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About Baby Gee's
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by Michelle Thomas
A little about me and Baby Gees
Sewing has been a passion of mine for some time. I used to work in an office and would sew occasionally on the weekends as a hobby. If you had asked me 8 years ago what would you do if you got laid off from work? the answer would not have been: SEW! But that is what happened.
My son came along and the idea of Baby Gees came to fruition. He was my inspiration. I received many lovely handmade baby gifts. Many of my friends were expecting during that timeframe and I wanted to give them the same thoughtful and adorable gear that I had received. So I made some burp cloths, then some bibs and then I found minky chenille! Blankets, taggies, hooded towels, onesies with appliques and various little girls clothing followed and I had A LINE. The craft show circuit was great and I met some wonderful folks that had the same passion I did for the handmade scene.
I branched out into consignment around Columbus. Custom orders through my domain and orders through Etsy were coming in and I really enjoyed the feeling I got when someone acknowledged my products by actually buying them!
During this time, I began teaching sewing classes at a little shoppe called Sew to Speak. It is literally minutes from my home and when I went in the first time, I was smitten. To be surrounded by all the beautiful fabric and inspiration was just wonderful. After my 84th trip in for more fabric (ok not 84, but close), the owner asked me Would you like to teach a class? YES!!!
I began teaching a simple lined tote bag. It was a hit. Beginners were flocking to the shoppe to learn how to sew and I was finding there was a need for an even more basic class. The Intro to Machine Sewing class was created and is still strong to this day. I still cater to beginner sewers and teach several classes that last no more than 1 to 2 days. I love to encourage new sewers and see the enthusiasm they have after they have completed a project. I guess I never thought I would be a teacher but it has been quite satisfying.
So as my teaching ramped up, my craft shows ramped down. If anyone is familiar with the craft show scene, you know with it comes late nights preparing, mass production and eventually burn out. I wanted new challenges that would allow me to create without feeling like a sweatshop. Teaching filled that role for me. I create samples and write up patterns or directions for them. I test them and I teach them. Life is good!
Happy Sewing!
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