For Tammy Gustin, founder of Sips N Sews on

For Tammy Gustin, founder of Sips N Sews on Sutter Street, sewing has always been a rejuvenating hobby. For 19 years she worked as a project manager in high-tech startups. After every grueling push to ship a new product, she'd grab her sewing machine and a handful of projects and hide away for days. "Sewing is my zen," she explained. "When I got back, Tammy was back."

While she was too young to remember the day she first began to sew, Gustin vividly remembers the day she came up with the idea to launch a members-only sewing studio.

After leaving the tech world behind in 2009, she was sitting in a coffee shop downtown when she noticed that three students were working at sewing machines. When asked why they lugged their machinery to the cafe, they explained they were fashion design majors and had too many roommates and not enough space to work on their projects at home.

Dismayed by their lack of creative space, Gustin began researching the market and realized that in San Francisco — which has multiple fashion education programs and a high ratio of students living with multiple roommates in efficiency housing — it was a common problem. A dedicated workshop for sewists could turn a profit, she thought. She also noticed that Lifetime's "Project Runway" television show was driving people who had never sewn a day in their lives to drop hundreds of dollars on branded sewing machines, patterns and fabric they didn't know how to use, proving that even novices could be drawn to a space that offers support in getting started.

Gustin signed a lease last June and opened the doors to Sips N Sews at 1144 Sutter St. in March of this year. She now has nearly 100 members on board, including students, seniors, hobbyists and four small business owners who sell their creations online. Memberships are $55/month or $550/year (with substantial discounts for students and seniors), and come with unlimited access to a wide range of sewing machines, a vast array of supplies and an endless selection of specialty teas. Memberships also come with access to technique classes and project tutorials, as well as the ability to sell handmade creations in the studio's public-facing retail shop.

(Photo:blue prom dresses uk)

While Gustin's membership is growing quickly, there's never a wait for a machine, she said. She's outfitted the space with a lounge full of armchairs, rocking chairs and ash trays turned standing pincushions so members can spend more of their time preparing and pinning their projects in comfort while sipping tea and socializing.

With the holiday season in full swing, members are busily preparing festive gifts and trappings for their families as well as the studio's retail shop. Neighbors looking for locally-created handmade gifts should keep an eye on the workshop's Facebook pagefor details on the next holiday craft fair Gustin plans to host in December.Read more at:black prom dresses