Celebrating 27 Years in Business

Last month my business, Sew Nice, celebrated 27 years in business. While I had every intention of posting this in June,  I was sidelined by another important event:  the birth of my grandson, Cosimo!  I've written a blog about my granddaughter, Freya, and someday I may write about Cosimo.  This month's blog is about Sew Nice. I'm often asked when I learned to sew and how I started my business so this month I'm sharing that story with you. 

My Interest in Sewing

I honestly don’t remember learning to sew, but remember doing counted cross stitch and embroidery as young as 7 years old. By eight, I was helping my mom lay pattern pieces on fabric and cutting them out. By middle school and high school I was making some of my clothes. My favorites were the Gunne Sax dresses.

My first machine was a toy sewing machine.  It didn't work well and also didn't last long.  Tip: skip the toy machines for your young person.  Buy a basic "real" one to start on. I soon mastered my mom's Kenmore, which I still have!

Sewing as a Hobby

 I began to make window treatments after my husband and I moved into our first home. To guide me, I used how-to books from the library, as this was long before home computers and internet were available. Although I enjoyed sewing, it didn’t occur to me to turn it into a business until my first son was born.  After graduating from Purdue University, I had held a variety of positions in food service, from Dining Hall Manager, Catering Coordinator, to Restaurant Manager.  As much as I enjoyed food service, the many nights, weekends and long hours were difficult with a baby, and I switched to working part-time. 

From Hobby to Career

Sew Nice began as an itty-bitty side gig while I was working part-time. At the onset, I was sewing many different things: formal and casual wear, nursery room accessories, alterations, window treatments and pillows. It didn’t take long to discover that my focus would be on home decor items. As business picked up I left my part-time job. This was a decision my husband and I did not take lightly. We decided to give Sew Nice a few months to see if it would work out. That was 27 years ago and I'm still going strong.  My second son was born soon after Sew Nice began and it became evident how beneficial it was to work from home with a young family.  

The Early Years

We converted a den into a workroom/office and I used two home sewing machines and a fold out table. The room overlooked the family room so I could easily hear and see both boys playing, or arguing, and I could step in as needed. Still pre-internet, I cold-called local interior designers to set up appointments to show them samples of my work. Business grew and the home office area was moved to another room in the house as I quickly took over the den. I continued to meet others in the home decorating field and began attending conferences, taking classes and joined Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA).

Moving Out

My sons got older and the business grew, as well as the size of the jobs. It was difficult to make large roman shades and wide drapery panels in a small space, and I was turning down slipcover orders for love-seats and sofas. Fortunately we had space to build a workroom on our property. How great it was to have a dedicated space for my business! Lots of room for slipcovering furniture, a 5’ x 12’ table to roll out fabric and wall space to hang finished window treatments. I’ve been in this space for 15 years and can’t imagine going back to working in that small room.

Where Sew Nice is Now

The business has grown so much over the past 27 years and I’m very proud of that. I had no idea when I started that I'd be teaching at conferences, holding leadership positions with WCAA, and winning awards for my work!   It wasn’t all smooth sailing getting here however. There were quite a few hiccups along the way: The steep learning curve from sewing hobbyist to professional, the lean years - especially 2008 and 2020, and balancing work and family, to name a few. What helped to get over those bumps and bring the business to where it is today was the love and support of my husband, the relationships I’ve formed through WCAA, and my trust in God.

What does the future hold?  I have no idea.  I'd like to continue what I'm doing as I love teaching and working with homeowners and designers.  But we'll see - stay tuned to keep up with what's going on at Sew Nice.

Until next time,

Laura