
I was always obsessed with sewing, but didn’t consider it as a career until my mid-twenties.
- At four, I mimicked the motion of a sewing machine on the edge of sidewalk during my daily walks home from school.
- During my teens I made a garment each weekend, learning by trial and error how the angle of the fabric's weave affects its drape.
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THIS CONSTANT BUILDING OF CLOTHING WAS FUELED BY THE NEED TO AVOID ILL-FITTING “STORE BOUGHT” CLOTHES THAT MADE MY BODY FEEL LIKE IT WASN'T THE RIGHT SHAPE.
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For example, if the body fit, the upper sleeves were always too tight. Dresses were too wide and too long in the back. Chest darts never landed where they should. And pants always had too large a waist and a sagging crotch.
LOVE AND JOY
OF CUTTING & PATTERN DRAFTING

After completing a fine arts degree, I revisited sewing by training in historical and theatrical costume construction, including pattern drafting, introduction to tailoring, and detailed sewing techniques.
Then I moved to Montreal where I spent my thirties occupied with every aspect of theatrical costume construction: from dressing backstage, to sewing, to pattern drafting and designing shows. These experiences led me to discover my love and joy of cutting, or "pattern drafting".
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I LITERALLY FEEL ELATED WHEN I SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF HOW TO DRAFT FOR THE PARTICULAR SHAPE, DIMENSION, AND AMOUNT OF MUSCLE OR FLESH OF MY CLIENT.
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Every body is completely different from anyone else's, including the way each individual moves.
A LOVE OF ART AND SEWING

In my late-thirties I trained with an Italian tailor to learn the classic construction of bespoke suits for both men and women. I also learned the historical construction of period suits from a British costumier.
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I FEEL THIS LIFE JOURNEY HAS BROUGHT ME TO POINT WHERE I MARRY MY LOVE OF ART AND SEWING TO CREATE TAILORED GARMENTS OF QUALITY CLOTH FOR ANY BODY.
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I seek out cloth made with the greatest care, which results in the highest quality fabric. My motivation is in response to “fast fashion” which uses inexpensive cloth that literally disintegrates after a year, yet the fabric is so high in polyester that it does not biodegrade.
MEET SUSANA
Imagine the feeling of wearing a garment that is made for you with ultimate care...
Choose fabric created according to traditional, ecologically-sound processes. Work with Susana as she hand-constructs a suit for you, with every attention to the fit and movement of your body. And then enjoy this feeling, as it will last as long as the garment: a lifetime.

THANK YOU
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Vincent Pastena
Jan Cogley
Canada Council
McCord Museum
James Jensen
Diane Dechief
Paula Jean Hixon
Neal Napier
Andrew Shaver
Graham Cuthbertson
Alejandro Escamilla
Steve Gerrard