Meet Jess

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Choosing patterns, fabrics and designing her clothes down to the buttons has been a passion for 

A unique talent for envisioning a project from ‘fabric to finished’, she helps Jessica since as early as 4 years old. Sewing followed her through many life phases, most of which notably include a lime green, polar fleece maxi skirt, and some truly unique prom dresses. Jess has never met a print, color or texture that couldn’t become something incredible. Naturally this level of unbridled creativity could find home in no other place than New York City, where she attended one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, The Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Jessica holds an AAS degree in Women’s Apparel Design with specific focus on Tailoring and a BS degree in Production Management of Apparel and Textiles. She graduated top of her class, but had long started what would become a 10-year career in the garment industry by interning with and later joining the team of boutique design company, Beth Bowley. It’s in this first position that Jessica was Junior Designer creating garments for the Ready Wear customer. Later, while working at Jones of New York Dresses, she managed fabric acquisition and coordination as Assistant Director of Textiles, and developed wovens and prints with several designers while working for two of New York’s major print houses.

“I have a mental catalog of hundreds of thousands of prints, textures and patterns, I may not remember your name, but I’ll remember what you were wearing.” 

She often says.

clients conceptualize the project they didn’t even know they were imagining. Her passion for these tangible projects extends into the classroom where she’s driven to teach students of all ages the foundational skills that will lead them to the power of their own creativity. 

“We don’t just teach you how to sew, we teach you to think about your project.”

Joining the Smile Spinners team in 2015, Jessica has continued her commitment to empowering young people to sew and community outreach by hosting summer Kids Camp and an annual Give Back charity event. She’s helped countless clients find their Sewing Joy, and she’s ready to help bring that same enthusiasm to your next project too.