Dallas Seamstress Goes From Serving High End Clients To Those Who Need Masks Due To Coronavirus
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - For some in North Texas, it's been a struggle to get a good mask.
In the Oak Cliff area, some residents say it's been especially hard. In response, one master seamstress is taking her skills and putting them to good use.
"I've sewn forever," Kelly Wiley said. "I've sewn since I was 6."
Her resale boutique in Oak Cliff, Rose Garden ReMake, is full of unique items she's upcycled, but she never thought she'd be creating face masks.
"For 40 years I sewed professionally for high end clients so I'm taking that knowledge and that expertise and I'm making masks now. With this I took it to a whole new level. Instead of having it lined and interfaced on one side, we did the interfacing on both sides," she said.
Wiley said all of the masks are made from high-quality articles of clothing she already had in the store.
"This is a Robert Graham shirt," she said. "That shirt made maybe ten masks."
Wiley started this project about a month ago after noticing many in her community didn't have masks.
"I grew up here," she said. "It's a community that loves each other and takes care of each other."
She's teamed up with a new organization called Masking the Underserved to make sure anyone who needs a mask gets one.
"A lot of these families are suffering," Masking the Underserved organizer Bruce Carter said. "The reality is every penny that is not going to buying food is an issue. The goal is to have some level of protection."
"I think it's really important," Wiley said. "Just the idea that you have this group of people in this time that are using their gifts and talents to bless other people.. I think it's amazing."
Wiley is selling her masks as well.