May beauty and peace live in your home!
I was a kid, leafing through my sister’s Vogue magazine when I came across a Missoni perfume ad. I had no interest in the fragrance - instead I was stunned by the photograph of the most beautiful, colorful fabric I had ever seen. I couldn’t stop looking at it.

To this day, I have not forgotten what that moment felt like. I carry that feeling with me, and it blooms every time I find amazing textiles and sew.
Through high school and college I worked in fabric stores and learned about different fabric types, fibers and weaves; how to prepare them for sewing and then care for the finished item; and how to use a variety of sewing tools (hand and machine) for different projects. I practiced sewing, quilting and embroidery, and built a formidable fabric stash in the process. 

In time I started gravitating to flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops, looking for good-quality  home textiles and clothing. I learned to take these apart and recycle them for a new purpose, consciously replacing "disposable” with “renewable.”
My mother is an excellent sewer and the finest embroiderer I have ever met. She made countless beautiful clothes and items for our homes over the years. As a child, I would sew alongside her making pillows, napkins and doll clothes from her leftover fabrics. Mom had a collection of beautiful hand-stitched linens, many of which she made. She often used them for casual family dinners, not just for special occasions.  Her belief is that beautiful items should be enjoyed, treasured and used, and I follow that same philosophy.
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Mom & me, circa 1974.Linen basket liner with cocktail napkins. All the stitching, including the drawn threadwork, was done entirely by hand
Copyright © 2009-2012.  The Tailored Nest®.
The Tailored Nest is a trademark and registered service mark.  All rights reserved.
About

I remember the first time I stopped and literally took a deep breath over fabric.
I come from a family that loves to create.
My grandmother (my beloved Baba) was a highly-skilled tailor who learned to construct and sew garments when she was very young. She made custom clothing using haute couture techniques, draping and cutting the fabric to fit the individual, and then stitching the pieces together by hand. She also taught classes (tailoring and home decor) out of her home. Baba loved embroidery, too, and using pure silver thread, embroidered the lace overlay of my mother's wedding gown.
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Baba, circa 1960. An original ad for her class. A length of organdy lace from her sewing stash.
My father wrote poetry and built exquisite miniature ships and planes. One brother crafts stunning jewelry, another creates amazing paintings, yet another has a discerning eye and finds treasure where others don't see anything. My sisters turn rooms into showpieces. My family is the creative foundation that encouraged me along my path.
The Tailored Nest is my sewing studio and my passion
The apprenticeship continued...
My name is Denisse, and I love to sew.

It’s the answer to the question: What would you do if you only did one thing? There is great joy in the act of making.  With that premise, I launched The Tailored Nest  in 2009.

Piles of vintage fabric make my heart beat that much faster. Spools of thread in luscious colors are better than any jewelry. Hand stitching is my meditation. Crafting in the company of creative friends inspires me. I am grateful for every moment I am able to spend doing what I love.
The sewing studio: Where the magic happens. Cats like it, too. Me and my Pfaff. We're pals.A few of my favorite things: Vintage fabrics, warm summer days, and sock monkeys. I. Love. Fabric.
Click on an image to enlarge and see captions.