Laurel Ely
Laurel Ely began sewing at the age of 13 during ninth grade home ec class. Although her skills did not match the wonderful designs swirling around in her head, she forged on. Eventually, she was able to execute those designs fairly proficiently. As she thinks back, her love of design and clothes began much earlier when, as a small child, her favorite toys were paper dolls, especially the glamorous movie stars, whose clothes she would design, color and cut into a wardrobe. As she continued to sew her own clothes, it became apparent very quickly that the patterns did not come in petite sizes; fitting became an important aspect of her sewing. It is important for her to have garments that look “hand made” not “home made”, and a good fit can make all the difference.
As an adult, she earned a BS degree in Fashion Merchandising, which included garment construction and pattern drafting, from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. After graduation, she continued to hone her skills by taking classes both in sewing and fitting. Her career led her down another path, and she joined a legal publishing company where she worked in the technical training and technical writing areas. She never stopped sewing, however, both for her daughters and herself. After retirement, she returned to her first love, working in a small fabric store and teaching pattern fitting classes.
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