Sew N’ Tell Alterations, located in Winthrop, celebrated 18 years of business on July 8. Sew N’ Tell’s slogan is ‘One stitch at a time,’ and owner Karen Deguenther puts her heart into every stitch. Deguenther said she loves what she does and it doesn’t feel like work. What she loves most about the last 18 years is the people she has met and helped.
“The best feeling of the day is when you have a girl who feels horrible in their dress and then you make it look great on them. And they’re like, ‘OK, now I love the dress. Now I feel good.’ I mean, that’s the best part for me. When I make a homecoming girl or a prom girl or a wedding girl feel great about who they are on that special day,” Deguenther said.
Deguenther started Sew N’ Tell after leaving a job as a theft auditor. Twenty-five years ago, her son had a stroke during childbirth. She decided she could not travel with her job and give her son the care he needed. Her family moved to Tennessee to be with family. Deguenther’s sister-in-law, Denise, had a sewing business and taught her how to sew.
A few years later, Deguenther and her husband, Bob, decided to move back home to Florida. Deguenther worked for a local company as a seamstress before opening Sew N’ Tell in Winthrop. She named it Sew N’ Tell because her son was very excited about show-and-tell days in grade school.
She now sees approximately 4,000 customers a year. She said the friendships she has made in the community and connections to families are a special part of the business.
“When I started, I did work for seniors going to prom. Then, those seniors, some of them got married right after graduation. I did their wedding dresses. Now, I am doing dresses for their seniors in high school. I am three generations in,” Deguenther said.
Her sister-in-law lost her shop in 2020 due to a tornado. She moved to Florida and now works with Deguenther.
“So, that’s the best part of the story — the fact that we have now come full circle and she works with me. We’re back together,” Deguenther said.
Sew N’ Tell Alterations is located at 11252 Winthrop Main St., Ste. B, in Riverview. Store hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m.-12 Noon on Saturday. For more information, call Deguenther at 813-681-8355.
You must be logged in to post a comment.