466 - Madison Stauffer - I Feel Like Architecture and Upholstery go Hand in Hand
Sew Much More
When Madison Stauffer graduated from Kent State in 2021 with an architecture degree, she decided to combine her sense of design and love of vintage furniture with her fledgling upholstering skills. Enter in Canton, Ohio, where she’s worked for three years. Among her other duties, she helps customers find the perfect fabric for their specific pieces, with considerations given for durability, the furniture’s original character, how it will be used, and how a fabric will lay across it. She also creates vision boards to help customers visualize fabric combinations and help them make...
info_outline
465 - Listener Favorite - Cathy Cohane
Sew Much More
info_outline
464 - Burnout, Boundaries and Working Smart
Sew Much More
Today's episode is dedicated to our mental health as we work so hard on our businesses. Resources and Links; Mental Health Resources; Meditation apps; Calm, Happier, Headspace, Insight Timer (Some of the links I provide, specifically to Amazon and a few others, require me to let you know that if you use those links and make a purchase, I will make some money. I won't make a million dollars, but I might be able to get a cup of coffee, so thank you!)
info_outline
463 - Listener Favorite - Robin Reynolds
Sew Much More
Robin Reynolds started her drapery workroom, , in 2007 when her last child was completing high school. Robin's clientele has grown principally by word of mouth amongst private individuals and commercial interior designers. Robin and her husband reside in Norman, OK. Links & Resources; The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
info_outline
462 - Amy Sadera - I Have Honed in on The Type of Client I Want to Work With
Sew Much More
Amy Sadera began Windows By Amy in her home in Phoenix, MD in 2017; focusing on window treatments, cushions, and pillows. Coming off a career in engineering to raise her children, Amy wanted to have a creative outlet, source of income and the flexibility that owning a workroom provided. She builds relationships with retail clients that involve designing, fabricating and installing her luxury custom products. Outside of the workroom, Amy enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with her husband, two children and pets. You can find Amy on and The Sew Much More Podcast is...
info_outline
462 - Jenny Lilly - I Want to Be Close to The Client
Sew Much More
Jenny Lilly is an interior artisan and designer specializing in window treatments and other soft home furnishings. She operates a full-service fabrication studio from Hickory, NC known as . She creates one-of-a-kind window treatments, bedding ensembles, table coverings, and pillows, while also offering blinds, shades, and shutters. Her clients are drawn to the inspiration, couture details, and functionality her creations bring to their homes. When Jenny is not creating with her hands, she enjoys a worthy cup of coffee, outdoor activities, and traveling alongside her...
info_outline
461 - Listener Favorite - Joy Wilbur
Sew Much More
Joy Willbur started her business, , in Lexington KY in 2006 with a desire to have a career that combined her passion for sewing with the flexibility she wanted as a mother. She loves to create gorgeous custom sewn décor. Joy works with designers, decorators, and homeowners as a partner to fabricate their designs. She loves to learn about new products and fabrication methods. Joy belongs to the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America), the Kentucky Workroom Association, and the Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library. You can find Joy on and ...
info_outline
460 - Kate Greenawalt and John Greenawalt from Stout Textiles
Sew Much More
Kate Greenawalt is ’s Vice President and part of the fourth generation of family leadership at the brand. She started her career overseeing all of Stout’s showrooms and traveling with the sales team. Kate enjoys the travel and the opportunities to meet new people and cultivate not only a business relationship but friendships as well. When she is not immersed in work, Kate enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. John Greenawalt is Stout Textile’s President and part of the fourth generation of family leadership at the brand. John began his career on the road...
info_outline
459 - Lindsey Kronmiller - Marrying Creativity and the Technical Side of Everything
Sew Much More
Lindsey Kronmiller is the owner of in Durham, North Carolina. After moving back to Durham from Atlanta, she sought a new career that combined textiles and project management skills, leveraging her background in technical theater production and entertainment marketing. With the help of a creative career coach, her eyes were open to the world of custom fabrication. She launched her custom soft furnishings studio in the beginning of 2023 with the support of an incredible network of mentors, teachers, family and friends. You can find Lindsey on . Links and Resources; ...
info_outline
458 - Christina Nies - I Love the Community of This Business
Sew Much More
Christina Nies is a former night shift labor and delivery nurse with 25 years of experience who has decided to embark on a new career path. She has launched a drapery and soft furnishing workroom called Night Shift Window Décor. Christina is a self-taught sewer with a long-standing passion for decorating and textiles. Her business caters to both retail and to-the-trade customers, providing a range of window treatment and soft furnishing services. Christina operates her workroom from a small space in the basement of her family home in Richmond, VA. She resides there with her husband, Nick,...
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.