Sew Spot
Castle Street store caters to DIY crowd
Art can be found across downtown Wilmington, and MEGHAN RISLEY has pulled some threads to bring sewing to the Port City.
After owning a screen-printingcompany for three years, she decided to pursue her hobby of nearly eight years.
In 2013, she opened JUST SEW CLOTHING on Castle Street.
In the space, customers meet with Risley to design and review custom orders, take sewing classes, or browse her hand-sewn creations on display, such as yoga mat holders and coffee cup sleeves.
Racks of one-of-a-kind clothing also line the pastel and partially exposed brick walls, the result of SECOND SKIN VINTAGE owner KAREN OETTING, who moved into the space earlier this year.
Risley was first inspired to make garments by watching her grandmother fix her clothing. Then in 2002, she went to Africa with the Peace Corps.
“The trip inspired me to sew because over there they don’t have clothes already made. You go to a tailor, and they make it for you,” Risley says.
A wrap skirt was the first item she ever sewed by hand, and she has made nearly everything from curtains to kilts since. Risley even wears her own designs, such as her pale yellow, patterned top complete with a keyhole back and button, but she’s most proud of her infant mobile crafted from hand-sewn felted birds.
Risley creates custom clothing for customers, ensuring a perfect fit that people can’t always find in a store. She enjoys the challenge of tweaking designs to fit a client’s requests.
“Customers seem so happy to have exactly what they want – they walk around really proud that it was handmade for them,” she says.
Risley enjoys having an assortment of fabrics to choose from as most customers give her full creativity in choosing the material and design.
Risley also teaches sewing lessons to people ages nine to sixty, letting clients look through books to get ideas. Students are able to take home finished work, including purses, dresses, and potholders.
“A lot of times people want to start out by making gorgeous gowns, but it discourages them so I try to start out on simple projects mainly to boost their confidence,” Risley says.
Risley extends her helping hand to the community by serving on Castle Street’s membership committee and promoting local businesses.
This spring she opened her doors to Second Skin Vintage, and both businesses currently reside in the one space.
“Our styles are similar – she has old retro and I have new retro,” Risley says of Oetting. “It’s working out well.”
Risley hopes to create sewing workshops to reach more people in the future.
“This job has been so rewarding,” she says. “I feel like I have a whole new family from this store.”
Just Sew Clothing
616 Castle Street, Wilmington
723-1162
To view more of photographer Hilary Walker's work, go to http://hilarywalkerphotography.com/.
