My mother started teaching me at the tender age of six in Brooklyn, NY. Somewhere between the ages of six through ten I made my first blouse. Needless, to say it didn't turn out so well. At fourteen, years old I started my first sewing job, sewing clothes for my neighbor seven year old daughter.
During my teenage years my mother and I shopped for different fabrics an ...d patterns building my skills and self-esteem along the way. Sewing is a creative outlet to distress and relax. It builds self-esteem and generates creativity. I moved from New York at nineteen and lived in Phoenix, AZ for eighteen years where my lovely daughter Michelle was born. Being a single mom rising, a child alone; sewing became a second priority in my life.
In 1995 I moved to Charlotte to start a new life and worked at several of moderate jobs before landing a good position with BellSouth. My daughter, now grown finished High School and now was moved back to Phoenix. I found a new church home and my passion for sewing returned as I began sewing for the church creating biblical costuming.
With the burning passion in me to sew, I attended a conference in Orlando, FL that was sponsored by Martha Pullen where were more workshop then time slots and I was only able to fix in about 18 classes. One was How to Take Your Hobby and Make It Your Business. Later that year I attended a Home Sewer Association meets in New York City to receive my teaching certification. At was as these points that Ruth Sewing Academy were born.
At first only having just a hand full of students I began to see how this business could grow for me. I found myself in the middle of a cross road between what I do for a living and what I love. So in November 2002 I decided to walk away from a lucrative job with benefits to pursue the Dream and Passion of my life SEWING.
Early 2003, I met a wonderful man, Allen Respert my soul mate, and we married in December 2003. He supports me and the business whole heartily. I continued to look for new venues to teach at and secured a position as a sewing instructor at Central Piedmont Community College where I still currently teach. At this point I have been sewing for forty-four years and have been teaching full time for the past six years. Here at Ruth Sewing Academy our teaching style is a low-pressure, relaxed unhurried step by step hand on approach. Classes are offered to those from ages 8 years young to the young at heart. We offer classes for sewers with no experience, refresher classes, and the next level which is an Open Class for your own personal projects.