Sew Much More

Lisa O'Brien is the owner of All Things Material.

Raised in Northern Kentucky, as a child Lisa O'Brien was always creating something. No wonder she became an artist!

Custom window treatments add an artistic element to every home. Creativity, education, and detail are necessary to provide customers with the right look to fit their home design goals. Hiring a professional is how this is done.

In 2004, after attending a Custom Home Furnishings Conference with Donna Skufis, Lisa returned and gave a one-month notice to her corporate office and opened All Things Material!

With the education provided by this unique school and continuous ongoing education to remain current on fabrication methods, trends, fabrics, and safety, All Things Material has become a well-known and respected business.

Lisa is the President of the Kentucky Workroom Association, meeting quarterly to learn from others in the industry and share experiences.

During her free time, she enjoys catching up with family. Walking her 2-year-old Lab Summer as well as being outdoors and golfing.

Lisa is on Instagram.

Links and Resources;

Donna Skufis

Kentucky Workroom Association

Amber De La Garza

Michele Williams - Scarlet Thread Consulting

Podcasts Lisa listens to;

LuAnn Nigara

Inside Design

Dateline The Vanished Up and Vanished What They Don't Want you to Know 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

Where is the problem in your workflow? I would love to hear from you about it. Let me know on the Sew Much More Facebook page.

Links and Resources;

(some of these are affiliate links and I will earn a few cents if you choose to purchase through the link.)

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

The Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Oliver Burkeman

Adam Brand is the 4th generation co-owner of M&S Schmalberg. Their artificial flowers have complemented the apparel, wedding, accessory, millinery and home furnishing industries for over 100 years. M&S Schmalberg's custom fabric flowers are still hand-made in New York City. They have been featured in The NY Times, Women's Wear Daily, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and on the runway all over the world.

Adam generously offered a discount to listeners of the Sew Much More Podcast. Use this direct link to order or go to the M&S Schmalberg Etsy sight and use code SEWMUCH to get 20%off.

Links and Resources;

M&S Schmalberg

Bernadette Banner

Article in The Hat Magazine

Cathy Cuddington is the owner of Dogwood Designs, a wholesale workroom located in Apex, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Her earliest sewing memory is making clothes for her Barbie dolls. She moved on to sewing her clothes through high school, even learning some tailoring techniques. Cathy spent her first career in the IT industry, during its infancy (i.e. card punch machines). During those 26 years, she would occasionally help out her friends with various window treatment requests, usually following a pattern in the pattern books. One personal project (a slipcover) took her onto the internet to find a how-to video. That one event opened her eyes to the possibilities of owning her own business in the custom soft furnishings marketplace. Dogwood Designs was born as a 50th birthday gift to herself. She has attended available trade schools and conferences, eventually gaining enough experience and confidence to offer her services exclusively to interior designers. She's an active member of the Triangle chapter of the WCAA. Cathy lives with her husband of nearly 40 years. She has two grown sons, and one grandson. She and Terry enjoy traveling (when they can) and taking rides in their little convertible when the weather is nice.

Links and Resources;

Michele Williams - Profit First and Pricing without Emotion

The Workroom Endgame by Jeanelle Dech

Pricing Your Work With Confidence by Kitty Stein

AirTable

Chickadee rotary cutter

Amy Burton's Cornice Board Video

Michele Williams is a serial entrepreneur and speaker on a mission to close the financial literacy gap for small businesses.

Through her two companies, Scarlet Thread Consulting, a client-facing coaching program, and Metrique Solutions, a robust financial software platform, she supports entrepreneurs to understand their numbers confidently.

Michele is a champion for creative entrepreneurs, serving as a change agent to facilitate building scalable and profitable businesses. Michele's empowering work has been applauded by The Business of Home, My Doma Studios, and The American Society of Interior Designers.

Born and raised in Marietta Ohio. Enjoyed making and creating as a kid and did a lot of cross stitch with her mom. Sewed a pair of shorts as a class project in 4th grade and didn't pick up sewing again until after college. As a social worker, in Cincinnati, creating became a great outlet so she took an upholstery class and learned the basics. Life had plans and her first daughter was born, a month early and only 4lbs. So most creative ventures took a back seat. 2 more daughters came along and then her mother-in-law decided as a break from mom life a sewing basics class could be fun. Once a week for 6 weeks Elizabeth got out and realized how much she loved sewing! Over the years she has made costumes for plays, altered prom dresses, wedding dresses, and dance costumes! For a brief stint even had a storefront for her alterations business. Life again threw a curveball and her husband got a job in Asheville North Carolina and they needed to move. In Asheville, she found out about workroom tech through a grandmother at her daughter's school and during covid, she took several online classes and found enjoyment in creating soft furnishings. She has taken on jobs in the past year and is now looking to build and grow her business in the home decor space. Links and Resources; Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein 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

Angie Wewel is the owner of Grandview Drapery Studio, a wholesale workroom located in Arvada, Colorado, just northwest of Denver. From a young age, Angie has had the desire to start her own business in a creative industry. After attending the Custom Workroom Conference in 2018, she decided it was finally time to turn her life-long passion and pursuit of sewing into a career. Angie values ongoing education and has attended classes at Workroom Tech in Tryon, North Carolina, studied upholstery at a technical college in Denver, and has taken many additional online and in-person training courses and seminars to hone her skills. She is a member of the Workroom Accountability and Mentoring group (WAM), and a member of the WCAA, and WCAA Virtual Chapter. Angie is on Facebook and Instagram Links and Resources; M'Fay Workroom Manual Deborah Cronin's Blog Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Price Your Work with Confidence - Kitty Stein SCORE 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

Lisa LaChance started Something Sew Unique nearly 20 years ago in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. While there she had the opportunity to create unique window treatments and bedding in every style, texture, and fabric imaginable – from rustic country to shabby chic to sleek contemporary style. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. As a professional member of the Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA), she is active in the promotion of window treatment design and fabrication as a business. In 2007 she completed certification to become a Certified Workroom Professional and was also featured in the prestigious Window Covering Association of America (WCAA) 2007 Elegance Showcase. Her solid educational background and experience, coupled with her love for sewing and design, have given Lisa a unique view into the window of interior fashions. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, spending time with her grandchildren, and caving in her backyard.

Links and Resources;

Dream Draper

Instagram

Claudia Couto, owner and founder of Claudia Couture Homes LLC, has been in the design business for over 17 years. Born and raised in Brazil, Claudia's passion for unique luxury design began at a young age, when she learned to sew at just 8 years old. With great grandparents who were Italian designers, the industry has been in her family for decades. After studying Chemical Engineering in Brazil, Claudia came to America to pursue her dreams of design. She graduated from New York Institute of Art with a degree in Interior Design and went on to begin her career in Connecticut, specializing in luxury textiles, high-end custom window treatments, upholstery, bespoke furniture design and beyond. Over the years, Claudia's work has been installed in hundreds of homes curated by top interior designers. She has worked in Connecticut, the Hamptons, Westchester, New York City, Newport, Watch Hill and abroad in Dubai and areas of Japan. Her expert craftsmanship, along with her creativity, reliability and unmatched quality of work make her creations exceptional, unique and highly sought after. Along with her skilled team of craftsmen, Claudia consistently aims to exceed the expectations of her clients. She describes her style as clean, refined and elevated, with the insight and experience to work in homes with a range of aesthetics from modern and contemporary to traditional. Claudia lives in Fairfield with her two children, who are her biggest inspiration of all.

Claudia is on Instagram.

Links and Resources;

Claudia's Digital Tape measure

A Well Designed Business by LuAnn Nigara

Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades, and Top Treatments: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Installing Window Decor by Susan Woodcock

Links and Resources;

Chris Guillebeau