Tiana Weidert ~ Longmont, Colorado

Formal Member

Today we welcome Tiana Weidert! She is a Formal Member and is also a member of the ASDP Colorado Chapter. Tiana is Designer and seamstress for her company Mystia UNU Clothing.

Tiana, tells us about your business!

Mystia UNU Clothing is geared towards sustainable fashion that utilizes vintage and recycled fabrics to create modern styles.

How long have you been sewing professionally?

10-15 years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Digitization of patterns, and tech packs

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

I love making custom patterns from design drawings, and pockets, closures and hand sewing.

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

I would like my clothing brand to be featured in boutiques, and to be making online sales.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I also do short runs of manufacturing and design consulting.

Website MystiaUNUclothing.com

Instagram @mystia_clothing

Twitter @mystiaunu

Anna Timm ~ Boise, Idaho

Patron Member

I work at sewBoise for fellow ASDP member Erin Retelle

What professional title do you use?

I usually call myself a Sewist/sewing teacher, but am fine with whatever title makes sense to people

How long have you been sewing professionally?

Less than 5 years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Couture Tailoring.

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Altering tailored jackets.

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

To be a skilled pattern maker.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I recently learned about working with velveteen and a few new-to-me quick tailoring methods.

Instagram @annageorgina_makes

'Chelle Lanz ~ Columbia City, Oregon

Formal Member

Green Door Creations is a boutique custom sewing shop and my strongest talents are taking a client's idea from pictures and ideas to creating a unique piece to wear or to use for home decor.

I have been sewing professionally for over 40 years and have created wedding gowns, dance outfits, party dresses, formal vests and custom dress shirts for men and women. I started with making doll clothes and doing repairs on my friends clothes when I was in middle school. Since then I have expanded to making costumes for live theatre, ComiCon, and Halloween. I make props and set dressings for theatre as well as memory pillows, flags and curtains for interior decorating in the home and also giant puppets, banners and altar dressings for churches. I can repair some camping gear and am able to clean, oil, repair and set the timing on sewing machines.

Safety and comfort is my number one concern. I am a BLM and LGBTQI+ ally and my pronouns are she/her. Until Covid-19 is completely behind us, I will always wear a mask, practice social distancing as much as possible and use hand sanitizer all during the fitting. My process is to first meet with you at a public location and talk with you about all the aspects of your project. Once we have a plan for moving ahead with your project, I will work with you out of the comfort of your own home (or where ever you choose).

I look forward to projects of constructing a special occasion piece from scratch, altering a piece of clothing or home decor to give it new life or putting the finishing touches on a piece that has already been started. I am also happy to work through a pile of mending that you might have sitting around (for longer than you care to admit?) or to repurpose a piece that you just can't bear to part with yet.

What professional title do you use?

Custom Sewer

How long have you been sewing professionally?

20+ years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Couture pattern drafting and tailoring

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Taking a client's idea into a wearable garment.

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

To make enough money to bring in half of my family income.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I am now a certified sewing repairperson

Website greendoorsewing.squarespace.com

Facebook @greendoorcreationsLLC

Instagram @chelle.lanz

Twitter @sew_green_door

Suzie Gruber ~ Charlotte, North Carolina

Emerging Member

I am certified in Professional Alterations. I work at home doing alterations and other sewing projects for friends, neighbors, and word of mouth referrals. I also freelance as an on-set tailor for local TV/Commercial/Film. I would like to make my at home business more professional and also freelance on sets more often.

Do you work alone?

Sometimes, but I also freelance on commercial/tv/film sets

What professional title do you use?

Seamstress, on set tailor...those are the ones I use, but I'm not particular about what people call me.

How long have you been sewing professionally?

Less than 5 years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Professional Wedding Dress fitting

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Dress alterations

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

To work more consistently and to continue to grow my sewing skills.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I have had some opportunities to sew for wardrobe stylists and production designers on TV, film, and commercials. I love the exciting pace and the variety of sewing projects.

Instagram @sewzie12

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/suzie-gruber-b3b7751bb/

Renee Pinell ~ Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Formal Member

Sewing for 55+ years. And still love it!

What professional title do you use?

Alteration Specialist

How long have you been sewing professionally?

10-15 years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

How to expand my business.

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Completing gowns for women and seeing their faces light up with joy with the results.

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

Contract work out and/or expand my social networking to build a brand.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I offer shortcut zipper replacements.

Website genevaalterations.com

Jennifer Varner ~ Canby, Oregon

Formal Member

In 2020, Jennifer Varner launched That Sew Fits by Jen, out of her original business in 2007, That Sew Fits!. Sewing has been a passion for Jennifer since the age of 12. For Jennifer, creating garments is a blend of creative problem solving, technical skill, and sculpting with textiles! Refashioning garments and making ideas come to life through custom sewing services is on the top of her list as most rewarding but Jennifer enjoys using her skills as a tailor to alter and repair clothing. Sewing education, clothing preservation and restoration, and textile waste reduction are other important focuses of her business.

What professional title do you use?

Professional Tailor and Seamstress

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Bespoke tailoring

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Customer interaction

What goals do you have for your business in the next 5 years?

My goal is to open a community sewing space that meets more than just the sewing needs of customers. I want to have in house childcare, small cafe, and alterations along with the community sewing space. This business model is based on the home-welcoming, meeting needs, and learning together.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I have been in business now for almost one year. I am a part of a great community and am looking forward to expanding soon! I have new product ready to go online and am in the beginning stages of building curriculum and finding a place to start sewing classes.

Website thatsewfitsbyjen.com

Facebook facebook.com/thatsewfitsbyjen

Instagram instagram.com/thatsewfitsbyjen/

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/jennifer-varner

YouTube youtube.com/channel/

BBB https://www.bbb.org/us/or/canby/profile/tailor/that-sew-fits-by-jen-llc-1296-1000105391

Mimi Jackson ~ Hollis, New York

Formal Member

Mimi Jackson is a collaborative custom clothing designer and dressmaker who has owned her own custom clothing business since 1997. A native New Yorker, she studied fashion design at Fashion Institute of Technology, and later supplemented that training with costume design experience while studying at Washington University in St. Louis. As the creator of findadressmaker.com, (a dressmaker and sewing teacher referral website) she helps potential clients find appropriate sewing professionals to execute their projects. Her experiences working for the Butterick/Vogue pattern company, textile companies, high end designers, and wardrobe and costume for movie and television productions, have all fueled her insatiable appetite for many aspects of the custom sewing profession. As a member of the board of MSDP/MAS certification program, she hopes to help facilitate, inspire, encourage, and encourage other sewing and design professionals to pursue the mastery of their craft.

What professional title do you use?

Collaborative custom designer

How long have you been sewing professionally?

20+ years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Bra-making.

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Draping.

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

To have an assistant.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I am the NYC tour leader for the American Sewing Guild once the pandemic lifts.

Website mimijackson.com

Website findadressmaker.com

Website shopthegarmentdistrictnyc.com

Instagram @shop_the_garment_district

Facebook I Love My Dressmaker

Facebook Shop the Garment District

Anna Light ~ Lititz, Pennsylvania

Emerging Member

I'm Anna Light. I'm a patternmaker and draper for live theatre, television and film. I have a master's degree in costume production from Boston University. For the last 8 years I have been a draper for the New York City Ballet. I also work as an independent contractor for a variety of industries; making soft good props for Broadway shows, working as a tailor on photo and video shoots, tailoring and wardrobe maintenance for live musical performances as well as costuming for television and film productions. Recently, my family and I moved from NYC to Lititz, PA where I am working on establishing my tailoring business.

What professional title do you use?

Draper, tailor, patternmaker.

How long have you been sewing professionally?

10-15 years

What is something that you have always wanted to learn?

Small business marketing, pattern grading, technical design for fashion.

What is your favorite task to do in your business?

Patternmaking and construction

What goals do you have for your business (or yourself professionally) in the next 5 years?

I'd like to purchase a house that will allow for a dedicated professional studio and fitting space, develop a strong marketing & adverting plan and buy an industrial blind hemmer, coverstitch and serger.

What else should we know about you or your business?

I am transitioning from my career in NYC working for NYC Ballet and TV/Film to starting and operating my own small business in Lititz, PA. I am hoping to find a balance between my tailoring and costume business and raising my 5-year-old son. It's important to me to keep in touch with my professional contacts and to stay relevant in the costuming industry even though I am no longer working in a major metropolitan area.

Website annalight.com