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Meet Our Instructors
Arlene
A passionate sewist from a young age, inspired and taught by the best Dressmaker Mom Mentor, Arlene has been expanding her creative skills, sewing techniques and love of teaching young and old at Sew Happy since May 2017. She is a Mother of four, Grandmother of one and Dog Mom to Sherlock. Life is wonderful and full of creative surprises!
Donna
Donna has enjoyed a vibrant career in the fashion industry as designer of men's and women's sleepwear, loungewear and lingerie. She's was first inspired by her grandmother sewing in a bridal shop and was forever changed by colorful fabrics and sparkling trims. She loves sharing her passion for creativity and design with her young students and aspiring designers.
Beth & Sal
Are twin sisters! Beth became part of the Sew Happy team in 2017, following retirement from a career in Social Work. Her interest in sewing and quilting seemed like a perfect match with her love for children, and teaching them to sew.
Sal loves being part of the Sew Happy team because helping children learn, grow, share and create is the most rewarding experience she has ever had. Seeing the Sew Happy Smiles is a joy! Thank you!
Sal loves being part of the Sew Happy team because helping children learn, grow, share and create is the most rewarding experience she has ever had. Seeing the Sew Happy Smiles is a joy! Thank you!
Lois E.
Lois has been designing, sewing and drawing since she was about 6 years old. She loves working with kids and fostering their creativity, especially the shy ones! She lives in NYC with her sweet cat, StormyGirl.
Reeni
Reeni has enjoyed sewing by hand and machine since she was 7 -- clothes and costumes for herself, her family, and others, as well as bags. Also a pastry chef Instructor, she loves sharing creativity with students of all ages, and her favorite part is fostering their pride at crafting something all their own.
Lois
Lois can’t ever remember a time that she didn’t have a knitting needle, sewing/embroidery needle, or rug hook in her hands. She learned to machine sew in 7th grade but relearned as a student at Sew Happy. She is a retired educator with 37 years of classroom and administrative experience in the NYC Public Schools.She lives in New Rochelle and has been an instructor at Sew Happy for 2 years.
Karen
Karen lives in White Plains and has been sewing for over 30 years. She started out hand sewing quilts and hand quilting them and moved quickly to machine piecing and machine quilting. Now she also does machine embroidery and sit-down long-arm quilting. Karen has recently become a Grandma!
Jenni
Jenni is a fashion designer and stylist based in New York City. She discovered her love for sewing in Girl Scouts and refined her skills studying design in London. On weekends, you’ll find her exploring local flea markets or strolling through Central Park with her dog. Jenni’s greatest joy is empowering kids to have fun and express themselves through sewing!
Marianna
Marianna has been sewing since she was 8 years old. She was inspired by her mom and grandma. She has been part of Sew Happy for the last 4 years. The favorite thing about teaching is seeing the smiles and the joy on the kids faces when they achieve their goals and finish a project. She loves helping them to believe in themselves and that they can achieve anything they want to. Her favorite projects have been the Lama Drama and My Doll Dress. At home she loves to cook and bake for her kids and family.
Amalia
Amalia lives in the Bronx and had been sewing for 10+ years. She loves sewing her own clothes and accessories. She is inspired by 50’s era silhouettes & her favorite fabric is denim. Fun fact Amalia has two french bulldogs named Coco Roo & Luna Roo!
Marion
Marion, a retired art teacher with 31 years of experience, has a lifelong passion for sewing. She enjoys designing outfits for dolls, teaching kids to sew, and has a special love for the hedgehog house. Marion is also an enthusiastic fan of Sew Happy!
Kristina
KP grew up with her mom and grandmother both sewing. She worked in corporate fashion for 6 years and wanted to learn how to sew, which is when she found Sew Happy. She the began teaching at after school clubs and I loved it so much that she became a teacher’s aide working with kids.
Alyssa
Alyssa has over 15 years of sewing experience and loves fashion, everything from everyday clothing to intricate costumes and vintage attire. Her passion for sewing is matched only by her desire to inspire others. She believes in the power of creativity and is dedicated to teaching others how to bring their own sewing visions to life. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned seamstress, she's here to guide you on your journey and help you discover the joy of sewing!
Nora
Nora is a senior at New Rochelle high school and is an aspiring fashion designer. She plans to study fashion design in college. Nora started knitting, sewing and crocheting at a young age and is particularly interested in fiber arts and costume design. Nora‘s father is a teacher and has inspired her to share the gift of learning with young students everywhere.
Gina
Gina has been sewing since age nine, and her early passion grew into a career as a fashion designer working across many categories. She also runs a small craft business, Detailfully Yours, where she sells handmade items on Etsy and at local markets. For Gina, in a world often busy and driven by technology, sewing is the perfect way to slow down, spark creativity, and dive into a colorful world of imagination.
Emory
Chane
Antika
Sewing has always been a space of calm, creativity, and resilience for Antika. Through her classes at Sew Happy, she encourages students to explore their creativity with confidence and kindness toward themselves. Antika's goal is to make sewing an enjoyable and empowering experience for everyone.
Barbara
Barbara is a mixed media fine artist based in White Plains who recently retired from a rewarding career as a middle school art teacher. Her passion for sewing began years ago under the guidance of her mother. As a teenager, she learned to create her own clothing from patterns and to mend garments using hand-stitching techniques.
Over the years, Barbara made numerous Halloween costumes for her two children, handled countless repairs, and integrated sewing skills into many of the art projects she taught her students. She is excited to continue sharing this lifelong skill as an instructor with Sew Happy.
Over the years, Barbara made numerous Halloween costumes for her two children, handled countless repairs, and integrated sewing skills into many of the art projects she taught her students. She is excited to continue sharing this lifelong skill as an instructor with Sew Happy.
Fatou
Fatou has always loved fashion and putting outfits together. When she was a kid, she got really curious about how clothes were made and styled, so she started sewing and making her own pieces.
Working with kids feels kind of full circle. It reminds her of that same curiosity she had growing up. She loves seeing their faces light up when they make something on their own.
Working with kids feels kind of full circle. It reminds her of that same curiosity she had growing up. She loves seeing their faces light up when they make something on their own.
Nicky
Nicky learned to sew in college and worked in the fashion industry for many years. She even designed her own wedding dress. She loves children and is "sew happy" when helping them learn new skills. She has two adult daughters. Nicky is an animal lover and has recently adopted a 7 year old black pug named Whiskey.
Stephanie
Stephanie has had a passion for fabric and art since she was very young. While working in NYC fashion design she notes, "I loved hanging out with the sample-makers in the company sewing room more then in my office." Although I excelled at many design and art classes, I struggled with sewing because no one taught me at an early age." At FIT where she attended, she was finally forced to learn." Had someone taught me earlier, I would have had the skills to sew the years of fashion creations that were drawn on paper. I would like to instill in the students the knowledge that SEWING is the gateway to creativity, and gives them the independence to follow through on their art. From drawing on paper to real life!
Natalia
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