It has not escaped my attention that we are almost 3/4 of the way through 2025. The year flew past so fast.

Unfortunately, I cannot say there is much to show for the year since the previous update. It feels like I am operating in slow motion when it comes to the business. I am struggling to make “new directions” happen. I know they need to happen, but making consistent progress has been more challenging than expected. There are many factors to this.

I feel inadequate. I know that I can do all the things I want to focus on, but I am not as fast or fancy as many of my colleagues in the fashion world at large. That intimidates me. There are endless tasks to tackle before launching a new product, especially a sewing pattern, and there are not enough hours in the day. Life happens.

The business still needs to make operating expenses while in transition mode. Some services will be returning on a limited basis. These are time-consuming services, thus limited.

Price Changes

It was bound to happen again. With all the fretting about tariffs and price increases related to these, I know many of you are weary of the never-ending price increases. It was not my intention to join the club, but unfortunately, some costs cannot be fully absorbed by Stacey Sansom Designs. As these arise, price adjustments will be made.

Currently, for Stacey Sansom Designs, price increases are largely the result of availability and access. With JoAnn Fabric Stores closing, some products are not accessible locally. Increased shipping costs are driving up prices. I have sourced local stores that are trying to pick up where JoAnn Fabrics dropped the ball, but they are not nearby, and increased travel time is driving up costs.

For some services, I kept certain prices low because I could. They were not the primary source of income for the business. However, for some services, this has changed over the past 5 years. It no longer makes sense to offer certain services at a financial loss. Most of these price increases are nominal, and the average customer will not notice the difference.

All prices available on the website have been updated. Check for a “up to date as of” marking near the pricing. If you are considering a service and this date is more than six (6) months old, contact Stacey at Stacey Sansom Designs directly for the most current pricing.

Primary services with nominal price increases are patch sewing services and some alteration services. There is an increase in my Rush Fee. Some alteration and repair services incur additional fees for certain conditions.

Sewing Lessons Return

I have received multiple requests for sewing lessons since I stopped in 2020 during the pandemic. I choose not to teach out of my home again for personal reasons. I hope everyone respects this choice.

Finding an affordable secondary location is nearly impossible within my immediate local area. This is the area where 90% of my students originated from, and 90% of inquiries come from. This area makes the most sense for teaching. Unfortunately, rentals in this area are insanely high. I would be teaching to pay the rent and utilities. That is not economically feasible when my primary source of income is not teaching people to sew.

After much deep reflection and research, I have made a hard decision. The best option is to provide sewing lessons at the student’s location.

An update on this will be coming soon. I am currently in a preliminary trial before fully launching the new program.

Apparel Pattern Making – Pending

I am trying to be more focused and dedicate time to apparel pattern making for the general sewing masses.

This is a process. It is long and arduous. However, with the closure of JoAnn Fabrics and the bankruptcy trends in the sewing industry (including the big four paper pattern makers), I feel more driven to find a way to fill the gap in areas underserved.

My current goal is to launch a PDF pattern line by the end of 2026. I am currently taking ideas for a name for this line. If there is a garment style you want but cannot find in the existing market, please share those ideas as well. This will be a tiny collection initially, but the goal is to grow and build over time.