Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Calk.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have many memories of my mom sewing when I was a child. There was always something therapeutic about the sound of her sewing machine humming in the basement. My mom would always change up the pillows on the sofa or bed when seasons changed. It was a creative way for her to bring beauty into the home and keep things fresh. In 2014 when I became a mom, I wanted a creative outlet to do with my time at home. After all, every mama needs a break from changing diapers and feeding their little ones 😉 . So naturally, I looked into sewing! For my first sewing lesson my mom taught me how to make an envelope pillowcase on her 1975 Bernina sewing machine– I’ve never looked back! I learned a lot of sewing basics from my mom, then I turned to You Tube videos to learn more details about pillows specifically. I was immediately infatuated with textiles. The variety of texture, color and design keeps things entertaining. I love that every single custom order is different. It’s my client’s difference in taste that keeps me inspired. As for the name, Sadl’s Designs–“Saw-duhls” is my family nickname, thanks to my oldest sister!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The hardest thing to juggle was time management. In the beginning I would depend on “nap time” as my sewing time. But naps aren’t a guarantee and are constantly changing, so depending on that to get orders done didn’t last long! My husband has been super gracious to watch the kids when I need to work on orders, but as demand increased that didn’t work well either–after all, there’s only so much time in a day! It was definitely a learning curve to find balance between family time and work time. I can say that paying for childcare has been well worth the expense! Better for the business and easier on the family.
Please tell us about Sadl’s Designs.
While custom pillows are the most popular, I’ve also made custom cushions and dog beds. A great perk about Sadl’s is that I make custom pillow inserts so clients are not limited to standard sizes offered in stores or online. Something that sets Sadl’s apart is if a client doesn’t want to provide the fabric, I can create textile design boards based off of photos of the clients space. There is something so fun about helping someone bring beauty to their space! My dream for Sadl’s Designs is to someday have my own line of textiles.
Contact Info:
- Email: sadlsdesigns@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sadlsdesigns
- Facebook: Sadls Designs
Image Credit:
Sarah Calk
Jalea Seals
Jessica Irvin
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