Learn to sew right at Abby’s Sew Right
BY GINNY RAUE
HEWITT — Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew, or maybe you’d like to expand your skills? Perhaps crocheting, knitting or embroidery is more your style. If it involves a needle and thread, all signs point to Abby Beyjoun, owner of Abby’s Sew Right in Hewitt.
Beyjoun opened her shop last October and hasn’t looked back since. As a matter of fact she’s hardly had time to catch her breath.
This professional seamstress was trained in her native Syria and brought her old-world skills to the United States 18 years ago. She’s a wife, a mother, a school class aid and an entrepreneur. She loves needle work, beading in particular. You can hear the pleasure in her voice when she talks about working on wedding gowns.
Her shop is different. It’s a combination of working areas for creating, tailoring and sewing lessons but you will also find boutique racks of one-of-a-kind garments, gowns, prom dresses, shoes, jewelry, lingerie and clutches, all at affordable prices. She also carries or can special order a large variety of sewing supplies.
And then there’s the consignment section with carefully handpicked items. Right now there is a selection of consignment prom dresses available, mostly priced between $50 and $60. With an eye constantly towards affordability, Beyjoun keeps most of her new gowns under $200.
Brides and beads
Currently, Beyjoun has her hands happily filled with brides and their gowns. She and one bride that she spoke of seem to walk the same path of sentimentality.
“I get chills telling the story,” she said. She assisted the bride with selecting a simple dress and will now incorporate beads and lace from the wedding gowns belonging to the bride’s mother and future mother-in-law.
“I’m also doing a Christening dress from a mother’s gown. People have great ideas. It’s touching,” she said.
Beyjoun said beading is her “therapy” and the quality of her beads is of great importance to her. She’s shopping around in New York City to find the best for her clients; she wants to be able to see and touch the beads.
“They are sold in tubes or little bags and they’re very expensive. In Syria, they were sold in huge glass jars and you picked them by the pound,” Beyjoun said. It takes a mountain of beads to create a beautiful garment; between 7,000 and 8,000 of them for a short dress.
Teaching the craft
Beyjoun is currently giving private sewing lessons but hopes to form classes when she can gather four of five interested parties who are at the same skill level.
“If a couple of girls come together, we can work out a time and they’d get a group rate. It could be basic sewing, crocheting, whatever they are interested in. I’m open to everything and offer a flexible schedule.”
If a client prefers, she may bring her own sewing machine to work on during lessons.
Recently, Beyjoun had one group of crocheters who just needed a little help, a few hints. The ladies came together, sat in the lounge area of the shop, enjoyed each other’s company and called for Beyjoun when they needed her assistance. The little “club,” as she called it, worked out well for everyone.
As a professional, Beyjoun laments the lack of sewing instructions offered in schools today and has an idea that may help fill the gap. She knows how busy students are during the school year and so is planning to run summer day camps at her shop, teaching the basics of hand sewing and working up to the machines. Something for the kids to do on vacation while learning a life skill. Who knows, maybe even setting a youngster on a career path?
Working at something she loves and her desire to share her knowledge will keep Beyjoun busy and content. Learning from a skilled professional or enjoying the fruits of her labors appears to be winning propositions for her customers.