About Lea Crain

I was born in Connecticut but went to college in South Carolina where I earned a BS in Home Economics. I got a job in a Piece Goods fabric store where I worked for about 2 years. I got a better job in an Alteration shop where the owner taught me anything I wanted to learn. She was a great mentor, and I developed the desire to be like her. When I moved to North Carolina I got a job doing alterations for a new bridal salon opened by a lady who did floral arranging in her kitchen and thought if she could do that why not have a full-service salon for all the bride's needs. I had only worked on one bridal gown in my previous job, but the confidence I got from the way my boss treated me and the techniques she taught me enabled me to become a skilled bridal seamstress in no time. For the next 3 years we built a great bridal salon that really did it right for the customer. After the first year I rented a space upstairs from the bridal salon where I continued to fulfill the needs of the bridal salon and began to take in street customers. During very busy times, like wedding/prom season I've had as many as 4 employees. About 2 years later a friend of mine opened an upscale fabric store and offered me the back room to relocate my shop. I and the 2 employees I had at the time moved the shop and we started sewing for the fabric store along with the street customers. At a time when my 2 remaining employees had to move out of state, I decided to move to Ohio, get married, and set up my business in my home. 

One child and 4 moves later, I was working out of my first Home Sewing Studio in the basement of my home and decided to create this website in 1994.  I still do mostly clothing alterations for the Talbots stores in town and private clients who come to my home.  I have also made faux fur coats, costume cloaks and capes, and dabbled in historical costuming. I've made custom designed outfits for dancers - including myself.  (I needed a new hobby, so I started taking belly dancing lessons) I like the many facets to my life and business because I get bored easily. About the only thing I don't want to do is windows! 

From 1994 to today in 2024, that 30 years has seen my life take many transitions. In 1999, I had to undergo spinal surgery and moved my sewing studio to a small bedroom in an apartment. The next year I moved to a larger apartment and set up a nicer space for my sewing studio in the second bedroom. Just 1 short year later, My parents and my Grandmother, moved to Ohio and we bought a house together.  My Dad paid to renovate the unfinished basement to create a lovely apartment and spacious sewing studio for me.  It was a long year-long journey for we discovered many needs the basement had -like total waterproofing – before we could design my nice new space. 

In 2003, I made my bellydancing hobby a side profession and experienced many good times with my fellow troupe members which I will be forever grateful. I also started taking Ballroom dancing lessons. 

In 2006, I started work on my first teaching DVD about how to bustle a wedding gown. It sold many copies in the following years. In 2007, I decided to end my relationship with the Talbot stores in Cincinnati to work on more DVD’s but that didn’t end up working out.  This is also the year my husband passed away and my son turned 16. 

In 2008, I met David, and he became a big addition to my life. He helped me redesign an upstairs room that used to be a 1 car garage and I never had much luck using well. This became a lovely fitting room, with a long wall of mirrors, where my bridal customers could give their gowns a good testing before they take them home to await their big day at the wedding. This also doubles as a modest dance studio where my professional dance troupe practices and a friend of ours often teaches.

In 2012, I decided to take a break from my sewing business to become David’s bookkeeper for his Engineering firm. I enjoyed the new challenges but never lost my love of sewing and often took on bridal work for friends and family. I also decided to stop dancing professionally and dance with David just for fun again. 

During the time I was not working on Bridal Alterations full time, I acquired a horse named “Faith”, and thought I could learn Dressage. Well, that turned out to not be a good fit for me and this year I discovered a horsemanship practice called “Liberty”. Turns out my horse likes it too. Another new hobby is occupying my spare time.  And a new addition to our household has graced our lives – a sweet puppy Golden Retriever I named “Lady”.  Faith & Lady are becoming great friends and Lady has started joining in on Faith’s Liberty training. Visit us on our new YouTube channel: Lea’s Dog & Pony Show.  

During the pandemic of 2020, my bookkeeping duties lessoned but never totally stopped. My brother and son lost their jobs and I heard of the need for home sewn facemasks because of the shortages.  So, we joined forces and started cranking out facemasks. I stopped counting at 4,000. How many we produced in my studio, or helped others because I had supplies we could share with the community when the stores ran out, I can't exactly say. Near the end of the pandemic, we moved to Morrow and designed another new basement sewing studio. While slowly cultivating my new client base in my new location, I am also putting more time into our Liberty training. I discovered the International Liberty Horse Association and became a member.

In 2022, I decided to place my DVD on YouTube.  My brother Kenn, artfully separated it into 3 videos you can view on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StudioNicShaydes   

It’s now been 30 years since I created this website.  I have added visitor comments and answers to questions over the years, but now, I have decided it needs a major facelift.  This will take a good amount of time so until this project is finished, please visit the original site here:  www.leanna.com/Classic.html

Thanks for visiting my site,

~Lea