Today we’d like to introduce you to Kandyce Hudson.
Kandyce, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had a love and a fascination for pretty dresses, especially bridal and formal wear. The idea of dressing up like a princess garbed in satin, silk, lace, and sequins was just so exciting to me as a young girl. I thought when I grew up I would love to own at least 10 or 20 different gowns inspired solely from my own imagination.
It was the idea of this fantasy wardrobe that first stimulated my interest in sewing. It was a skill I knew I needed but didn’t really begin to appreciate until I began studying fashion and clothing construction at Cornell University. Sewing opened a whole new world of possibility for me. I felt like I had discovered a hereto unknown superpower:
I could make myself; and anyone else for that matter, look fabulous just by skillfully stitching fabric and thread together.
I gained more than a fantastic hobby; I had found my life’s passion. And I have been trying to find a way to share that enthusiasm for sewing ever since.
I have been fortunate to gain a lot of experience in Bridal and Formal wear. I have also worked in women’s “Ready to Wear” fashion design. However over the years, some of my favorite professional experiences have been in projects that had nothing to do with fashion and more to do with teaching others how to create their ideas with a home sewing machine. When asked one day what my dream job would be I replied, ” I wish I could make a living talking about home sewing and all the cool things you can accomplish with a home sewing machine.” Thus the idea for a sewing school began sprouting in my mind. From that, my current studio, InKandycence, was created, and the educational arm of the studio, Made By Me Academy was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a sewing school has been challenging, as the subject of sewing carries a little bit of a blessing and a curse. Sewing is an activity that many people recognize and even have good nostalgic feelings towards. There is no initial challenge of explaining what home sewing is or has been. In fact, many inquiries start with people sharing fond memories of their grandmothers or an aunt who once sewed for the family or just themselves. Often the person I am speaking with even voices a desire to know more about home sewing themselves.
The challenge is those same people often have a view of sewing as a dying art or activity from a bygone era, and not as something that fits into a modern lifestyle. With ready-made clothing so easily and cheaply acquired, they just don’t see the benefit of engaging in sewing since it is no longer a necessity. My goal is to show how home sewing is still relevant and how sewing actually fits into modern concerns of accessibility, sustainability, and self-care. Plus, it is just fun and a skill with limitless possibilities.
Before the pandemic, it was really difficult to compete for funding and investment because lenders weren’t sure of home sewing’s viability as a business. They still saw it as a pastime or hobby. Since the pandemic, I feel as though the attitude towards sewing has changed significantly. I still have to pitch the benefits of home sewing, but now at least there is a shared understanding that perhaps sewing knowledge is something that can be very useful in both physical and mental health maintenance. Think about the shortage of face masks and the need for something to do during the COVID shutdown.
Turns out these challenges are exactly what I signed up to tackle. Winning new converts to the cause of home sewing requires talking to people about sewing all day long, and that’s exactly what I wanted a “dream” job to include.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Mine is a designer’s studio for sewing, art, design, and sewing education, sharing all imagined possibilities found in home sewing. Within the studio, my academy teaches students from all skill levels how to get the best results for their clothing, craft, and costume projects using a home sewing machine. My work is making sewing cool again and making sewing education available again. I feel like I am part of a growing arts and makers movement that is helping the home sewing machine reemerge from the back of closets across my community to become a featured tool for the modern maker’s creativity process.
I think I was really made to teach because I just naturally believe in others and their abilities to learn this amazing art form. I also just believe in the power of sewing to transform its practitioners from without and within. Sewing builds confidence, increases self-esteem, and provides the ability to make amazing things.
I think the thing I am most proud of is that my enthusiasm for sewing comes through in my teaching style. I think I make it fun, relevant, and accessible. Students always tell me how encouraged they feel by my patience and optimism. I also think they see that this is not just some “pastime or interest” for me. Expressing myself through sewing and design is my lifestyle; my life’s work actually.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
In recent years I have worked with local organizers and designers to present Fashion shows and really show people all the beautiful fashion that can be created with a home sewing machine literally at the kitchen table. At these events, I always encourage interested audience members to seek me out for lessons or send others who might need lessons for their future aspirations.
Going forward, I hope to cast a broader net and collaborate with community organizations to sponsor community-based sewing clubs and activities, promoting access to sewing education and helping community members attain and grow sewing skills. I think there is no limit to what people can achieve with sewing once they know how to sew. Wouldn’t it be cool if I was helping the next artist premier their designs or the next small sewing-based business launch?
I also have a goal of finding corporate sponsorships so that I can also provide equipment and supplies during these community based events.
Pricing:
- $45/90 min session
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inkandycence.com
- Instagram: @inkandycence
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InKandycence
Image Credits
headshot (selfie) others: @leanavioletphotography
