About
Me
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 and
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 project(s).
