About

Home Fashions U is simple, teach and assist those who want to learn to sew home decor with a professional custom finish.

Claudia, Karen and Angie have recognized over the years that those who want to learn to sew home decor for their homes or as a professional business, would like to attend specific workshops.  Many cannot spend long periods of time away from home or work to further their sewing education thus, the idea of the home decor sewing workshops and online classes  came to be!

Home Fashions U now offers Online Education and Retreats across the United States  and Canada to teach home decor sewing.   We also offer private hands-on programs so you  can select your courses and dates for personalized training.

Sharing my skills with others and helping people create beautiful projects and to gain the confidence to step out and create on their own is the highlight of my day! It doesn’t matter if it is business class or learning to  to sew home decor that helps you reach your goals. We have some students take a class just because it was on their bucket list. How funny is that?

Claudia is backed with 12 years of industry experience and 45 years of sewing experience.  I started sewing on a treadle sewing machine when I was 7, my grandmother would sew most all of my clothes and I would sew the scraps into doll clothes.   By the time I turned 10 I enrolled in 4H Sewing and won many state awards with my sewing skills, my home economics teacher Neil Estell was a great inspiration as well as Mrs VanSant my 4H instructor.  Living in a small farming community in Northern California there was not a lot happening in the 60′s so 4H sewing and live stock projects kept me busy.   After high school I married and started my a family and open a alteration business so I could be a stay at home mom.    As my kids grew older with time I quit sewing for about 10 years, who knows why you put your talents on the back burner.  Moving to Arizona in 1996 gave me the opportunity to start a sewing business again and I started with clothing and alterations, which grew into the home furnishings industry by 1999.

She is the owner of Sew What! Custom Home Decor & Slipcovers and Home Fashions U in Peoria, AZ. Sew What is a retail-wholesale professional workroom that provides custom sewn decor to designers, decorators, and retail clients.

Claudia is an past officer of the Arizona Window Coverings & Design Association, A Window Fashions Certified Professional, Member of WCAA, Member of American Sewing Guild, Drapery Pro , WAOA Workroom Association of America and the Slipcover Network.

She is an experienced seamstress with attendance at workshops including but not limited to the Home Furnishings Industry Educational Conference in Greenville, SC, and the Slipcover Summit in St. Louis, MO. Taught at the 2004 -2010 Slipcover Summits across the United States. Sew What! was the past host of 2006 Slipcover Summit in Peoria, AZ.

“My entrepreneurial spirit created an exciting career move to the Home Furnishings Industry in 1999. I have been sewing since the early age of 10 and love it! I design and sew all facets of Home Decor, specializing in slipcovers, bedding, window treatments, and kids decor.”

 

Karen Erickson has been in involved in Home Decor Interiors business for 25 years.  In 1986 Fine Finishing by Karen was born, as a part-time based business fabricating draperies, slipcovers and other accessories.  Karen has been a long time member of Drapery Pro, WAOA , ASG and an avid educator in Sustainable Living (green interiors)

In 1998, Karen started Slipcover America.com and in 1999 Slipcover Network.com followed which supports all aspects of Slipcovers for furniture.  Karen has joined forces with Claudia Buchanan to start HomeFashionsU.com “Home Decor Sewing, Decorating and Crafting”.

An advocate for continuing education, Karen has created DVDs, written articles, how to booklets, plus a pioneer in Online Sewing Education.  You will find Karen not only teaching classes in Washington where she lives, but can catch her on the road teaching 12-15 workshops and classes throughout the year in the USA and Canada.  Home Decor Interior Instructor was inspired to encourage those in the industry of have been sewing for years to teach home decor sewing where they live.

Home Fashions U Blog Talk Radio, Karen has embraced whole heartily interviewing various guest which encompass home decor sewing, decorating and crafting, from those who sew for a living, to fabric companies and furniture manufacturers.  Check out Karen’s On the Road schedule and plan to take a class.

 

I started sewing at the early age of nine, the summer between 5th & 6th grade at a summer recreation program.  The next three summers found me back at the program, sewing again.  Since then I have logged in countless hours at the sewing machine, enjoying every minute of it.  Well, almost every minute; there were some occasions when I could have thrown the machine out the window. In 2000 I made my first slipcover and shortly after attended a four day professional slipcover class.  As soon as I returned home from the class I opened my custom slipcover business.  In 2004 I started teaching at the annual Slipcover Summit and rediscovered how much I enjoy teaching.  My love of teaching is what inspired me to start SIYS.   The purpose of SIYS is to help you achieve your goal of making professional looking slipcovers, even though we may be worlds apart. Enough of me, time to meet the other contributors to SIYS

Sew It Yourself Slipcovers