Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolee Collins-Wylie.
Carolee, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a seamstress. I have been sewing since I was12yrs old. For years I made clothing for my family members. I also paint and draw so I would design different items for whatever was needed. I always loved creating things for people; fixing, repairing, or replacing items. When someone needed something fixed they brought to me. The older I got the more I wanted to go back to school and get a degree in Art or Fashion.
A few years ago I did graduate and got a degree in Fashion Design and started my own shop. I designed a line of concealed weapon clothing for women. Over the last three years I have taught sewing to small children and HMR students as well as designed; party dresses, suits, repaired hats, altered swimsuits and dozens of other garments. I truly enjoy repairing peoples belongings.
My goal is to have several alteration shops with a number of people working for me that know how to repair clothing or are willing to learn. I also enjoy teaching basic sewing skills to people. Sewing is a lost art and it’s an important one. I believe that everyone should know how to thread a needle and learn some basic hand stitching skills to repair a temporary problem. They used to teach these skills in schools and Scouting programs but from what I understand they don’t anymore.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say it has been a curvy road more than a smooth road. I imagined being a great artist when I was in high school. However, living in a small town on the plains, where girls were brought up to be wives and mothers was my destiny. I worked in many different fields and tried to go to college, but wasn’t very successful until my second marriage. I graduated in Kansas with a Recreational Therapy degree.
After my children were grown with grandchildren I finally got a degree in Fashion. I accomplish my goal graduating at 61. I am healthier, stronger and happier then I have been in several years. I have a wonderful support system with my husband, children, and four granddaughters.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is in my garage just like Microsoft started. It’s a detached garage and I am near my disabled husband if he needs me. My shop has been remodeled into a sewing area which I seem to be growing out of the more machines I get. My specialty is repairing and altering clothing. I design clothing and teach sewing, but I love to make people happy by repairing their clothing.
The thing that sets me apart from other seamstresses is I am pretty mobile, I can meet people at their homes, shops, or they can come to me. I do pick up or drop off items. I try to make it convenient to get your repairs taken care of for you. “Sewing is my Super Power”
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, I live in Plano and I have customers in the surrounding communities. I believe that a sewing business is useful in every community.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 469-231-1318
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Facebook: Carolee Collins-Wylie Sew What?
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