Karen Wright, owner and founder of Sew Right!, sat down with Kendle Lambert, Chamber Office Manager & Marketing Assistant, to speak about the in’s and out’s of the business. Karen started her passion for sewing and alterations at just 5 years old. As the daughter of a preacher, she was motivated by her parents to find her own passions. She started with making clothes for her dolls, growing into learning how to alter her own clothes and craft new pieces. Karen has always been very crafty and enjoys the process of figuring out solutions to problems, which sparked her love for alterations. With a technical degree in Architectural Drafting, Karen had gone off to get a standard job in that field, but found herself unhappy after some time. She took a chance and quit her job to work alterations in a bridal shop. After a few years, the owner stepped away and left Karen with the opportunity of a lifetime, to open her own storefront. Now, Sew Right! is a staple of Downtown Garden City and a dream come true for Karen, who now enjoys her work.

Sew Right! offers a variety of services such as alterations, measurements, customizations, and repairs, and Karen is up for any challenge. When asked about her favorite project, she had quite a few stories, but the first was a family member's wedding dress that she made entirely from scratch. With over 10 different types of lace, multiple layers and sewing techniques, and over a year of work, it was her favorite project to date.  She has had some fun honorable mentions such as a nun’s ceremony dress, custom sheets for a camper bed, and putting back together an old doll outfitted with new clothes. Karen is always excited to get a fun new project. She is comfortable and extremely talented with bridal alterations thanks to her years of work in the field, and is also one of the best at fixing zippers. Sew Right! is a one woman show, so Karen is always upfront with her customers about timelines, but her main priority is making them happy. The passion she has for her craft drives her to be constantly learning and providing more opportunities for services in Garden City.

Karen chose Garden City to be the home for Sew Right! because as a native of Southwest Kansas, she knew this is the place to be for economic development. Garden City offers the chance to reach a larger number of people than her hometown of Hugoton. With a Downtown storefront, Karen takes full advantage of the opportunities and other businesses surrounding her. AJ Graphics is a business she often utilizes for their embroidery services, and ultimately recommends them for any embroidery requests she gets. When asked how  the community can help support Sew Right!, she said she encourages everyone to shop local and support other small businesses, especially during the upcoming holiday season. Sew Right! has seen firsthand the benefits of being a Chamber member. Karen said she has gotten a large number of her customers thanks to the communication with the community the Chamber has created. As we head into another amazing Holiday season here in Garden City, the Chamber of Commerce would like to keep local businesses as the first choice for our community. When members of the community shop locally, people like Karen get to keep doing what they love most.

Sew Right!

122 N. Main St.

Garden City, KS 67846

(888) 531-1345