Patchwork Giraffe

 

Welcome to the Patchwork Giraffe! My name is Judy Lauder. I strive to bring dreams that people have to life through my sewing. When I learned to sew I didn’t yet know that sewing would become so special to me. I learned a lot of everything involving needlework. Mostly, I taught myself by reading books. Sewing led me to a lot more opportunities than other things. I can’t buy clothes because I am short, but I can make them. I can costume shows, which brings a finishing touch to characters in a magical world. If you think about all the things you use in a day, many of them are sewn. You have clothes, linens, bags to carry your things from place to place, tents to shelter you, upholstery to sit on and be comfortable. I have this ability to envision three dimensional shape, and sewing is an accessible way to create these shapes in the world, in these very useful things. I earned a degree in fashion design from Syracuse University. From 1979-1984, when I lived in Berkeley, CA  I had multiple jobs all related to sewing. I worked for Frostline Kits, sewing samples for the store, including sleeping bags, down comforters, jackets, backpacks, gaitors, and all kinds of stuff. I would sew garments out of fabric hand dyed by fiber artists. I did contracted work for Ana Lisa Hedstrom. She used traditional Japanese dying technique called Shibori. Many of her pieces were sold in boutiques across the country, including Obiko on Sutter St. in San Francisco. One of the pieces I sewed was featured in Vogue magazine, another I sewed was a kimono that was bought by Yoko Ono. I also worked for a woman who did everything from wedding gowns, to women’s tailored business suits, with incredible quality fabrics. I was the costume mistress for Pinkerton Dance (Now Ayako’s Dance Studio) for 14 years.  Now I have my own sewing studio, which I would love to share with you, and teach the magic of sewing.