About

Hey there!  I'm so excited you landed on my site!  I'm Sarah Jo and I'm the creative behind Tailored Trends.  I grew up in Iowa, but took a leap of faith and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and now Dallas, Texas, with my husband of almost three years.

When we moved to Charleston, I struggled to find a job.  I got a lot of "no's" and worked some less than optimal marketing jobs that made my introverted self want to run and hide.  I always knew I wanted my own business, but I felt like I had way too many ideas and couldn't narrow down what I wanted to do.  Eventually, I started creating free sewing tutorials on my Instagram and my passion began to become more defined.

I created Tailored Trends to share my love of sewing with others.  My goal is to make sewing easier for people who are intimidated by the thought of making their own clothing.  That's why all of my sewing patterns include video, illustrated, and written instructions, because not everyone learns the same way.  I work with beginner to expert level seamstresses, and I create products for those who are looking to start a handmade wardrobe.

With over 15 years of sewing experience and more than six years of formal training, I have the competence to help other seamstresses thrive.  I was accepted into the highly accredited Apparel, Merchandising and Design (AMD) program at Iowa State University on a full ride scholarship.  I earned my bachelors in AMD, with an emphasis in technical design in 2018.  I've taken extensive courses in draping, patternmaking and technical design, giving me an advantage over other patternmakers.

As a designer, I've been featured in The Fashion Show 2016, 2017, and 2018.  I've received awards for my athletic wear and have been highlighted in multiple Iowa State publications.  I was also accepted into the highly competitive internship program at Abercrombie & Fitch as a technical design intern where I was able to learn some tricks and trades of the fashion industry.  I also have a full time career as a technical designer at a cheerleading company here in Dallas where I continue to exercise my knowledge of construction methods.

When I'm not busy working on sewing projects and patterns, you can find me trying to convince my husband to go to the beach, playing with my dog, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

If you're interested in hearing more, here are five things you might not know about me:

  • I love Jesus and strive to share His Message in everything I do!
  • I have a part time job teaching English to kids in China (I know, it sounds strange, but it's totally amazing and legit!).
  • My husband and I are high-school sweethearts <3
  • I have a sweet Yorki-mix named Craig.  We love when animals have "human" names, hence the name Craig (we also found him on Craigslist).
  • I am obsessed with all things cotton-candy, including but not limited to: ice cream, peeps, cotton candy itself, etc.

I hope you enjoy learning to sew, shopping for handmade styles, and reading my blog!  If you want to connect, tag me in some of your latest sewing projects on @_Tailored_Trends or shoot me an email at shoptailoredtrends@gmail.com so I can get to know you!