Meet Tracy Turney of Downtown Pittsboro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Turney.

Hi Tracy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I have loved sewing and crafting, making funky clothes, and art projects like mobiles and hanging collages using found objects, usually from nature. I’m also super into decorating, usually running full speed in the opposite direction of current trends, using color and white space uniquely, and incorporating lots of art. I’m from Caldwell, NJ, but I lived in San Francisco for years, where I taught sewing at SF Fabrics. I loved teaching sewing and being around sewing all the time.

In 2009, we were living in Apex and raising a family, and I was making a lot of faux leather handbags, so my husband was like, “Hey, you could make some money doing this.” So we gave it a go, starting RedHanded Bags, a company that made VOC-free eco-bags. I loved designing and creating bags, and we made a splash, but I quickly learned that we needed more budget to get on the map. It’s expensive to promote a handbag line, costly—end of dream. So I started teaching at the RedHanded studio, teaching track-out camps for kids, handbag-making classes for adults, etc. Although the location was hidden in an industrial park in Apex, I learned there was a demand for this sort of thing. I also learned that it was gratifying and fun.

I eventually took on a job as Cary Arts Center’s sewing instructor. Because of the demand in the community and the location/awareness of the Arts Center, those classes filled up fast. Suddenly, teaching was my full-time job. It’s a dream job for me. I love kids, teaching, and sewing. In 2015, my husband’s job moved us away, so I had to say a tearful goodbye to the Arts Center. We moved to Seattle, where I did more hiking with the dogs than sewing. It was nice, but we needed to determine if Washington was our place, so I never started a shop there. 2020, we decided North Carolina was home and moved back to Pittsboro. I was tending bar in downtown Pittsboro at the City Tap Bar, and in the summer of 2023, I caught wind that a commercial space was becoming vacant right upstairs. I went to have a look at the space and felt pretty giddy. What a great art space this could be! A place growing up like Pittsboro might be an excellent spot to start something up. We cut the ribbon in December and have had a great reception.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

The Red-Handed Bags dream died hard, and I couldn’t even look at any of those bags for years. We were getting a great response. We were in about 20 shops (some in NY and LA) and had some great writeups in some good magazines, but to make it work, we needed a fashion PR budget of about $75k. We were about $70k short of that, so we had to let the whole thing whither. It was disappointing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?

My specialty is taking someone who has never sewn before and showing them how easy and fun it can be. The classes I’ve created focus on creativity rather than stressing about their machine getting tangled up (that’s what I’m there for). All the more technical stuff can come later. I also teach classes that help people become competent in solving those frustrating problems that discourage people. That’s what I’m most proud of. I can get people stoked about creating and sewing; the technical stuff comes with spending time at the machine. What sets me apart from others? Most sewing classes I’ve encountered are super basic. It’s like, “I know what you need: another white pillowcase.” That’s not me. I’m like, “How about you design your handbag? I’ll get you through the process, and you walk away with something you can rock on your date night, and people will comment on it.” Also, I’m very interested with having a shop where people want to hang out.I’ve spent a lot of time decorating my studio.   I want it to be warm, fun, inviting, and odd. Music is super important, too. I am a music junkie, and I get really into spinning mixes that have great stuff from all decades. The cool thing is that people always compliment the music even though it’s all over the place.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?

Patience is the key to being an effective teacher, and patience is indeed required. However, reading each individual and understanding which approach will help them succeed with their project is the most important thing. Oh, playing great music is almost as important.

Pricing:

• Sip & Stitch – Come with friends, drink wine, and design and stitch your clutch or tote bag. 2.5 hours $49
• Kids’ Camps – Full-day ($379) or half-day ($269), week-long camps; they’re super creative. See here: https://checkeredtulip.com/camps-for-kidshttps://checkeredtulip.com/camps-for-kids
• Adult Classes, usually 3 sessions for $149, can make pillows, apparel, and other stuff. Plus they learn lots of skills.
• Terrarium and mobile-making classes create a new, unique decoration for your home. $49 for a 2.5-hour session
• Sewing 101: Learn the basics in a 3 2.5 hour-session package. Learn to put zippers in, make pockets, use your machine, etc. $149

Contact Info:

• Website: www.checkeredtulip.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/checkeredtulip/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CheckeredTulipStudio/