Once out of university, I moved back to my hometown and rented a small upstairs studio at a local coffeshop, out of which I did alterations work and custom sewing for clients.

It was hard to get enough work because I live in a small town, but there is a great collection of artisans of all kinds here who are very supportive of each other and make an effort to keep a network that spreads the word, creates collaborative shows, etc.

It helped that almost no one does the kind of work I do--the custom clothing/bridal part--except in larger cities. I also continued to work part-time at a local independent fabric store where I honed my knowledge of fabrics, sewing machines, custom fitting. I also taught classes and was reminded of what a process designing and sewing is, and that all the steps are of equal importance for a successful project. The knowledge and skill are cumulative, but the simplest tasks are just as vital as the complex ones.

My work branched into bridal, which included brides, mothers of the brides/grooms, bridesmaids and flower girls. This area allowed me to work with the more elegant fabrics and employ some creative techniques with fabrics that everyday-wear doesn't. It was, and continues to be, challenging but very rewarding.

Along the road of 12 years in the business, I began to really delve into the world of fibers--where they come from, how they're made, what their best applications are. I became acutely aware of their impact on the environment during their growing process if a natural fiber, and on their production process if a synthetic. I grew up in an off-the-grid house in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and was raised with a true awareness of the value of our resources--what we are actually drawing from when we turn on a faucet or flip a light switch. With something like clothing, which we have so much of and use almost every hour of everyday, I felt the need to go in-depth with what fabric really is and our relationship to it.

My time at the fabric store had already made me into a fabric snob--I really can't stand most synthetic fibres and will always opt for the best quality cotton, hemp, silk, linen, or wool available. But all my research made me acutely aware that just having a natural fiber was only the first step as a consumer. How the fiber is produced and then processed is far more important in terms of its environmental footprint and its 'health' as something you are going to put on your body. I made the decision to begin adding organic fabrics into my business as much as possible.

In addition to working with organics, which carry the added benefit of often using domestic or fair-trade labor, I have always been an avid recycler. Almost all of my original couture pieces of clothing are made with a mix of vintage, recycled/found, and new elements. If I've done my work successfully, one doesn't know which parts are which unless they are intended to. This has resulted in my having a unique aesthetic to my work, and to the pieces themselves having a 'timeless' quality in that they are impossible to 'place' into a certain era. This is a real boon and a distinguishing feature in a time when 'fast fashion' is the predominant industry system. (That's a rant for another time).

My present goals are to create an organic line with vintage elements and take part in my first trade show to try to get a good wholesale base. I do love the uniqueness of doing one-off pieces and yet, there are few consumers that are knowledgeable and capable of paying the prices needed for that to be sustaining in today's economy. Fast fashion has ruinous consequences for a clothing artisan, but I have hope that, as with all things, an evolved consciousness about our goods, including clothing, is just on the horizon...so much globalization has made us more aware of the story behind things, and this is so important!-with awareness and education come better choices and practices.

The individuality and enjoyment of clothing becomes all the more rich when one is aware of the process, effort and artistry that went into its making. Like an aged wine or a vintage car, it should be appreciated, enjoyed for its quality and distinction. Artisans know that when something looks flawless and easy, it is because someone worked mightily to make it appear so.