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I have always loved clothes. For me, sewing is a hobby and an artistic outlet. I even created my entire professional wardrobe for my career as a business journalist.
In the fall of 1997, I bought an armload of fabric, sewed it up into a dozen medieval outfits and took it to a small re-enactor event. I sold out in three hours. This led to my apprenticeship under two master tailors in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). I am still a member of this organization, a phenomenal group of people who get together every weekend to recreate the Middle Ages.
In the SCA you’re encouraged to pick a persona name. I chose the name Sofi which is Greek for wisdom (and you smile when you say it).
Sofi’s Stitches was supposed to be just a hobby-level business but by September 1999, something had to give. I had sewn my 300th gown that year and was still working in a full-time career as a reporter. At that point I decided to live life without regrets and focus all of my energy on Sofi's Stitches.
Since then my business has grown to include 35 employees and more than 40 sewers at several manufacturing sites. My reproductions are sold throughout the United States and Europe.
This business is my life and I set very high standards for quality and authenticity. I meticulously research each garment using historical sources such as period paintings, sculptures, and illuminated texts. I study the techniques that were used 500 years ago to make garments that are housed in museums today. I even supplement my research with information from archeological digs.
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