Sew Laurel Lee

 

 

Everything in life can trace its roots back to the simplest ideas.

 

When you pour your energy and emotion into creating even the simplest object for another, it becomes significant and everlasting. When something is unique, it has power and emotion at its core. When something was created just for you, it can last forever.

I started Sew Laurel Lee with that belief in mind. I create custom-designed, unique and personalized clothing for you and your loved ones under the banner of creativity and everlasting memories.

 

I grew up in a family of craftsmen, fashion designers and artists. Surrounded by scribbling pencils, endless fabric and the mellow whir of sewing machines, I learned that creating for others is a powerful, almost elemental force. A mere object becomes so much more when somebody goes all out to make it special for you, and you alone.

 

However, life is often about practicality above all. I forged a different path away from my roots, becoming a teacher and eventually owning an English language center in Clearwater Bay. I loved the fundamental magic of teaching, but something else even closer to me was missing.

 

It took pregnancy and the birth of my daughter to fully realize what that was. I was overflowing with the urge to create again and that energy had nowhere to go. Many first time stay-at-home mums know exactly what I mean. I had to find a way to break that creative dam and find channels for it to flow into.

 

But where to turn? Where to pour all of this emotion into? Having my daughter brought me back to my childhood and I remembered the joy of watching my family create beautiful things for others. I knew I wanted to make something that lasts but above all, I wanted to create something my daughter could one day see for herself.

 

Then, it hit me. Being pregnant had made my closet a battleground. I struggled to accept that I might never fit into many of my favorite pieces again. I gave most of my closet away to friends but with some pieces, I simply could not part with them. They had become a part of my history but now merely hanging there, waiting for time to pass.

 

Why not recycle that emotional power?

 

Using my favorite pieces, I began to make clothes for my newborn daughter. The thought of passing these clothes on to her was immensely comforting. The act of remaking them for her was utterly thrilling. Perhaps one day she would cherish their memory as I once did. Sew Laurel Lee was born.

 

This brings us nicely to present day. I’ve met all kinds of crafters. Some are super business-minded and have built empires based on practicality and the simplest ideas. Others are of the more holistic, “spiritual” variety, like a jewelry designer I know in San Francisco who puts spells on her pieces.

 

I want to build something that is recognized but not at the expense of the indescribable magic that only comes with personalized service. But above all, I want to keep love and emotion in every corner of my work and that is why every piece here is one-of-a-kind. I believe that by doing this, I can create something everlasting for my family and for yours.