We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.
Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
Time is Money
As a person who loves history, I take time to reflect on my business and previous employment. I’m always looking for ways to improve my bottom line, and I realize that time is money.
Because I make one-of-a-kind pieces, I have to find ways to speed up the process. For example, most of my pieces have pockets. Rather than making two pockets for one piece, then making another piece with two pockets, I’ll make 50 pockets in one sitting.
I’ll do the same thing with my Seams by Sarah tags, or with fabric dying and bleaching. This assembly-line process helps me shave several minutes off of each duster or hoodie, and those several minutes eventually become hours. I am a firm believer in balance, so I value those minutes I save, as they let me spend time with my family and friends.
Seams by Sarah is the opposite of fast fashion that dominates the fashion industry. It turns out my designs resonate with people who want clothing made from quality textiles with expert workmanship and timeless style.
Sarah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Earning a Full-Time Living From My Creative Work
As a child, I was drawn to historical clothing, sewing techniques, and pattern making. I wanted to make ball gowns, corsets, bonnets, and anything with a period style. I grew up in a small town, so I had access to 4H, where I learned to sew, and I’ve been honing my skills since then. When I was a child, I didn’t think that I would become a professional creative. I just knew I was creative.
Honing My Sewing Skills
During my early adult years, I apprenticed under expert tailors and learned how to draft patterns. I also began sewing for community theaters, historical societies, and our local ballet company as a volunteer.
While I worked in retail in Visual Merchandising in my 20s, I started doing bridal and custom work on the side. I loved doing custom work, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t going to turn into a full-time job. However, all the custom work helped me decide that sewing was what I was meant to do.
Custom work included researching special gowns, cosplay outfits, and reproduction which was time-consuming and stressful. I needed an alternative that gave me time to travel and sew. Along the way, I found that I could do everything I loved by repurposing beautiful textiles into comfortable, one-of-a-kind, handmade items. I get to make seams, work with historical fabrics, do detail work, and share my love of clothing with others.
The Birth of Seams by Sarah
Seams by Sarah is my bespoke clothing brand that lets me earn a full-time living doing what I love.
Every piece I make for Seams by Sarah tells a story (and I tell them to my customers). I search for vintage textiles with patterns and textures that catch my eye. Then, I deconstruct them and match them with other bits and pieces. I dye and bleach, cut and construct, and eventually transform the textiles into unique, sentimental jackets, tops, and accessories that become works of art.
Because I work with vintage fabrics, I have to work around holes and stains. I have to mend, dye, manipulate, and pleat. I get to solve problems using creativity, science, and geometry.
People who wear Seams by Sarah clothing comment on the special additions like scraps of ribbons, unique tag placements, and tea-dying. No two Seams by Sarah pieces are alike. I get to do the designing, tailoring, and building in my way, rather than from a custom order so I get to set my calendar and clock.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Turning Sewing Into an Environmentally-Friendly and Body-Positive Business
My business has become more than a full-time job. I have built an eco-friendly business that keeps textiles out of landfills. My designs are body-positive and size-inclusive, as I do not size them. While my brand is not one-size-fits-all, it is oversized, so most items fit many.
When shopping at a Seams by Sarah popup at a local art fair, shoppers are often “called” to a certain piece. Once they try it on, they know immediately that is it for them. These moments make my heart soar and confirm that I am doing exactly what I should be doing – designing and sewing pieces that I love for other people who love them, too.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Slow Fashion Inspired by a Love of History
My slow fashion continues to slowly grow. I’ve been slowly growing my business by sharing my story and the story of the textiles I use.
From spring to Christmas, I pack up my trailer and travel to towns in Michigan and Ohio to sell my boho chic clothing at vintage fairs and art shows. In the last two years, I’ve caught the eye of a handful of local boutique owners, who have added my one-of-a-kind designs to their small-town shops.
I’m also growing my online business selling piece by piece on Instagram and on my website seamsbysarah.com. I know that the industry continues to change, so I must be flexible and open-minded as I grow Seams by Sarah beyond the borders of my hometown in Michigan.
The things that inspire me – stories about grandma’s linens or baby’s first hat, have inspired me to make meaningful pieces that my customers wear. I take pride in repurposing pieces that get new life and more love.
Contact Info:
- Website: Seamsbysarah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seamsbysarah
Image Credits
K Miles Photography https://www.instagram.com/kmiles_photography?igsh=MWU5cDNldjhtNGpkZA==