Hi there! Thank you for your interest in my story. I’m known as Royah (an Arabic name meaning sweet dream, fantasy, premonition, vision), which is my dance alias that eventually became the name I respond to more quickly than my birth name of Maria.
I have been around sewing nearly all my life. I used to help my grandmother cut fabric in Puerto Rico as early as seven-years-old (I know, talk about trust right?). I have now inherited her machines which I still use to this day; they sure don’t make things like they used to. This became my guiding principle. To make items that are so well-made that they are worthy of comparison and surpass the quality of goods back when there was pride in the work and the aim was to make a good item rather than a fast-and nearly disposable-item. Every item I make is made as if everyone will closely look at every individual stitch. Sometimes, I wish I was kidding about this.
I didn’t always sew. I would pick it up when life allowed and life allowed it to be more frequent in 2013. It all started with me making my dance costumes to achieve a well-fitting and flattering costume. Then I made a shirt…a purse…an evening dress…a dress form…a historically inspired gown…a ball gown… You can see how I slowly spiraled into my sewing hole. I love every minute of it.
I began selling my creations in 2014 (started with dance costumes) to my dance troop and other local dancers in Massachusetts. I am now an empty nester and with all the extra space in my house, this sewing thing got serious FAST. I work a full-time job so all the sewing I do is after work. Some may say I am a fabric hoarder or junky but I prefer to see it as a curator or protector of fabric. I never buy anything less than 4yrds of any fabric and if I think I will use it in a historically inspired gown, I don’t get any less than 10yrds. This is how selling fabric began. If you are buying 10yrds, just get the bolt, right? And while you are at it, take a bolt of that fabric over there too because it’s pretty. If you know me, you are laughing right now because you KNOW it’s true!
When we all became locked down for COVID-19 I started really getting serious about my side business. I accidently discovered silk dupioni. A fabric that I never considered because real silk equals lots of $$$. But you know what? After doing a lot of research, it doesn’t have to be that way. The same held true for many of the delicate beautiful fabrics I started encountering. So if I could now have access to this world, why not share it?
My goal is to provide my customers with access to superb quality fabrics at reasonable and affordable prices. Having the best does not have to equal the most expensive.
Thanks for reading and supporting my small business.
Wishing you all the best,
Royah
P.S. Sometimes when I am chatting with my customers you will hear me say “we.” That’s because I have managed to rope my wonderful husband into the business. He pulls orders, cuts fabric, and if you ever get a package that is not so-neat-looking, it was him who did it. Hahahahahahahahaha!
Hi there! Thank you for your interest in my story. I’m known as Royah (an Arabic name meaning sweet dream, fantasy, premonition, vision), which is my dance alias that eventually became the name I respond to more quickly than my birth name of Maria.
I have been around sewing nearly all my life. I used to help my grandmother cut fabric in Puerto Rico as early as seven-years-old (I know, talk about trust right?). I have now inherited her machines which I still use to this day; they sure don’t make things like they used to. This became my guiding principle. To make items that are so well-made that they are worthy of comparison and surpass the quality of goods back when there was pride in the work and the aim was to make a good item rather than a fast-and nearly disposable-item. Every item I make is made as if everyone will closely look at every individual stitch. Sometimes, I wish I was kidding about this.
I didn’t always sew. I would pick it up when life allowed and life allowed it to be more frequent in 2013. It all started with me making my dance costumes to achieve a well-fitting and flattering costume. Then I made a shirt…a purse…an evening dress…a dress form…a historically inspired gown…a ball gown… You can see how I slowly spiraled into my sewing hole. I love every minute of it.
I began selling my creations in 2014 (started with dance costumes) to my dance troop and other local dancers in Massachusetts. I am now an empty nester and with all the extra space in my house, this sewing thing got serious FAST. I work a full-time job so all the sewing I do is after work. Some may say I am a fabric hoarder or junky but I prefer to see it as a curator or protector of fabric. I never buy anything less than 4yrds of any fabric and if I think I will use it in a historically inspired gown, I don’t get any less than 10yrds. This is how selling fabric began. If you are buying 10yrds, just get the bolt, right? And while you are at it, take a bolt of that fabric over there too because it’s pretty. If you know me, you are laughing right now because you KNOW it’s true!
When we all became locked down for COVID-19 I started really getting serious about my side business. I accidently discovered silk dupioni. A fabric that I never considered because real silk equals lots of $$$. But you know what? After doing a lot of research, it doesn’t have to be that way. The same held true for many of the delicate beautiful fabrics I started encountering. So if I could now have access to this world, why not share it?
My goal is to provide my customers with access to superb quality fabrics at reasonable and affordable prices. Having the best does not have to equal the most expensive.
Thanks for reading and supporting my small business.
Wishing you all the best,
Royah
P.S. Sometimes when I am chatting with my customers you will hear me say “we.” That’s because I have managed to rope my wonderful husband into the business. He pulls orders, cuts fabric, and if you ever get a package that is not so-neat-looking, it was him who did it. Hahahahahahahahaha!