Make it Sew and So: Etta
Etta in her element!
If you stop into Make It Sew with any regularity, you have probably had a conversation with Etta King, our Jill of all trades with the contagious smile! Perhaps you have even had the good fortune to take a basic sewing or accessory-making class with her. How did we get so lucky to have Etta at Make It Sew? Read on to learn a little more about the wonder that is Etta King.
Originally from upstate New York, Etta remembers playing under her mother’s sewing table in the family’s basement. It was her aunt, however, who taught her to sew. “I still think of my aunt to this day when I’m pressing a seam,” Etta says. “She taught me that.” Etta and her mother did collaborate on one memorable project, though: Etta’s wedding dress. They tiptoed into the experience, she says, but ultimately, it allowed them to grow together.
When she was a newlywed, Etta moved to Rockbridge County with her husband, who was finishing his college degree at Southern Virginia University. They then moved away for 10 years before returning two years ago, this time with three children! “I think it’s a great place to raise a family,” Etta says. She met Accacia at the community pool, and before long they were talking about sewing projects.
When Accacia decided to open Make It Sew, hiring Etta was the obvious thing to do. Etta says she loves meeting customers and enjoys the wonderful fabrics Accacia acquires for the shop, but her favorite thing about working at Make it Sew comes down to one word: potential. She likes the potential for creativity. She likes the potential for people to gain confidence by learning to make something. And she likes the potential for growth during the process of making. She says what has surprised her is how emotional sewing is for people.
While working at Make It Sew, Etta says she has learned two valuable lessons: 1) Done is better than perfect; and 2) Just go for it. Elaborating on the latter, Etta explains, “Sometimes we’re so afraid to cut into the fabric. We think it’s so permanent. But you don’t know until you try—and you can adapt, and you can change. And if it doesn’t work, you can make something different!” Words to live by!
Come in and say hello to Etta. No doubt she will be smiling as she offers to help you realize your creative potential!