Deja Sue is a creative studio that connects the past with the present. I’m proud to create custom projects for my clients, along with offering expert alterations, creative repairs, and unique gifts.
My specialty is reworking meaningful garments and textiles from people who have passed and turning them into useful mementos their loved ones can carry with them into the future. You can see examples of some of this lovingly rendered work on this site:
a quilt made from a late husband’s ties;
a hunting vest created from a great grandfather’s hunting pants;
a favorite jacket made into pillows, one for each of seven grandchildren.
For kids, I also make “scrappies”—fun little critters created from fabric remnants. It’s a great joy for me to take familiar, often overlooked materials and make them into something new.
At Deja Sue, I upcycle and reinvent, and I love teaching others to do the same. It comes from a saying I was raised with:
“Use it up... wear it out... make do... or do without.”
This wisdom comes from a very old sampler, but that’s how we lived in my family. My siblings and I were taught to sew by a European master (our mother), and we all learned how to make and repair clothes and do many other things that not only saved our money but also helped us become self-sufficient and prepare us for life. I passed the same DIY lessons on to my own children (six daughters in all).
I’m excited now to offer the same skills training and joyful habits to my local community. After a lifetime of teaching, sewing, design, and alterations work (I ran QBJ Creations for 10 years), I’m turning my attention to nurturing a community around my love of sewing, quilting, and other forms of craft work.
With the help of my talented daughter Jean and her sister Elizabeth and her children, Deja Sue will soon be offering a variety of beginner to intermediate classes here in the Hudson Valley. We’re creating a meeting space for brainstorming and creativity, and we invite you to join us.
Watch this page for updates about our workshop offerings and schedule. You’ll be able to sign up to learn practical artisan skills including:
- Beginner sewing
- Bookbinding
- Felting
- Quilting
- Stained glass work
We’re in the process of building a shop, too. To be notified when we open and to keep up with other news, drop us a line below. (We promise not to send you emails more than a few times a year.)
Sewing and making things—and teaching and empowering others to do the same—gives me such enjoyment. I can’t wait to share what I know with you!