About
I have been producing residential and business window dressings since 2003
A graduate of Industrial Design from RISD in ’82, Heather started a career of environmental graphics for commercial interiors and public landscapes. She also designed a line of dance costumes printed by McCalls, conducted a sewing school for many years called Bobbins and Threads, all while raising two remarkable children.
Besides a childhood love of sewing, life experience has brought her to confidently open Custom Textiles in 2003.
Interior design is constantly changing and the workroom needs to be on trend as well. Fabrics have been more genuine and refined such as linens and leathers. Cordless and motorization is popular. Hardware is casual and unique with wrought iron and distressed woods. Heather has a curated library of fabrics and hardware she brings to in-home consultations
Heather continues to attend trade shows, seminars and retreats to learn new trends and skills. She recently won an award at the 2022 IWCE Conference with Vision magazine. (see blog)
“The studio is my happy place to be creative with fabrics, buttons and trims. Furniture upholstery has been a fun challenge as well. It’s fulfilling to see beautiful fabrics make huge improvements to my clients homes.”
"What could you do for hours without
looking at the clock?"
“Sewing”, I replied
"Then do that" Said Wilma
The Workroom
The sewing workroom is a quaint, 500-square-foot, stone building located on my property in the hills of Burlington Connecticut.
This country setting was originally home to a Czechoslovakian lumberjack and his six children (see blog) in the early 1900s. He made wood kitchen utensils and buckets which he sold in local towns. It is now a “ladies” machine shop, equipped with industrial sewing machines and large gridded tables along with tons of trims and fabrics!