About Tracy McElfresh

Tracy McElfresh is an alterations and fit specialist, Kettering Arts Council member, and Kettering resident. Tracy has a skillset built from multigenerational roots in the sewing and garment industries. Operating out of a studio located inside Rosewood Art Centre she provides alterations, garment design (including a strong passion for swimwear), formal and casual dressmaking, and sewing classes. Tracy founded a meetup group in 2014 called the Dayton Garment Designers Meet Up that is open to all newcomers at any skill level. In her free time, she is an avid writer and blogger and was a recognized award winner in 2018 as having one of the Best Dressmaker Blogs on the Planet from Blogspot. You can follow her work on Facebook and Instagram at TracySews.

Indie Shop Fabric Haul, Southwest, Vanlife Tour, 2025

By |2025-01-28T11:41:04-05:00January 28th, 2025|Vlog|

I’m happily sharing my indie store fabric haul from our month long #vanlife tour to the southwest.
Calico Cow Fabrics, Roswell,NM
Thing in a Room, Fredericksburg, TX
Fabrictopia, San Antonio, TX
Promenade Fabric, New Orleans, LA

In addition I really wanted see Oklahoma City Fabrics. Went blazed through way too early outrunning a snow storm. They looked amazing […]

How Not to be a Fabric Hoarder 9 Years Later

By |2024-12-28T16:23:17-05:00December 28th, 2024|Vlog|

Nine years have passed since we closed our brick and mortar sewing shop, Sew Dayton; I brought everything home, filling my studio and garage, and made a hoarding YouTube video. This difficult time led to a huge transformation. Here’s my home studio today, along with a couple of quick projects at the end. Letting go […]

Measuring Up – A Dressmaker’s Year in Review

By |2024-12-19T06:35:05-05:00December 18th, 2024|Fashion Dress Replicas, Formal Wear, Heirloom Sewing, Uncategorized|

A conversation with a friend last week about what made a year good or bad got me looking deeper at how we define ourselves and what is important. It provoked a renewed check-in on my self-awareness, which got me thinking about what it is that I really do with my time. I mean, what am […]

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