Sewing nearly always has formed the fabric of Mary McIntire’s life.

That thread continues today for McIntire, 70, owner of Something Very Special, a home-based business that fabricates duvet covers, bedspreads, curtains, pillows and other soft goods for the interior-decorating trade.

The Lodi business serves about 15 interior designers in Stockton, Lodi, Angels Camp and Capitola.

McIntire on Wednesday had unrolled the heavy coral, ecru and green botanical print fabric for her next project, a window seat calling for hand-quilting around designs that will produce a raised surface.

The difference between ready-made and custom-made soft goods is found in added details that include coordinating multiple fabrics, matching prints, hiding zippers, attaching pleats or ruffles, and adding trims such as cording and tassels, she explained.

“There is so much detail in this. You’re not just a seamstress,” said McIntire, whose job is to translate designer specifications into the best possible finished product.

McIntire finds the process satisfying.

“Even though you’re not doing your own designs, you’re making someone’s creativity come to life,” she said.

Custom soft goods can be expensive, but McIntire defended the value of being surrounded by beauty and comfort.

“You can say it’s frivolous, but it enhances a person’s life. To be comfortable in your own home is a blessing,” she said,

The job has provided her with an “excellent income” and flexible hours.

Workdays and workweeks expand and contract with the workload.

During busy periods, typically when there are orders for model homes, she depends on a close friend for help.

A sign over projects in varying stages – a tailored bed duster, chair cushions and a refurbished Christmas pillow – reads “A creative mess is better than tidy idleness.”

But there is a conspicuous lack of mess in the garage-turned-workroom.

A 45-square-foot cutting table – the workroom’s hub – is rimmed by boxes of Dacron and down pillow inserts, drawers of zippers, files of pellon patterns, and a line of tables topped by standard and specialized sewing machines.

“If you’re not organized, you can’t get anything done,” said McIntire, whose experience includes decades in the fabric and sewing industry.

McIntire – whose mother taught her to sew – altered clothes for her Southern California neighbors and then designed and manufactured children’s clothing, some of which found their way into I. Magnin store windows.

She eventually taught sewing classes for Singer.

McIntire first gained entry to the interior-design industry in 1980, when she began to manage a store specializing in home-decor fabrics.

She subsequently for 12 years managed a wholesale fabric showroom, fabricating soft goods for some of the designers who shopped there before launching on her own in 2001.

In 2003, McIntire moved from Orange County to Stockton to be closer to family.

That meant rebuilding her clientele.

Ambiance Interiors in Stockton has hired McIntire for projects ranging from a fabric-covered footstool to pillows.

“She helps us with adding the small touches that make a house a home,” said Jennifer Buck, an Ambiance designer.

McIntire’s popularity with designers such as Buck is likely to keep her from fully retiring anytime soon.

“I’ve tried it twice, and it didn’t work,” McIntire said.

Contact reporter Michelle Machado at (209) 943-8547 or mmachado@recordnet.com.

source : www.recordnet.com