Who: Casey July – The July Studio

What: Seamstress extraordinaire

Where (to stalk her):

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheJulyStudio.Dreamstress/
• Twitter: @JulyStudio
• Instagram: @caseyjuly
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9doahAOsmH2IRPOEsPNp8w

Why:

Look! Look! I know more than just writers!

The July Studio specializes in making clothes for YOU. She makes creates clothes from brides maids to cosplayers to toddlers to everyday wear. You have an idea of something you want made?  They can do it.  She has a ton of clothes in stock to pick from or you can work with her to design your own personal outfit. A few examples are below….

Photo by Brian Martin:

If you’ve seen me around cons the past year and a half, you may have seen me wearing a pinstripe zoot suit. Where did I get it?  Why the July Studio!  I had the ideas a couple of years ago that I needed more stuff specifically designed for conventions. Can be normally, afterall – where’s the fun in that?  I always try to bring a something a little extra more when I’m at a convention. I love pinstripes, and I wanted a suit for ME.  

She also TEACHES CLASSES ON HOW TO SEW!!

Yes, if you want to learn how to sew, you can reach out to her and arrange for a class, everything from beginners who are just getting into it or for those who have a grasp and want to learn detailed work or something specific!

Yes, my dears, you have to pay for the clothes as well as the classes, but they are all worth it. You get what you pay for, my darlings, and it is WORTH it.

Now the BIG Why:

I actually had an interview with the July Studios that cover a lot of the BIG WHY.   Check out the video here.

But I’m happy to still babble about it here.

So I met Casey July at my first convention as an author.  There were a couple of vendor rooms at that VisionCon, and the one myself and my other author pals were crammed into was a tiny little one a bit in the back. They had peeps PACKED in there, and I made a bunch of really awesome friends as a result (more Spiffy Peeps to follow on some of them even).

So I knew Casey, and even commissioned my zoot suit from her, but she wasn’t the first person I thought of when I had something big coming up. I’m a bad bug…

But I needed more professional clothes!

I had been playing around, looking at some websites to do this work. They offered dresses that they could customize to your taste – longer sleeves, shorter skirts, different types of necklines – as well as to your measurements to make it literally MADE FOR YOU.  I spazzed – this was an AMAZING idea!! Especially for a big girl like me.

I was looking at the pricing, getting everything ready, then… stopped.

WHAT WAS I DOING?? I KNOW A SEAMSTRESS!!!

So I reached out to Casey, and we talked. A lot.

NOT ONLY is she designing clothes specifically WITH me! I get to pick the designs, the modifications, even the material…

NOT ONLY  is she making a LINE of clothes! Already planning in advance so this jacket will go with this dress or that skirt or with jeans – mix and match HEAVEN and making sure it all matches and lines up.

NOT ONLY is she keeping my personal STYLE in mind! 50s style dresses? Victorian jackets? Everything she is doing has ME written all over it, keeping it professional even if a bit eccentric, but all of it, never doubt, is ME.

SHE IS DOING THIS AT THE SAME COST AS THIS OTHER WEBSITE!

SHE’S LOCAL!

AND SHE’S GIVING ME POCKETS!!!!!!

(… that last one was a huge deal for me)

She makes a point of getting to know her customers, her clients. We become family to her. And she understands us, listens to us, and keeps us in mind as she pours herself into her work.

She’s already working on my designs, and over the next several months, as they start rolling out, we’ll be doing photo shoots so you can see the awesomeness that comes from it.

Go check her out, my darlings. She may have something in stock you love, and if not, she can make it for you!