342 - Happy New Year 2023!

Loretta McGranaghan is the owner and President of Loretta’s Designs, LLC. She has been in the business for more than 30 years as a workroom, servicing retail & wholesale clients.  They offer many services including soft treatments (panels, shades, cushions, cornices/valances, etc.), hard treatments (shutters, wood blinds, woven wood shades, etc.), fabrics, hardware & faux painting. Loretta's Designs also offers a full interior design service. Loretta received her Interior design degree from the Art Institute of Philadelphia & studied Fine Arts at Rosemont College.  Loretta is proud to say that although she graduated from a prestigious institute of education she is a self-taught sewer.   Instagram: lorettasdesigns LinkedIn: loretta-mcgranaghan Loretta's Designs   Links and Resources; Susan Woodcock's Roman Shade Class Pilot Fixion Pens

Links and Resources; My first interview with Taylor in Podcast Episode 259 Taylor's Podcast with Kate the Socialite   Atomic Habits by James Clear  

Justin began his journey into the world of furniture and soft goods working in and managing antique showrooms. After receiving a degree in Interior Design, he began working in a full-service Design and built-to-order luxury home furnishings showroom. He designed residential interiors, attended market as a showroom buyer, and eventually opened a satellite location as Design Director and Showroom Manager before leaving the Design profession in search of a new challenge.   Now nine years into his career in Upholstery, Justin draws heavily on his past experience in the antique and design fields to inform his work as a prior Studio Director and Current lead upholsterer working for Castillo's Custom Upholstery in Seattle Washington. When not in the workroom or the studio, you can find him contributing as a co-administrator of the Professional Upholsterers Network, or at the helm of his latest personal side project, "Foxglove Artisan LLC" created to explore upholstery and adjacent craft, education, research, and training opportunities. Justin is on Instagram   Links and Resources;   National Upholstery Association Professional Upholsterers Network of Facebook   The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg     The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   National Upholstery Association  

Frances Pusch has worked with textiles in some form her entire professional career. Her training includes art school and a bachelor’s degree in textile design from Boston University. She also studied tailoring and fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). During twelve years in New York, Frances worked for two leading textile companies, had a custom tailor shop, was a pattern-maker for outerwear companies, including London Fog, and taught tailoring and pattern-making at FIT. As a business owner, she has made men’s and women’s custom suits, designed and produced a collection of women’s clothing, and later a line of gift items for dog lovers. Her sole focus, starting in 2002, has been creating fine products for home interiors. Frances keeps her business up-to-date by actively participating in online discussion groups and webinars, as well as traveling to conferences and workshops around the country. She is always searching for better techniques, resources and technology—all the while keeping hand stitching alive and well! Her professional affiliations include the Window Coverings Association of America, the Drapery and Design Professional Network, and the Maine Women’s Business Network. Frances lives in an 1848 cape-style house, next door to her studio, in a small village in coastal Maine. When not working, she is most often found playing with her rescue dog, Tilly, or on a tennis court, or enjoying the company of art, music, books and friends.   Links and Resources; First Podcast with Frances Pusch - #53 - I Followed What Made Me Happy Profit First by Mike Michalowicz  

Elaine Parry is English, born in London and brought up in Bath. Elaine studied retail design in Paris and worked in haute couture boutiques and soft furnishings for over 20 years before moving to the countryside in Touraine. She has two grown-up children who have gone back to England to work and study. Elaine is surrounded by chateaux, vineyards, and forests and has two miniature donkeys, three miniature sheep, two cats, and a little cairn terrier who keep me busy when not sewing. Elaine owns Pretty Petite Choses and she can be found on Instagram.     Links and Resources; Houles Declercq

Podcast 240 - Resources for Your Business Laura Nelson's Artice in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest Sarah O'Neil's Podcast Custom Workroom Conference Jill Robson's Policies & Procedures Webinars (Available to PRO Access and PRO Plus members of the Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library) Seamless Workroom A Wild Plan Donna Skufis's Calendar Blocking Laurel Studio Planner   The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   National Upholstery Association  

What a thrill is was for me to interview Laurie Medford on today's podcast! Laurie joined the window treatment industry in 1983. Her workroom Centsible Creations specialized in window treatments, bedding, and upholstery. Laurie was an upholstery instructor at the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Charlotte, N.C., and has written how-to articles for multiple magazines. From 2009 to 2018, Laurie worked for Rowley Company as an educator. In addition to her workroom experience, Laurie is an expert at crochet and shares her ideas and talents by teaching beginning through advanced classes both in the U.S. and internationally at conferences and seminars. In her spare time, Laurie enjoys testing patterns for international designers of yarn art. In 2021 Laurie joined Workroom Tech in Tryon, N.C. as an instructor for professional workroom courses.   Laurie is on Facebook

Jennifer Csanyi is the owner of Jennifer’s Sewing Studio located in Cocoa, Fl.  Jennifer has been sewing most of her life and learned from her grandmother, a wonderful and patient teacher. Jennifer started her business as a single mother, needing to create more income for her family.  She is focused on educating herself to increase her skills and confidence. When Jennifer attended the Custom Workroom Conference for the first time it was a life-changing event for her and her business and she had the pleasure of meeting Ceil and Susan while there and many other wonderful workroom owners and workers. Jennifer has also been taking virtual classes with Susan. The classes have been fantastic and she has learned so much from them! She is also a member of the WCAA virtual group and has recently been elected President.  Links and Resources; 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! The Slip Cover Network Facebook Page The Custom Workroom Conference Kim Chagnon/Kim's Upholstery Fit-Like-A-Glove Slipcovers with Jeanelle Dech Slipcovers by Shelly Workroom Tech- check the WRT Website for upcoming slipcover classes (and lots of others!) with Emily Petit Kitty Stein's Book Singer(R) Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades, and Top Treatments: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Installing Window Decor by Susan Woodcock     The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   National Upholstery Association  

With unwavering conviction, Jessica Harling can break down complex decisions to simplify an action plan. Her dynamic problem-solving can confront potential obstacles proactively and energize any team, making others feel valued to achieve their ambitious company goals. She is the founder of Behind the Design, a People Operations company that enthusiastically collaborates with leadership to build dream teams! From recruiting to training and process development, their intuition for creating strong emotional connections discovers and nurtures rockstar talent with established streamlined processes that impact the company’s bottom line.   You can find Jessica on Facebook and Instagram.

I wonder if any of you were as impressed with the idea of Excellence rather than Perfectionism as I was.  Please let me know what you thought about Jeanne Swartz's conversation on her podcast.   Links and Resources; Growth Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carole Dweck