Sew Much More

Leisha Schutt is the owner of LHS Designs, a to-the-trade workroom working with Interior Designers in the greater Richmond, VA area. Leisha's love for textiles led her to pursue a degree in Textile Design. This degree has served her well through different phases of her life. Leisha spent several years working in the Apparel Industry before shifting her focus to the Window Treatment Industry and in 2009 when she opened LHS Designs. In addition to running the business, Leisha is a member of the WCAA Virtual Chapter and also the local Richmond Chapter of the WCAA where she has served as Secretary and also Co-president. LHS Designs has been recognized in R.Home Magazine as "Window Treatment Fabricator of the Year" category, in 2016 as first place and 2017 and 2018 as runner up.

Leisha is on Instagram

Resources and Links;

Sloan Machinery

Profit Is A Choice Podcast

Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

Kristen Stevenson is the daughter of Joan & Dave Stevenson, owners of Stevenson Vestal, a custom drapery workroom in Burlington, NC. After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor's Degree in Studio Art and a minor in Music, Kristen followed her passion for creative work, learning to make Roman Shades at Stevenson Vestal. Enamored by the intricacies of custom soft goods, she began promoting her workroom photography online. Since then, Kristen has rebranded the company through logo redesign, website renovation, and videography. She enjoys networking with members in the industry and meeting with designers to inspire ideas and confidence for selling custom window treatments. In her spare time, she is an avid runner and yogi. She is also a music enthusiast, loves seeing concerts, and is the bassist and singer in her band "Fifth Species" residing in Greensboro, NC. Kristen is constantly inspired by the enthusiasm, creativity, and passion to preserve the traditions of old-world craftsmanship in the industry. Connect with Kristen on Instagram (@stevensonvestal) Facebook, and YouTube!

Resources and Links;

30 Minutes with Workroom Tech Podcast

Stevenson Vestal YouTube Channel

They Ask You Answer

The Custom Workroom Conference

DJI Osmo Pocket Camera

Originally from Wisconsin, Cathy Stitch, owner of Cathy's Curtains and Accessories is the 3rd oldest of eight children & learned to sew at age 8. Cathy believes she has this right brain/left brain dichotomy – loving sports (especially the Packers), Math, science, art & crafts. Two years of college were focused on Art & Design & 2 were spent in business & accounting. In its 27 years, her business has been located in 5 different cities. Cathy has been married to her husband, Jim for 38 years & they have 4 children & 8 grandchildren. Her goal is to pass on her love of sewing to my grands!

You can find Cathy on Facebook and Instagram

Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

Hope Arbery, the founder of QUIPA, is on a mission to help custom drapery workrooms work better! QUIPA is an online tool designed specifically for workrooms to save them massive amounts of time and to dramatically increase their profits.

Imagine… yardage calculations, pricing, and work orders done instantly! Imagine… no more costly calculation errors or having to duplicate information. Imagine… everything organized in one place and customized for how you run YOUR workroom. This is QUIPA.

As an interior designer and workroom owner, Hope is using her experience and passion to build world-class technology for workrooms.

QUIPA is on Instagram

Resources;

QUIPA

Custom Workroom Conference

The OPPORTUNITY THINKING SERIES

of the Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by the

Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library.

In 1995 Susan Kostelecky began SK Designs, an award-winning custom window treatment design and fabricating company serving the greater Houston area. Susan has designed and fabricated hundreds of window treatments, including many featured in Houston area home tours. Susan has served as President of the Houston Area Custom Drapery Association, is a WFCP-Expert and often presents seminars to other workroom and design groups.

In 2006 Susan founded The Custom Sewing Institute, which produced weekend seminars for medium to advanced level workrooms with a focus on hands-on classes, small group networking, all-inclusive registration fees (meals, lodging and class supplies) and industry leaders and talented instructors. For six years this event drew attendees and speakers from across the US, Canada, and England.

Since the closing of her CSI adventure, Susan has focused on growing SK Designs and focusing on her increasing clientele, many of whom have found her via her A-rated Angie's List membership and on Houzz, where she has received the Best of Houzz Service award in 2016 and 2017.

Susan is on Facebook and Instagram

Resources;

Döfix

Pin Bowls

Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel

Kendra Hays, the owner of Cloudberry Drapery Studio is the wife of her video game loving husband Marcus and mother to four amazing kids, and her passion for sewing came from her mother.

In her early 20's her love for home decor sewing took off when she was given her first sewing machine. She filled her new home with various curtains and bedding. One of her first projects was her oldest sons nursery! Her work has evolved through the years and she loves collaborating with and inspiring her clients to make their house truly unique. Through her active involvement in workroom networking groups, including the Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA) she is able to keep up to date on the latest trends and methods of fabrication. She strongly believes in education and improving her techniques. She regularly attends industry conferences and events to keep up to date on the newest trends, fabrics, and fabrication methods. Kendra is on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources and Links;

The Drapery and Design Network is now The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

The Custom Workroom Conference

Workroom Tech

The Workroom Channel

Drawmatic

Jewel's Tape

The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

My Designer Concierge

Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel

Sue Sifakis started SUESEWN in 1995. She attended Cheryl Stricklands's week-long class on how to run a drapery business in 1994. She also attended CHF classes and was on an advisory committee for the CHF magazine a few years. She was part of the Alumni showcase in 2010. She has also attended Slipcover Networking Workshops as well as numerous conferences to learn more. Sue has been a member of the Eastern Massachusetts WCAA Chapter since 2006 and she has held officer positions such as Secretary, Vice President, and President.

Links and Resources;

Deb Barrett

Custom Workroom Conference

Qigong

After earning her BFA in Costume Design, Nancy Bramwell opened Bramwell Designs, a special event décor business. Using fabric as her primary material, she created fantastical environments that wowed guests and lead a typical client to exclaim: "It's one of the pleasures of my job to have an idea, turn it over to someone as talented and creative as you are, and get such a spectacular return product." In the mid-90s, one of her special event clients asked Nancy to create window treatments for her daughter's room, and Nancy's window coverings career was launched. She hasn't looked back. Window coverings proved to be the ideal outlet for Nancy's pursuits of perfection, creativity, and innovation. Links and Resources; The Custom Workroom Conference Pentel Twist Erase Pencil.09 Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel

On a sofa in the basement apartment of Cheryl Strickland's home, and a few days later on a flight to Tampa, FL, for the 2005 International Window Coverings Expo, Jeanelle and Anita Boetsma chatted about their work in the custom home furnishings industry. Anita shared her idea of having a printed work table grid to replace the difficult process of hand-marking table canvas with indelible markers.

"Can your company print on canvas that is 72" wide? Can that print be as simple as a numbered grid?"

…and the PRINTED TABLE CANVAS was born!

The PRINTED TABLE CANVAS has been an essential tool for professional drapery workrooms ever since. Listen to this podcast to hear more about the development of the Printed Table Canvas and the challenges along the way.

Grid Installation video:

Several sizes and styles of the Printed Table Canvas can be purchased thru The Workroom Marketplace

Anita Boetsma has been in the window treatment and design industry for over 25 years. She has been a workroom owner, designer, and instructor. She has worked in hardware sales and customer service for many years. Anita is currently a Regional Sales Manager for Forest Drapery Hardware.

Jeanelle Dech is president and co-founder of Adaptive Textiles, an innovative textile printing company in West Chester, PA. She is a friendly and engaging speaker, known for her entrepreneurial spirit, love of natural linen fabric, Fit-Like-a-Glove slipcovers, and workroom profitability training. In 2015, she acquired the M'Fay Pattern collection and launched The Workroom Marketplace and The Workroom Channel, which hosts a series of online training programs for sewing professionals. She is the creative energy behind The Workroom Channel's METHOD SHARE, REAL WORKROOMS, and FLY ON THE WALL series.

Resources and Links;

Custom Workroom Conference

The OPPORTUNITY THINKING Episodes of the Sew Much More Podcast are sponsored by The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library.

The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library hosts the industry's largest curated collection of educational resources for Custom Home Décor professionals. Membership to the library gives you access to a wealth of downloadable reference materials, videos, live events, and a community of support to help you develop your design, sales, and fabrication skills, and to grow or start a business.

Thanks to my Corporate Sponsors; The Window Covering Association of America Scarlet Thread Consulting The Workroom Channel Callie is the owner of Draped and Tailored, a new fabrication studio in Little Rock, AR. Working mostly with the Trade, she creates everything from draperies and pillows, to bedding and Roman shades. By the age of 30, she had several upscale projects in her portfolio, including the Arkansas Governor's Mansion and country music star, Justin Moore. Callie has an Interior Design degree from the University of Central Arkansas. While earning her degree, she was required to take a sewing class in 2008. This is where her soft-goods fabrication journey began. Sewing draperies and pillows was a mere "side hustle" for the first 5 years. It wasn't until she started working at a fabric showroom that she realized it could be an actual business. She is still navigating the ins and outs of running a business and is currently in the process of finding commercial space. In just the past year, her work has been featured in multiple magazines and a coffee table book, Four Seasons of Entertaining. Her favorite part of the job is unrolling a new bolt of fabric and being inspired all over again. She considers herself a pretty good trivia partner and is Harrison Ford's #1 fan. Draped and Tailored on Facebook Draped and Tailored on Instagram Resources; Fours Seasons of Entertaining by Shayla Copas Custome Workroom Conference Pro Design LLC Workroom Tech