Russian Grown, Now American Sewing

Olga Lindsey, 33, is in the midst of tailoring a new life in the USA.

- Susan Lagsdin

Four years ago, she brought with her from Russia to Wenatchee a tradition that was commonplace when and where she grew up but may seem antiquated in our fast-paced consumer society.

She designs and sews clothing, a craft she learned not only from her mother and grandmother but in the (required) equivalent of our now-obsolete home economics classes.

“When I was seven,” she said, “My mom bought me a book where you stitch a little rabbit. I taught myself to stitch by hand, and I learned to make costumes for dolls.” By 14 she was refurbishing, by hand, throw-away clothes into attractive dresses for herself.

For several years, Olga worked in the clothing production industry, which later suffered a decline as cheap goods came in from Vietnam. In one factory, she injured her shoulder with repetitive stress and was let go; another was too cold for half the year. Pay was low.

She described some of her sewing jobs: tights (“about 500 every five hours”) multicolored pillowcases, curtains, terry cloth bathrobes, lining for army boots — and sundresses (“Those were nice — the fabric came from Turkey… very stylish.”).

Her first sewing machine at age 27, a gift from her mother, empowered her with possibilities, as did the experience with high-output sewing followed by small-scale alterations. Now she can sew almost anything, though her jumbo-sized artist journal is filled with pencil sketches of women’s dresses, and she’s finally started her own business.

Olga distributes business cards, using her nickname, for “Olya’s Creations” and has started some advertising, but she’s content to keep her enterprise small and grow naturally.