Richmond Really Sews!
Richmond Really Sews!
We come together in friendship. And we sew.
Discover Our Story
"I am a lonely sewist. Does anyone else love to sew?"
Our founder, Karen Keech Swerling, worked for 33 years in Hollywood for film and television as a costume designer. In 2021, when COVID vaccines were available and people were starting to get back to some of their routines, she put an ad on Nextdoor asking if anyone else enjoyed sewing as much as she did as she felt like she was a lonely sewist. She received 1,000 responses in 24 hours and decided that her mission was to bring Richmond together in a time of political unrest and during an isolating and lonely time. This moment was the beginning of Richmond Really Sews! Karen formed the group to unite sewists in friendship and it has grown from 13 original members to over 2,000! It is no longer a group, but a beautiful community that supports each other through hardships and triumphs. We have monthly meetings, an annual Frocktails event, and several subgroups that meet to sew specific types of items. Click around our website to learn more and check out Karen's Cinema Stories!
In the Press
Richmond Really Sews! is noted as the Top Sewing Group in Richmond and has been featured in magazines, on radio shows, and on television. A list of our publications and appearances are included below, along with links where available.
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​Richmond Frocktails 2024 Fundraiser appearance on WTVR (October 14, 2024)
Hollywood designer unites Virginians who love to sew on WVTF (October 11, 2024)​
Frocktails Press Release (September 9, 2024)
Richmond Community Sewing Group Finds Common Thread in Richmond-Times Dispatch (November 3, 2021)
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We have also been written up in Richmond Magazine and Sewn Magazine.
Karen was also interviewed for an Open Source Creative Podcast, WRIR 97.3 to discuss Richmond Really Sews!
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Richmond Really Sews! Subgroups
Our membership is diverse with lots of different sewing interests. We currently have four different subgroups that are open to any member who is interested. Learn more by clicking on each of the pictures below.