537 - Listener Favorite - Bianca Henry
Sew Much More
Bianca Henry is the owner of in Durham, NC, which opened up in 2002. She is a member of the local WCAA Chapter where currently serves as president. In her spare time, she loves to bake and spend time with her children, Caleb and Jamesa. Bianca’s passion for draperies has given her a happiness that makes her career enjoyable, even during the stressful times; she wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Bianca is on Facebook and Instagram. The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; ...
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536 - What I Brought Home from The Custom Workroom Conference
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The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
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535 - Listener Favorite - Karen Barnes on Retirment
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The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; Karen Barnes is the former owner of The Elegant Window. She owned her business for. years. She is now retired and is sharing her journey with us.
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534 - Sam Kuczynski - Moving the Upholstery Industry Forward and Making it Better
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Samantha Kuczynski is a multitasker; balancing daily childcare for her two small children, managing her upholstery business, and serving as the current President of the National Upholstery Association. Sam owns Stuffed & Tufted, an upholstery business in Baltimore, MD. Before launching her upholstery career, Sam worked as a Props Artisan for professional theatre, where she learned the basics of upholstery and developed a passion for recovering furniture. Over the past eight years, she has built a reputation for high-quality residential work while collaborating with museums, local shops,...
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533 - Katie Peters - Dream With a Vision Towards Reality
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Katie Peters is the owner of Shelter Sewing Co, a small window treatment and soft furnishings workroom to the trade near Roanoke, VA. She is a member of the Richmond WCAA chapter and enjoys meeting and learning from other fabricators across the country. While she dreams and plans for future expansion, she savors her time with her two young children, friends, family and faith community. Links and Resources; Frixion pens The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
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532 - You Don't Have to Figure It Out All Alone
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I hope you will join us for the Open House at the Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library! If you are currently a DIY or PRO Access Member, you don't have to do anything. If you aren't currently a member, be sure to you'll receive instructions from there. The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
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531 - Listener Favorite - Carol Blow
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Carol Blow is the owner of a retail workroom – -- located in Richmond, Virginia. She started her business in 2018. Carol learned to sew at an early age. Her zest for learning new techniques, combined with a can-do attitude, provided the foundation for her business … along with years of experience! Creating custom items gives her great joy and satisfaction. Carol has been a member of WCAA since 2019 and currently serves as Vice President of the local Richmond Chapter. Links and Resources; The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; ...
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530 - David Reinholtz - From Vintage Clothing Repair to Custom Window Treatments
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David Reinholtz runs the Instagram page , where he specializes in vintage garment repair and restoration. He has been working in the field full-time for nearly two years and finds great satisfaction in saving pieces that might otherwise be destined for the trash. David especially enjoys working with collectors and others who recognize the value of preserving vintage garments. His philosophy is simple: Always repair before you replace. The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
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529 - Opportunity Thinking Series with Susan Woodcock
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On today's episode, Susan Woodcock and I talk about the Opportunities in education, specifically the and how important it is to our industry.
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528 - Ten Year Anniversary of the Sew Much More Podcast
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The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
info_outlineIn 1999 Jes and Wes were on a quest to work for themselves and have more control over their own time. That's when they created Crown Upholstery. After 25 years they have definitely worked, but they have yet to gain much control over their time. Jesica is the 5th generation in her family to be enticed by the upholstery lifestyle. Growing up in her grandparents shop, in Glendale Arizona, she witnessed first hand the freedoms upholstery had to offer as well as the hard work one has to put in to be successful in this craft. Wes was raised in Maryland and had never known upholstery to be anything other than something you did to the interiors of cars. The sirens of upholstery began to sing to him on a visit to Jesica's grandparents house. He saw their home based shop and the countless processes that go into this craft and quickly fell in love. Having a background in auto mechanics he was already primed for the problem solving journey that upholstery provides. He took a few classes taught by Jesica's grandfather, Frank, and then began his apprenticeship with him after Frank saw the enthusiasm and attention to detail Wes had. Within a few years of walking into an upholstery shop for the first time, Wes was starting his own. It began in a tiny one car garage that shared space with laundry machines, holiday decorations and lawn equipment but it did the job. Jesica had experience in accounting and she's much better at organization and management of things so that made the decision of who would be boss really easy. They moved across country a couple of times searching for a place to settle down and eventually landed in east Tennessee. In the 17 years living and working in Knoxville they have established a reputation for quality upholstery and excellent customer service. For the majority of their upholstery career they have been a home based business. In 2018 they purchased their first commercial space. A 1920's grocery store with an apartment above. They were officially a business based home. Within a few years, and after hiring another upholsterer Crown Upholstery was ready for more growth. Jesica found and purchased another building in the same neighborhood. This allowed them to bring on another full-time upholsterer. Jesica was now coordinating the schedules of 3 upholsterers along with everything else that goes into running a business. They still live above the old upholstery shop but it is now a Hair salon that Jesica manages as well. There's a reason she won Knoxville's Women owned business of the year 2024. Even when they aren't working together they still enjoy spending time together. Whether it's camping, sifting through junks shops or riding bikes. They are rarely seen very far apart.