Create Kids Couture: BOTM- Snickerdoodle Stew

Congratulations to our January 2013 Boutique of the Month--

Jessica Stewart from Snickerdoodle Stew

We've had our eye on Jessica for a while. It seems like right out of the gate, she was already sprinting towards boutique success. For a new shop, she has learned the ropes quickly and her business has grown because of it. Certainly she owes some of her success to her daughter, the cutest model ever!

Here's Jessica's story.

My mom always sewed for me growing up. She made dresses for me and my sister. I still have one of the pinafores that she made for me when I was little and I'm hoping to make a dress to go under it so my little girl can wear it! On the other hand, my grandmother was dressing me in Jessica McClintock frocks. I had handmade AND boutique! I was always making clothes for my Barbies and I got really good at the candlewicking embroidery that was popular in the 80's (hello country blue geese!)

After I got married, a lady that I knew sold everything she had and moved to Africa. In the purge of her estate, I received a really nice Bernina sewing machine, complete with motorized sewing cabinet with an elevator to lift the machine up from the bottom. I was teaching school at the time and really didn't have time to try a new hobby, so it sat. And sat. Until I was pregnant with my daughter, Lydia. Then I had some motivation to learn to sew on my machine! My friend came over and showed me how to use it and within a day, I had jammed it up pretty good and couldn't get it fix it myself, so it sat again for another 18 months! I finally took it to get repaired, and literally hit the ground running. I made a few things here and there, and most were way off with the sizing. I AM one of those people that started a Facebook page just because I was creating something, but at the beginning it was just so I had a place to show off my work! I gradually got better and I think my very first "aha!" garment was this sweet brown and tan ruffled skirt that I made my daughter for our family photo shoot almost 2 years ago. I don't think I even intended for the colors to fit into my Snickerdoodle Stew idea, but it did.

It wasn't until I got a chance to test Rosanna's Corset Peasant Dress for Create Kids Couture that things really started coming together for me. So my story really is that I went to the CKC school of sewing! Through their patterns I learned appropriate techniques and order to my projects. And you know about the CKC addiction thing...once you start, you can't stop! I added more and more to my repertoire and gave them my own unique fabric combinations. I got together with some photographer friends that made my clothes look even more fabulous and here I am! I remember back in the fall telling Robin that I was convinced my shop will never take off and I should just stick to my allergy blog. I'm kind of laughing at that now! I really can't imagine doing anything else. It's like breathing to me! And I can't do anything except give thanks to God for giving me this wonderful gift that I get to share with my family and friends, and now you!