We were lucky to catch up with Margaret Ruble recently and have shared our conversation below.

Margaret, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I first learned to sew at home as a young child, guided by my mother and grandmother, who were accomplished seamstresses themselves. Over the past twenty years, I’ve learned many skills as a professional costume stitcher and patternmaker in the performing arts.

Had the Internet existed in my youth, I think marketing and networking would come more naturally to me. Zephyr Line Workshop is growing slowly but organically by meeting new friends and bike shops along for the ride.

I would say my most essential skills as an entrepreneur are craftsmanship, creativity, and humor.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started sewing as a young girl because my mom and grandmother are seamstresses. Doll clothes, then later clothes for myself. In college I majored in fashion design but switched to textile arts. When I began working in the costume shop at the University of Akron, I had no idea this would become a career- I’ve now worked as a dance and performing arts stitcher and patternmaker for over 20 years. I’ve also been in the local IATSE wardrobe and theater union as a stitcher since 2006, and have worked on costumes for the dancers of Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Madonna to name a few!

My small business, Zephyr Line Workshop, was born in 2013, when I began designing and sewing cycling caps for Joy Machines Bike shop in Cleveland. Fast forward to 2020- everyone needed a mask! I quickly made a website, and shockingly sold over 700 colorful custom masks in dozens of fabrics. I was busier than ever, and it was a much-needed confidence boost in the face of being suddenly laid off! People were valuing my skills and appreciating fabric.

Fortunately, I was soon able to transition back to caps and dry goods. My patternmaking skills from college and dance have been really useful- everything I make is my own. Also, I would say I have a strong eye for color and I love to combine fun patterns, textures and vintage fabrics to create one of a kind pieces. Overall, collaborating on custom hats for racing teams- using their screenprinted textiles- is especially satisfying because I help them tangibly realize their vision. ZLW is more than cycling caps; check out www.zephyrlineworkshop.com for zipper pouches, five panel hats, stickers, and more.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I would like society in general to realize that creative professionals are serious about their craft and deserve the same amount of respect as people in more traditional roles. For example, an artist spends just as much if not more time honing their particular set of skills and craftsmanship as an architect, plumber or lawyer. Overall, everyone should be paid fairly and not compared to mass manufactured items.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The simple response- making something from nothing. Creating a thing that didn’t exist before. But really, there’s so much more to this. I’m able to have agency over my creative process, workshop iterations, love it or leave it. I feel happy when my client is satisfied with their order, or a customer discovers a hat they didn’t know they needed but can’t live without. Fabric is such a core memory for so many of us. A baby blanket, a favorite dress, a school uniform even. This tactile and visual cue takes us back in time, and sometimes we are triggered in the most wonderful way. Being part of someone else’s trip down memory lane is deeply rewarding and I’m delighted to be able to do that through sewing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zephyrlineworkshop.com
• Instagram: @zephyrlineworkshop

Image Credits

All images belong to myself, Margaret Ruble.