Chatham Courier: A Look Into the Future - Where Will Sew Dandelions End Up?

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Local designer hopes to expand classes, influence to the Chathams

By TYLER BARTH Editor - Mar 18, 2023

THE CHATHAMS -

Dominique Kurzawa-Howe, seen here working on a gown, hopes to expand her sewing lessons to the Chathams.

Photo by Shammel Lee

Dominique Kurzawa-Howe says her love of sewing isn’t just a needle in a haystack and she hopes Chatham will agree.

A resident of New Providence and the owner of Sew Dandelions, a private sewing lesson service, Kurzawa-Howe is a very frequent visitor to the Chathams. A visit to the Chatham Chamber of Commerce made her feel “right at home” and “super welcoming”. “I haven’t felt like this in awhile, I haven’t experienced this in New Providence,” she said, adding that the Chathams are very open-minded. She hopes to begin working with the Library of the Chathams and the Chatham School District in the near future.

Kurzawa-Howe has been stopping by in the Chathams for years. Her mother-in-law lived in the borough, she said, and her family loved the town’s restaurants.

A fashion designer and seamstress of more than 40 years, Kurzawa-Howe has several classes available, and launched her website in December. To her, sewing is a lost art, especially among men, and no one should be afraid to say they love to sew, even if it’s just the basics such as reattaching buttons. “It’s kind of like having a toolbox at home. You shouldn’t have an apartment without having a nail and hammer,” she said.

Kurzawa-Howe truly hopes the Chathams will be interested in her venture and that the towns are as “happy” and “welcoming to change and welcoming to growth” as she has seen so far. She is now a member of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and said she has received insight into how businesses roll in Chatham. She said she hopes to establish a brick and mortar store in the Chathams if Sew Dandelions takes off, where children and adults can learn designing, draping, sewing, tailoring and more. She added that while she does love her hometown, Chatham has advantages, such as a walkable downtown and great atmosphere, that she just hasn’t seen anywhere else. “I don’t think New Providence would be the right place to do it. I think Chatham could be that place – especially if I get involved in the chambers and the Chatham community. I would like that,” she said.

Kurzawa-Howe’s website is at https://sewdandelions.com