Learning the Art of Sewing with Downtown Studio SEWNGainesville

Rachel Rector grew up occasionally piecing together some clothes. Today, she wants to show everyone in Gainesville how to sew their own panties.

SEWNGainesville is Gainesville’s newest offering, with sewing classes on creating swimsuits, bras, panties and technique. Rector, a 2010 University of Florida graduate, started offering classes after she moved back to town from Portland and New York City. In Portland, she discovered her knack for sewing and creating apparel. Before then, she had merely dabbled in putting together thrifted pieces.

“I graduated with a degree in art history, kind of not having any idea what I was going to do with it,” Rector said. “As soon as I finished school, I started learning to sew.”

Does the former sound familiar? Rector moved to Portland after finishing school, and she immediately applied for internships with designers to really know how to sew. The idea of a “bigger” Gainesville with more opportunities to try different things was enticing.

“I moved to Portland and that’s when, after college, I felt like my whole life started,” she said. “That’s when I thought, ‘Oh, I can do anything.’”

After unexpectedly winning a contest, Rachel worked fervently in her studio for over six weeks to sew ten lingerie pieces at the opening show in Portland Fashion Week. After that, she began to pursue her own apparel line in New York City, and that was when she decided to come back to Gainesville.

“Maybe what you want to do doesn’t exist here yet, but you can create it.”

Starting a life in Gainesville again was a no-brainer; Rector knew she wanted to find a studio space to start getting creative in a place she adored for its sense of community and natural beauty. The freshwater springs were inspiring, and she saw an opportunity to bring her talents to people who otherwise couldn’t find the same creative outlet.

“That’s the whole thing; maybe what you want to do doesn’t exist here yet, but you can create it,” Rachel said.

SEWNGainesville is located on 14 East University Ave., a studio space shared by three other female creatives in Gainesville. Rachel hosts classes teaching the basics of sewing, garments, lingerie and embroidery and will soon teach a class on hemming. While SEWN is still in the early stages of business, Rector is in the process of creating new classes for more people to take up an interest. She hopes to expand her studio and her class sizes.

“Right now we’re in my space, and it’s very intimate and small, and I’m able to teach just a few students at a time,” Rector said. “I have big dreams; I’m always dreaming.”

Check out our event calendar for Rachel’s class times, and visit SEWNGainesville.com for updates on the seamstress and all of her past work.

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