my story.
from my beginnings with creativity as a kiddo to
my current hot-mess self as a mother-of-four in my thirties.
sewing | woodworking | stained glass | restorative renovations | gardening
screw balance.
ignore social norms.
hunt down your dreams.
portfolio
Hi there, I'm Sarah,
and here are some of my onion layers.
I'm sewn together with
wholesome intentions and not afraid
to jump into the deep end. I hope my story leads to some inspiration.
While I was constantly tinkering around with oddball projects as a kiddo ranging from woodworking to sewing to unapproved tree-houses constructed of luxury bed sheets, I first started to learn how to "properly" (ish) sew when I was in high school. Basically, I sat down with a good ole kenmore sewing machine, some commercial patterns, and a few yards of cotton quilting fabric in hopes of dressing my out-of-proportion-in-the-eyes-of-the-clothes-at-the-store body in some 1950 style dresses. I always saw pattern instructions as merely one method and tried a lot of things... lots of hot-messes and lessons learned during those years.
(check out that face.. I was ready to move out and take on the world! →)
Sure, each garment I created was a hot-mess in its own right, but pretty quickly, the dots of basic construction were being connected and consequently, I had gathered a collection of dresses and developed a love for creating them.
My favorite thing to wear is (still) a 1950-ish style dress with heels. When I wasn't a bunhead (I also did some ballet throughout high school), I paraded around with my homemade cotton dresses paired with heels from shopping trips with my Grandma Mary through the Dillards' spread of featuring designers such as Antonio Melani, BCBG, DKNY, Gianni Bini, Steve Madden, etc. We were quite the sight to see in the shoe department! She always paid in exact cash, and whenever I do the same today, I can't help but think of her, and smile from all the wonderful memories we had together.
high school and college years
Once I discovered my love for sewing, my wardrobe quickly became 95% homemade cotton dresses in a 1950-ish style. I was known for wearing dresses and heels in my high school, and even in college. Keds, and later a pair of cowgirl boots, started to work their way into the rotation to cut down on the wear-and-tear I saw on my heels from walking around college campus all day. Although, I did my fair share of riding my bike while sporting a short-tailed dress (as my Aunt Bobbi would say) with a fabulous pair of heels. C'est la vie, n'est pas?
That's still my favorite thing to wear today - some sort of fitted bodice and then a full skirt. I've added some jeans to the mix thanks to the practicalities of motherhood and winters in the mountains. And yes, I still adore heels, but again, thanks to living in the mountains, other shoes have made their way into my rotation. My style is overall classic with some personality.
In my college apartments (pictured left in one of said apartments with my no-named slob, 'cat'), I did my best attempt to setup some sort of sewing space. While studying occupied most of my existence, I still sewed dresses ranging from daily wear to specialty pieces such as the dress Penny wore in Dirty Dancing for my 21st birthday.
college apartment sewing spaces
with my adopted copain from the parking lot as a lost kitten, a no-named slob named cat.
oooh college
While we're on the topic, some folks like to highlight the "importance" of my mechanical engineering degree, and I know their intentions are good. So without sounding snobby, I kindly disagree. Actually, my years studying engineering were pretty miserable. Sure, I was surrounded by some wonderful folks (to which I owe many an apology). I never wanted to pursue engineering, and as I got deeper into the rigorous curriculum, the unhappier I became. To those who knew me during this time, I'm deeply sorry if you were caught in the crossfire of my unhappiness.
Truth be told, if I hadd to go to college (as stated by my parents to be a good person), I was open to the idea of majoring in mathematics. During my senior year of high school, I volunteered over 300 hours helping my high school calculus teacher transfer her materials to hew newly-acquired Smartboard as well as tutor students in various levels of mathematics. I really enjoyed seeing the lightbulbs moments as well as being moderately fluent in math. Also, I dual-enrolled as a senior in high school so I could complete the calculus series. I aced my courses in calculus 2 and 3 without much effort. But alas, I was not "allowed" to major in mathematics. At that time, I still wanted to please my parents... 🤷♀️ Taking a glance at these photos, you can see the misery on my face while studying (first row, second column) meanwhile a smiling grinning ear to ear after receiving some heels in the mail from my Grandma Mary. Also, yes, I'm parading around campus taking fun photos in lue of studying. And that red accent wall in one of my college apartments! I really should've snuck off to NYC instead of doing the college thing, but alas, I don't have a "rewind life" button.
So when I applied to college, I clicked on the drop-down menu for engineering and saw "aerospace" as an option. I thought, "sure, guess that could be fun..." and I stuck with this major at UCF until my junior year, when the crash of the economy reached to the space industry of the Orlando area around 2009/2010. I figured I wasn't going to win the job race against an experienced NASA engineer who was out of a job. So I switched to mechanical engineering.
importance of mathematics
ballet studies
By no means was I a prima-ballerina, but he guided many on their way into prestigious careers within the lands of New York City, American Ballet Theatre, Juilliard, Joffrey Ballet, School of American Ballet... you get the drift. Mark taught along sides David Howard as well as one an accomplished pianist for American Ballet Theatre, YAGP, and Houston Ballet... just to name a few.
I'm incredibly lucky to have known him and those years are deeply engrained into myself. He's also apart of my software. The pleasure was all mine, Mark, and I miss you dearly.
just for fun 😘
During college, I saw my (already limited) ballet abilities dwindle from lack of rehearsal, so I did some photoshoots in my desperate attempt to capture my remaining abilities before they vanished. I guess there's a season for everything, and I wanted to try to capture that chapter before it closed for good.
So just for fun, here are some of the photos 🥳
newlyweds
In April 2012, I married my college sweetheart ...and I got to make my wedding dress! I learned how to shuttle-tat using my late grandmother's supplies graciously passed along to me by my Aunt Alisa. Tatting is a form of lace making through a system of loops. I made these series of tatted motifs, basted them to the belt and then embellished with some Swarovski crystals and seed beads.
Yes, I also made my veil... although it was fairly simple. I bought silk tulle from England (I was in love with Kate Middleton's veil), drapped it over my dress form, and then cut it into the curves that I wanted. Then I hand sewed the lace to the edging.
more just for fun 🎉
I've always been mesmerized by horses, I think they're incredibly beautiful, strong, and gentile creatures. And I was lucky enough to do a "trash the dress" session barebacked, so fun!
Then I paraded downtown Savannah, GA while we vacationed there to celebrate our first wedding anniversary... it was a town we would move to shortly after for my husband's career.
I share these little tidbits since they're fun memories, but also, and more importantly, to encourage you to take those leaps. To forget about what other may think of you and led the life you wish unapologetically. Wear that special dress today! Embrace yourself.
We lived in six different houses (four owned, two rentals) in the first five years of our marriage... yeah! Lots of moves trying to pursue my husband's career. And with that came various sewing setups from a delightful 1,000 sq ft studio space to more modest setups in a spare bedroom to eventually taking over our dining room after our first child was born.
We also gained experience with renovating spaces in the four houses that we owned since we could only afford fixer-uppers. Ripping out carpet to lay solid wood floors became a normal event. We also learned how to lay tile through renovating kitchen and bathroom spaces. And our first home purchase as newlyweds featured an adorable (if I may say so) chicken coop complete with flower boxes. So fun!
Similar to sewing, I fell in love with renovating spaces and creating new ones. It's another form of expression and a way to make the world a more beautiful place.
heirlooms for babies!
Thanks to a tip from my manager at my internship at Siemens Energy (I'm on the left and she's fourth from the left), I went to a sewing meeting at a local fabric store as a junior at UCF. This meeting rocked my world when the ladies introduced me to heirloom sewing.
I was hooked.
I loved all the techniques, garments, styles... my sewing sessions bounced between creating my own dresses to heirloom garments for babies. So there were a hundred or so heirloom garments before the arrival of our first child.
Audrey was born in June of 2016. Staying home with her felt like I was living the real-life version of the childhood game of "playing house". Sure, there were some unpleasant days being home alone with a baby (no nap days, teething, etc), but overall I got lucky. No baby blues, easy breastfeeding journey, overall a happy baby, and a decent home setup. We could do!
So sewing continued... this is when I took over our dining room.
just the two of us
With my husband gone for much of the time (career pursuits) during Audrey's first year, it was just the two of us. I remember thinking during this time, this is the real-life version of playing "house." Sure, there were days that weren't so delightful, but overall, we got lucky. We also explored the world together, traveling several times via airplane, train, etc. We took on projects together and learned how to incorporate creation as a team.
This is when I entered my baby wearing chapter of life. She's been my only baby to enjoy a baby jumper and swing, so those were became helpful tools to getting progress made, too.
But overall, if I wanted to get something done whether it was sewing, house remodeling, or even tractor related, I would try one setup, and if that didn't go well, then I would try another one... just kept trying until something worked. You know that whole "where there's a will, there's a way" phrase? What I lack in academics, I make up for in perseverance.
mountain delights
After moving to the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, we discovered the delights of the mountains together. That's when we discovered the creek that would be the backdrop for many, many photoshoots to come.
Audrey was about eight months old when we moved, and she was not an easy car baby. I remember preparing for that trip since we were making the drive as just us. Charley had already made the move to our little mountain rental house. I had a whole system of toys, snacks, etc (before we gave into the use of tablets 🤷♀️). Google said the drive should take 6 hours, but it didn't have a check box for traveling with an unfriendly-car baby.
While our rental wasn't ideal (quite tiny and had some unsafe conditions for a baby), we both took to mountain life. From enjoying creeks to the fresh air, heck just driving around and seeing the scenery. It's all so gorgeous, healing, and inspiring!
Did we know anyone in town? No. But I've always felt at peace around mountains. So when Charley's career kept having hiccups, it allowed the freedom to move wherever - not limited to where the next job happened to be. It was a jump that we were very lucky to have been able to make ...and we're very fortunate to have landed on our feet, even if there were some bruises acquired in the process.
rental life in the mountains of western north carolina
Audrey and I moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina in March 2017 to join Charley in a tiny, tiny rental with some unsafe conditions for a baby. It would've suited a single person (or a couple with home-based hobbies) fine, but it was definitely too small for our family of three combined with my sewing aspirations. It had two small bedrooms. The smallest of which became our sleeping quarters while the other bedroom was my sewing space.
Thankfully we moved into our (current) home a few months later. Of course, it was a fixer-upper. We gutted many of the spaces including the kitchen (shown in the photos). We only saw this home as a steppingstone to other possibilities... we thought we might be in this space for a year, max. It was a 1,200 square foot home with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom - plenty sufficient for our little family.
jk. brb ...home addition Fall 2019
Well, six years later and we're still at the same residence, but now with four kiddos. Funny how life works out, right? With our growing family, we wanted to add onto our home, so we took it from a 1,200 sq ft ish 3-1 layout to its current day 2,200 sq ft ish with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (we added on Fall 2019).
And yes, thanks to the chaos breaking ground 6 weeks before the arrival of the third baby without family/preschool options, my maternity photos were staged in the renovation space on a stack of drywall sheets. Sophistication, folks!
bring on the babies!
audrey | june 2016
henry | april 2018
daisy | january 2020
everly | june 2021
We had four babies in about five years and we've finally fixed what was in our water ...no more babies! I kid, of course, but yeah, that whole "playing house" feeling left after the birth of our second baby and I found myself home alone with an overly ambitious toddler and a newborn. No steady family or preschool support, and before the days of the much-appreciated grocery pickup.
The days were long. The years were long. But I learned a lot about life in this period and had tremendous personal growth. Definitely had vibes of that whole "you don't know how strong you are until it's your only choice" thing.
Our day-to-day was docked around our 8-10:15 am park visit, then we would spend the rest of the day negotiating nap-time and trying to wiggle in some sewing and video editing progress. And housework, of course. Then there was also the much-dreaded grocery trip. I would strap baby Henry to me, try to squeeze all the pee out of Audrey's toddler bladder, and head off to the wonderful world of the Walmart. If all went well, Henry would sleep in the baby carrier, no stranger would try to touch him (and consequently my breasts as well... seriously, wtf is wrong with some folks), we would only have to pay one trip to the restrooms for Audrey's toddler bladder, and we would return home with a full cart of food. And yes, I was a hot, sweaty mess. Mothers need support.
cutwork + baby henry
During this time was when I first experimented with cutwork. I couldn't find any good resources online, so I just played around with this during naptime under baby Henry. I would put Audrey in her room for "naptime" (aka drawing on the walls and other wonderful projects) while I nursed him to sleep in our La-Z-Boy rocking recliner.
Sure, the conditions weren't ideal for learning this technique, but I've always been a fan of doing the best you can with the cards in your current hand. Progress over perfection! Many, many projects have been completed in similar conditions. So yes, small victories really do add up.
the sewing e-commerce business
We'd been tinkering around with a channel on the youtubes since our newlywed days in Savannah, GA. Sharing odd ball projects from small weekend endeavors like trying to learn handmade dovetails, gardening, and home renovations to larger things such as building our metal quonset building or our sawmill shed. This is when I started to play around with video editing.
After Audrey was born, I started a sewing channel on the youtubes. I have no idea (still to this day) what I'm doing with either channel, but I try to share inspiring/educational videos for the two cents that they're worth. I hope it's helped some folks out over the years.
When the world caught fire in 2020, we switched gears from our residential-renovation business (Charley has his GC license) to a virtual sewing business. Thankfully the crowd that I had gathered by being on the youtubes for years prior followed me in this new pursuit and it was paying our bills within six months or so. Very, very grateful 🙌
business growth
Thankfully our new e-commence sewing business was growing. It was paying our bills and we had stacks of fibers and other goodies all over our home. Our sweet kiddos were just about covered in sewing threads! So, we ventured out into our mountain town and found this space available for rent... so so lucky!
...and yes, I was absolutely massive during my pregnancy with Everly.
We were allowed to make some modifications to this space. We updated the bathroom with new fixtures and tile, added a wall to separate what would become our inventory storage/crib sleeping space from the future work/baby play space. And then this setup served us well for the next few years.
I've been working here pretty much daily once we had our lease. Initially, I went to work with baby Daisy (while massively pregnant with Everly). Meanwhile our older two kiddos stayed at home with Daddy. Things were looking up and school options were on the horizon!
miss everly rose
Everly joined the fun in June 2021. So now Daddy Daycare was filled with Audrey, Henry, and 18-month-old Daisy. Meanwhile 3-day-old baby Everly got down to business with mama at the office.
I think back on this time fondly. Sure, I was exhausted, and I despised whistle belonging to the Great Smoky Mountain Train with its tracks just across the street, but she was my last baby. I felt all the bittersweet moments. There were days full of baby snuggles, tears of sorrow, tears of happiness, tears of exhaustion... emotions! I got to feel all the emotions.
I'm grateful for the chapter of babyhood I got to experience, love my children dearly, and in the same breath, very thankful that the baby phrase goes by "quickly" (ish). It was fucking exhausting!
other side of babyhood
If you'd like to be apart of the process
(mentor, collaborate, invest, etc), please reach out to me:
sarahclassicsewing at gmail dot com.
In 2024, my youngest child is 2.5 and sprinting her way out of babyhood, and all my kiddos are in school 🙌🥳 so I'm starting to get to play the game of life again. I'm also beyond the days of distractions (bronco business, sawmilling, etc.). Sure, I have four kiddos to balance now, but I'm back to regular sewing, videos, and learning.
My concentration is switching from heirloom sewing for babies to the world of couture sewing and construction. There's a ton I don't know and I'm eager to learn!
life is art.
embrace the marathon.
when you know better, do better.
Welcome to the chaos, the art, the mess of creativity. Pushing the limits, always striving for growth, and not being paralyzed by the idea of perfectionism or your current situation or limited workspace. Working two minutes at a time if needed, understanding that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and small victories really do add up. Gaining connection and relationships spanning across the world, various languages, and histories… for generations to come! Expanding your techniques and constantly challenging yourself! From classic dresses to heirloom sewing to cutwork to shadow embroidery to lace work to bullion roses to tatting to all the sparkle to couture techniques and yes, even quilts, go for it! Embrace your creativity and begin sewing your legacy today.
some other layers to my onion?
curiosity
currently in the avenues of
travel + language learning
thanks to not living under a baby anymore,
I was able to do some travel in 2023 🥳
family visit to Panama City Beach, tulips in Michigan, playtime in New York City, and video editing teacher for a sewing conference in Colorado.
exercise
love for so many reasons!
I'm slowly coming back after
developing runner's knee this past summer 🤷♀️
this picture is such a funny story, one of my best runs before my knee got the better of me, even though I tripped over a sewer grate midway through the run.
resorative renovations
I love honoring classic designs with a fresh vibe. While I'm by no means a master craftsman, I've tiled 15+ bathrooms (many while pregnant) and kitchen backsplashes, laid a ton of solid wood floor, and applied enough paint to fill a decent size pool.
I love the pursuit and seeing
the spaces return to their glory days!
stained glass
I did my first project a few years ago to restore a vintage door, and gosh, this is something I'm going to dive into more throughout my life! I just know.
I'm doing my next project in 2024, and I'm excited to it up a few notches 😘
woodworking
I've only done a handful of projects, but
I really enjoy the creative process within this world.
Watching folks like Paul Seller are incredibly
inspiring and something I'm going to return to
once I acquire the setup.
gardening
I love plants! Being around them and enjoying their beauty. From planting rose gardens, to rooting hydrangeas, to marveling at skyscraper sunflowers ...sign me up!
oh, and veggie gardens.
oh, and I'm always game
for jumping into a pretty mountain creek 🥳
legends
Finally, I'd like to explain that I have some legends in my lineage:
Don and Mary Morrell, Bobbi Morrell Penny, and Gwen Scherger.
I hope I'm doing their stories justice. I'm telling it as accurately as I know. While I
didn't get to spend a ton of time with these four role models, they're definitely apart of my software.
By no means am I claiming to be a legend, but instead attempting to explain the influence these amazing folks have had on me. I've seen the power of perseverance, beauty, and showing up in this game of life.
"And if they could do it, then why can't I?"
That's a powerful framework to live life by.
Donald Marvin Morrell
My Papa Don was born in the rural country of Northern Florida in a very poor family, and then his father passed in the war when he was about 10 years old.
My Papa lived an incredibly full life loving fishing, hunting, gardening, and laughing. He was accomplished and expected the best out of himself and everyone around him. Truly, he was a fine man. He lived to be the oldest and longest running deep sea fishing Captain in Florida. He built two of his boats, and somewhere along the way one of them landed on the bottom of the ocean ... some sort of accident? Well, the members of the coast guard dove to get the important bits back to land on their own time (yeah, speaks to his character, right?). My Papa rebuilt that boat.
He was also shot twice - the first time was alone while hunting. One of his bird dogs clipped the gun while getting out of his truck. This was way back in the day before cell phones. He loaded all his dogs back up, drove from
one house to another space apart by a country mile or more, and eventually convinced the last house to help him saying something to the effect of "you're either going to take me to the hospital or I'm going to die on your porch."
That was the last time he was allowed to go hunting by himself, a rule understandably imposed by my grandmother.
So the next time, he was on a mountain top in the winter and mistakenly shot by a fellow hunter. He was helicoptered out of there and told by the surgeon at the hospital that he needed to amputate his leg. Papa motioned for the surgeon to come close. So the surgeon leaned down and Papa whispered something into his ear.
My Papa had the first draft performed at the hospital in Panama City and it saved his leg. The surgeon phoned a buddy in Alabama who walked him through this procedure.
I could go on and on with his stories - and I only know a small fraction of them. He was one for the novels, the movies... truly, one of a kind. I'm honored to be associated anywhere near him.
Mary H Baxley Morrell
My Grandmother Mary was raised in the Deep South of Alabama. Somehow her path crossed with Don's, but she was married with her daughter, my Aunt Carol (probably about 1 year old) at that time. As the story goes, Don loved her from the moment he laid eyes on her, so he didn't let some silly condition as being married stopped him. Somehow he convinced her to divorce her current husband and live happily ever after with him. They were married for over 60 years and had four children together (raised 5 together). They were quite the powerhouse.
They lived their entire lives in a very modest 1,200 (ish) sq ft 4 bedroom with 1 bathroom house raising their family with five children. This house was built by Grandma Mary and her father.
Grandma Mary had style, wit, and class. She also expected a lot out of everyone around her and didn't have time for your shit. Sure, she would listen and offer advice out of love, but also, get your act together.
Grandma Mary sewed, but I think that was more out of necessity, although I'm not 100%. However, her sister really loved to sew and had a wedding gown business.
She took me on many, many shopping trips throughout my high school years where she spoiled me with fabulous high heels. The limited time I was able to spend with her is cherished and I miss her dearly.
Bobbi Morrell Penny
My Aunt Bobbi has all the Dolly Parton vibes - beautiful, bold, and strong! Full of personality and love for all. She also knows how to roll up her sleeves and get the job done. She's known for her red lipstick, generous use of hair spray, quick-wit, and southern charm.
She's the best mother figure I've ever had, answering endless phone calls of mine during my college years (many in the middle of the night). Her life advice has always been spot on. I guess that's the kind of knowledge acquired when you have your first baby at 16, second at 18, and remarry your abusive husband before finally divorcing him for good ...I know. Definitely could be a movie. She became a grandmother at 32. I know, I know.
Trying to describe her with my limited vernacular isn't doing her justice. She's one of a kind, an absolute gem of a human being and I love her dearly.
Gwen Scherger
And then there's my grandmother, Gwen Scherger. Since she passed when I was about 12 years old, and she passed from a two-year battle with brain cancer, my memories with her are quite fuzzy, but man, she had it! She loved life, the classics, had high expectations, and a will to work!
She was an accomplished pianist as well as valedictorian of her high school and college. Although, apparently she didn't actually learn the calculus she took - but instead memorized it. I mean, whatttt? It's one thing to learn calculus, but memorizing?? Whoa!
She had style, but wasn't afraid of hard work. For example, they had a large, screened in pool. To clean the leaves off the top of the screen, she would take a 2x4 and wiggle it around on the supports so she could gather the leaves. All this while wearing a dress and heels.
Again, I wish I knew more about her and had more time to learn from her. She also sewed and tatted.
If you'd like to be apart of the process
(mentor, collaborate, invest, etc), please reach out to me: