuming, and loves travel as much as she loves cosplay.   At (1:54) she tells us why C2E2 Chicago is her vary favorite convention…and shares the story of how she learned to sew…and how this led to her first job in college. She takes us through her Senior thesis proje...

The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo or C2E2 is a Chicago fan convention dedicated to comics, pop culture, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Now celebrating its 13th year, this event is a place for self-proclaimed geeks, nerds and introverts to connect and fit in. We had full access to attendees, vendors, fabricators and even some well-known authors and cos...

Aleeda Crawley, President of the Modern Quilt Guild shares her personal journey into the world of quilting and tells of how she became president of the guild. The Guild itself is a powerhouse in the world of quilting – she tells us about its purpose and overall work. The Guild can be found at www.themodernquiltguild.com. Karen Cooper – Executive Director of the Guild drops in to explain how the Gu...

Growing up in South America, Nick spent his days under a tree drawing his mother’s dress designs for the diplomatic parties she attended with his father…an American diplomat in Caracas. He called her “Jay-Lo before there was Jay-Lo”! He credits his success to his mom for her support and encouragement. Learn too who Nick considers his mentor. (5:36) What was the moment he knew he was a success? Nic...

This exclusive/all-access episode takes you through the 2023 version of SewExpo at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA In it’s 39th year, the Sewing and Stitchery Expo was back in full force after a two year Covid 19 hiatus. Hear directly from Show Manager Janet McLoughlin and Education Manager about how they were brought out of retirement to make this all happen. There are vendors wh...

This exclusive all-access episode takes you through the 2023 version of QuiltCon in Atlanta, Georgia. The definition of Modern Quilting varies from person to person. Hear the thoughts of Modern Quilt Guild (MQG) President Aleeda Crawley, Karen Cooper Executive Director of MQG, Christa Watson BERNINA Ambassador, Last Year’s Keynote Speaker Latifa Safir, and attendees from around the world. Learn fr...

(2:00 – 6:35) She begins the conversation by explaining that she learned to sew with her grandmother’s basement sewing machine, using fabric from her grandma’s (who she never met) magical craft cupboard. This cupboard held all of her deceased grandmother’s scraps, thread, etc., and inspired her with her grandmother’s spiritual presence. In high school, she wanted to learn to sew clothes and create...

Sarah Ramberg worked for an environmental engineering and consulting firm for 15 years. After being laid off in 2017, she decided to turn her passion for sewing with flannel and upcycling into a full-time career. Sarah was bitten by the antiquing, thrifting, and garage sale bug when she was in Junior High. Today, she feels a fundamental need to repurpose and recycle broken and neglected items in l...

A wrinkled dress changed the trajectory of Brooks Ann's career. It all began her senior year at Centenary College, where she was a theater major. She had been cast in a play and was behind the stage when the head of the department, “a brilliant, but grumpy old man,” noticed her dress was wrinkled he sent her off to iron it. When she confessed, she’d never ironed before, he assigned her—against her...

A lifetime learner and prolific entrepreneur, Carina Gardner learned to sew by sneaking downstairs and using her mom’s sewing machine to create Barbie clothes from fabric scraps. As time went on, she found herself in the scrapbooking world at a time when scrapbooking crossed over into fabric. The first fabric company she designed for was Northcott. She also designed a fabric line for Riley Blake,...

Sue O’Very Pruitt’s love of sewing began very early and has taken her to places near and far. She went from designing dresses for her Barbie doll at six years old to creating customers at Busch Gardens when she graduated college. After leaving Busch Gardens, she created costumes on a cruise ship for six months, before going on to become lead designer for a leather manufacturing company in China. W...