Sew Dayton

Sew Dayton Closing After 4 Years; Owners Opening Two New Studios

July 5, 2016 By Dayton Most Metro

Local small business, Sew Dayton announced today that they would be closing their doors on August 16th, 2016. After almost 4 years in business, owners Jesy Anderson and Tracy McElfresh have decided to open sewing studios of their own. Focusing more on the education side and having very limited retail.

“We have been so successful as a sewing shop in Dayton, that we decided we should offer more classes! With the retail it is hard to focus on the learning and figured if we both opened a sewing studio, we could teach twice as many people and can offer more focused classes.” Says Anderson and McElfresh, “We have fallen in love with teaching and really wanted to focus on that aspect.”

About Sew Dayton

Sew Dayton opened in 2012; as part of the Activated Spaces program supported by the Downtown Dayton Partnership and UpDayton.

Originally opening at 16 E. Brown Street in the fall of 2012, in October 2013 they moved to a bigger location at 261 Wayne Ave to accommodate the growing need for classes, unique fabrics and high quality notions.

The classes have been the most popular offering from Sew Dayton, which sparked the owners to consider closing the one shop to open two sewing studios.

“It really was a hard decision to make. We love downtown and the Oregon District. We love the community and we will miss everyone. It’s a decision that we made so that we can offer even more options the community. We will both still offer light alterations, classes, fun events at our new studio’s and we will both expand into producing custom sewing projects for customers.”

For closing timeline and information please visit www.sewdayton.com.

Both ladies hope to have their new studios open by September 1, 2016.

Tracy is still looking for the perfect space to locate Tracy’s Sewing Studio, LLC. Jesse will be opening Needle, Ink and Thread at the corner of Dayton- Xenia Road & Grange Hall is Beavercreek, which is in the same plaza as Decoy Art Studio.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported Sew Dayton for the last 4 years. We have learned a lot from running a business together and are now excited to take a new direction with our own shops. It’s exciting and a positive addition for the community. We really hope to see familiar faces at the new shops!”

Sew Dayton Approaches First Anniversary Announcing New Location

August 26, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby 3 Comments

SEW DAYTON, another success of the Activated Spaces program, has announced it will be moving into a larger storefront in the Oregon District at 26 Wayne Avenue. The new location resulted from a collaborative effort between Randy Handler, the previous lessee and Midtown Development Corp. The parties were brought together through the efforts of Mary Kathryn Burnside, owner of CLASH retail at 519 E. Fifth Street.

SEW DAYTON’s new location is only a few steps from PRESS COFFEE, which has been ranked in the top 10 independent coffee houses in the United States.

The location holds significant promise from a streetscape renovation of Wayne Avenue in 2014 and a strategic mixed-use development plan for the northeast corner of Fifth and Wayne in the near future. The storefront in the 100-year-old Schaefer building at the corner of Fifth Street and Wayne Avenue previously housed notable occupants including Otis Elevator Co., Fleishman Yeast Co., and Dayton Industrial Supply.

SEW DAYTON is a fun fabric shop, specializing in sewing instruction, fun fabrics and custom orders. Owners Tracy McElfresh and Jesy Anderson instruct sewing classes to all ages and skill levels.

Owners Jesy Anderson (left) and Tracy McElfresh (right).

They will be celebrating their first anniversary at their current 15 E. Brown Street location on Sat, Sept 14th from 11am -8pm with giveaways and special discounts on patterns, fabrics and even a chance to pre-register for sewing classes for 10% off. There will even be a visit from the Zombie Dogz food truck.

Sew Dayton carries fabric that cannot be found anywhere else in the Dayton area, focusing on small independent designers and companies. Sew Dayton also provides light alteration services. For more information visit; www.sewdayton.com or call 937-234-SEW8.

Introducing The Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI)

March 13, 2013 By Dayton937 1 Comment

A little over a year ago, I had the honor of serving as the Director of Operations for the first ever Fashion Week in the City of Dayton; like Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland have been doing for years…it was now the Gem City’s turn to take its position in the International Fashion Spotlight. From day one it was an uphill battle getting Dayton Fashion Week off of the ground, the Founder and owner of DFW Junda Morris-Kennedy of JMK Production was new to the area, she didn’t have any local connections, and the idea of a fashion week was a completely new concept to the Miami Valley area.

As someone who was familiar with the fashion industry from a modeling perspective and a cheerleader for the City of Dayton, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this ground breaking and I reached out to the founder and after a brief meeting with her, I jumped in with both feet and started spreading the word within my various community based circles that fashion finally had a platform in Dayton. And soon after an entire new community emerged, the area in general began to recognize the talent that was here, and individual success stories began to surface.

However, in the days and weeks leading up to and immediately following the first DFW, questions started being raised and cracks began to show all surrounding DFW’s Founder. I along with others associated with DFW attempted to address our concerns with the owner and seek out answers from her as well but our concerns were ignored and our questions went unanswered. Never one to compromise my ethics, in September I resigned as the Director of Operations for Dayton Fashion Week–and soon after, so did others. I initially kept my departure quiet not wanting to cast any dark clouds over the local fashion community; but as sponsors, media, models, photographers, and designers continued to reach out to me for answers regarding DFW and sought my support it became apparent that not only did I need to make my departure public but it was also clear that the demand for a fashion outlet and venue in the area was still present.

After meeting with others who were associated with DFW last year, I was urged to create a new fashion based organization and soon the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) was born! Consisting of over 30 local and national media personalities, business owners, fashion experts, and those who just want to be a part of a positive, transparent, and professional organization; and we’re excited about the opportunity to bring a new fashion outlet to the city of Dayton!!! The Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator also known as (DE-FI)’s main goal is to build a solid foundation for the fashion industry to grow on building a viable and economically successful market in the Miami Valley. Modeled after the Fashion Incubators in Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, (DE-FI) is partnering with TIME Magazine recognized Midwest Fashion Week, Dayton Most Metro, Joli Boutique, Sew Dayton, Shuttereye Photography, Studio Dayton, and UnZip the Runway Designer Competition.

(DE-FI) launched in February 2013 and is planning to host 2 intimate fashion events this year starting with an Official Launch Party July 13, 2013 at SunWatch Indian Village. This event will serve as an opportunity to mix, mingle, and network with some of the area’s top professionals, community leaders, and fashion lovers from all over. Complete with an official introduction of the DE-FI team and designers that have been selected into the Incubator; the Launch Party will also feature a fashion show featuring local and nationally known established designers who will be prepared to take special orders on all of their designs.

In preparation for the Launch Party, the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) will be hosting 2 Casting Calls for models on Saturday March 23 and April 20 from 2p-4p at Studio Dayton located at 1001 E. 2nd St., Dayton, OH 45402 in Bldg 100, Entrance B-C in Suite 3220. The Casting Call is open to male and female models ages 4 and up. (NOTE: Models under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.) All applicants must bring (2) images (1) Head shot and (1) full body shot; photos DO NOT need to be professional. All models must bring with them an application which can be found on the website Adult models should come dressed in fitted attire flattering for your body type. Female models must bring a pair of 3″ heels to walk the runway in. Models under the age of 18 should wear age appropriate attire. There will also be scouts from UnZip the Runway in attendance as well. For more information on (DE-FI) and to download your application please visit our website.

2013 Valentine’s Day Specials and Events in Dayton, Ohio

February 11, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Whether you are keeping up romantic traditions with your long-time love, or starting flirty new traditions with the one you like, Dayton is full of delicious events. Cupid is now jealous and possibly out of work. Below, you’ll find a little something for everyone bitten by the love bug (and even a few for the staunch, anti-heart day aficionados).

Check back as we’ll likely be updating this list (or look at our searchable DMM Event Calendar), and if you want YOUR Valentine’s Day event listed then add it to our calendar and make sure you check the Valentine’s Day category…

An Affair To Remember Dayton Art Institute Friday Feb. 15 8-11pm $40 (Members); $45 (Non-Members)	Valentine’s Evening Under the Stars Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Thursday Feb. 14 6-7:30pm OR 8-9:30pm Saturday Feb. 16 6-7:30pm OR 8-9:30pm $25 per couple
Latin Lovers Cooking Class El Meson Saturday Feb. 9 11am $45 per student	Miami Valley Music Men Singing Valentines! They come to you! Orders from Wednesday Feb. 13 – Saturday Feb. 16 $40
Hotel Date Night Package Homewood Suites Fairborn Check website for prices and availability	Valentine’s Celebration Dinner Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Thursday Feb. 14 6-10pm (prices vary)
Jazz Valentine’s Day with Saxophonist Grace Kelly Gilly’s Thursday Feb. 14 8pm $25	Old Hollywood Glam Ball America’s Packard Museum Thursday Feb. 14 7:30-11pm $60 per person ($75 with alcohol)
Art For The Heart Zion Lutheran Church – Tipp City Saturday Feb. 9 9am-4pm Free	Crafty Valentine Sew Dayton Saturday Feb. 9 3-6pm $30 per person
Valentine’s Masquerade Ball CADC Saturday Feb. 9 7-10pm	Victorian Afternoon Tea – Valentine’s Tea Historic Patterson Homestead Saturday Feb. 9 – Sunday Feb. 10 $18 per member; $20 per non-member
Valentine Dinner Franco’s Ristorante Italiano Thursday Feb. 14 4-10pm $38 Dinner for Two	Chocolate Affair Serendipity Bistro Thursday Feb. 14 7pm-1am
8th Annual Valentines Dance benefiting A Special Wish Foundation Schuster Performing Arts Center Friday Feb. 15 7:30-11pm $100 per person	The Vagina Monologues Yellow Cab Building Friday Feb. 15 8pm / Saturday Feb. 16 8pm / Sunday Feb. 17 7:30pm $5
Valentine’s Brunch Dayton Woman’s Club Saturday Feb. 16 11:30am-2:30pm $20 members; $22 non-members	Valentine’s Concert Amber Rose Saturday Feb. 16 7pm
Valentine’s Day Celebration The Winds Cafe and Bakery Thursday Feb. 14 5pm through Saturday Feb. 16 5pm	50 Shades of Sweet Get Dressed! Boutique Wednesday Feb. 13 and Thursday Feb. 14 12pm-6pm

Fall in Love with Downtown Dayton at the next First Friday!

January 28, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

SAMSUNG CSC Downtown’s next free First Friday art hop will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1. A list of highlights for the February event is below. A complete list of what downtown businesses have on tap for First Friday — including live music, discounts at shops and restaurants, and more — is available on the DDP website.

• Blue Sky Gallery, 8 N. Main St.: Collaborative exhibit and artist reception for Bridgette Bogle and Francis Schanberger. Schanberger will exhibit photographs based on his wanderings around Dayton; Bogle will exhibit abstract paintings in response to Schanberger’s photographs. Call 732-5123.

• CADC, 35 S. St. Clair St.: “Abstract Expressionist” paint party inspired by artist Jackson Pollack and an art auction. Bids can be anywhere from 50 to 75 percent less than the asking price. This month’s auction includes two furniture pieces by Christy Jennewein. The highest bidder on Feb. 1 wins. Call 313-9883.

• Clash Consignments, 521 E. Fifth St.: Opening of an exhibit featuring winter wonderland-themed artwork. Vote for your favorite artist in the show during First Friday; the winning artist will take home a cash prize. Call 241-9434.

• Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors, 48 High St.: (Open 5 to 8 p.m.) Opening reception of new exhibit, “Salon des Refusés.” This exhibit features work by local artists whose art previously was denied and is a fun way to highlight any artwork that ever has been rejected from a show or gallery. Call 228-4532.

• Grass Roots Enrichment and Wellness Center, 400 E. Fifth St. Suite C: (Open 5 to 8 p.m.) Art byTodd Hulsman, a free introduction to Reiki and massage therapy, hands-on activities for kids, and information on upcoming programs for children, teens and adults. Call 723-6747.

• Sew Dayton, 16 Brown St.: 20 percent off fat quarters (18-by-22 inch cuts of fabric) and unveiling of a collaboration with Amy Kollar Anderson, who is the store’s artist of the month, by making custom zipper pouches and makeup bags out of fabric printed from her artwork. Call 937-234-7398.

• BRIM, 464 E. Fifth St.: Hats from the May Michael Design collection created by local artisans Julia and Samantha Hughes. The collection features fine design, materials and craftsmanship from the ’20s to present day. Call 222-4287.

First Friday is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership with support from the Oregon District Business Association, the Ohio Arts Council and WYSO-FM 91.3. The Downtown Dayton Partnership’s website has a complete list of downtown’s arts and cultural amenities, as well as a dining guide, parking map and much more. Download the Find It Downtown mobile search tool for smartphones at http://mobile.downtowndayton.org.

Pop-Up Projects Seeking Entrepreneurs to Open Businesses in Downtown Dayton

January 25, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Activated Spaces, an initiative to fill downtown storefronts, is accepting applications for temporary retail and service businesses to open downtown this spring as part of the fourth phase of its Pop-up Project. The project matches business owners and entrepreneurs with downtown property owners who have first-floor storefront space available for occupancy.

Interested retailers should fill out an application, which can be downloaded at www.activatedspaces.org, and email it to Jen Cadieux at [email protected]. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. Tenants will be selected March 8, and retailers must be ready to open no later than Friday, April 26, in time for the spring Urban Nights.

Lease lengths will range from three to six months. The spaces will have varying lease rates, but will be leased below market value. Activated Spaces volunteers will connect retailers with commercial property owners, help make the space move-in ready, and promote the business during such events as First Friday and Urban Nights. Selected businesses will negotiate leasing terms directly with the selected property owner, but flexibility for the tenant is a priority.

American Pi

Activated Spaces volunteers hope to build on the success of the Pop-Up Project’s first three phases. Four of the businesses that have opened as part of the Pop-Up Project are still open: Beaute Box, 116 W. Fifth St.; Peace on Fifth, 508 E. Fifth St.; American Pi, 37 S. St. Clair St.; and Sew Dayton, 16 Brown St.

Commercial property owners interested in offering space to interested Pop-Up Shop owners should contact Jen Cadieux at 937-224-1518. Participating property owners will be listed on the Activated Spaces website. Once a match is made, a limited amount of money is available to be distributed at the discretion of the Activated Spaces team for such purposes as offsetting utility costs, making cosmetic improvements to the space or other necessities for making the space operational.

Activated Spaces, a volunteer-led initiative spearheaded by young professional organizations Generation Dayton and updayton, has three main goals:

• reactivate and beautify vacant storefronts with creative displays

• encourage entrepreneurs, artists and community groups to occupy space for short- and long- term uses

• showcase downtown properties and increase interest and investment in available space

Activated Spaces is part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a strategic blueprint for the future of downtown. Those interested in volunteering with Activated Spaces should e-mail [email protected].

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities: September 4-11

September 4, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Greetings MostMetro-land!

Welcome to our new weekly round-up of urban Dayton volunteer opportunities!

Mural by David Kenworthy at Garden Station

As someone who’s been involved in a lot of community improvement projects at both grassroots & government levels, I’ve sensed a need to better coordinate all the amazing energy that people have for our center city these days. I’ll be pulling these from our Facebook group and items that you e-mail me. So if you’re looking for ways to get involved in Dayton’s revival, check back here every week. Be sure to report back what you’ve accomplished!

Get Your Hands Dirty – Help Wanted!

Install a mosaic mural: East End Community Services and K12 Gallery need your help at 504 Xenia Avenue in the Twin Towers neighborhood. Tues. & Wed., Sep. 4-5; drop in any time from 8:30am until 2pm. Bring work gloves if you have them and dress to get messy! For more info call Amanda at 259-1898 or e-mail her.
“First Friday Park” Planting & Volunteer Social: Downtown volunteer Brian Ressler took it upon himself to get a grant to beautify the highly-visible triangle between St. Clair & Patterson at Fifth. Now he needs some extra hands to help plant flowers! Gather for drinks, pizza, and First Friday after. Friday, Sep. 7, 6pm; more info & RSVP here.
Downtown Dayton Revival Music Fest: Talk about slacktivism! All you need to do to show your support for downtown is buy a ticket and show up to hear great music. Saturday & Sunday, Sep. 8-9.

Downtown Mural Project volunteers cleaning. Photo: Carli Dixon

Volunteer at Urban Nights: Downtown’s favorite street party needs your help! Visit the Downtown Dayton Partnership and sign up to be a trolley or walking guide, serve beer, or survey guests at this Friday, Sep. 14th event.
The Dayton Skatepark Project: Join other skateboarding enthusiasts in their quest to start a downtown skatepark by following their page.
Dayton Unleashed is a grassroots group improving a fenced area at Deeds Point for use as a dog park. Learn more at their page and stay tuned for volunteer clean-up dates.
Donate Dayton items for the RNNC basket: Each year neighborhood activists represent Dayton at the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference and contribute a Dayton-themed basket (including gift certificates, mugs, T-shirts, etc.) to be raffled off. Contact Sandy Melke to contribute.

Crowdfunding

We know that money is often tight these days, but remember that there is power in numbers – even the smallest donations can add up for grassroots projects!

Future Fifth Street Co-op Brewpub

Build a park in St. Anne’s Hill: This historic neighborhood just east of downtown hopes to raise $1500 as a match to their City of Dayton mini-grant. Learn more and contribute on Razoo.
Own a brewpub: Speaking of St. Anne’s, their cooperatively-owned Fifth Street Brewpub is still seeking inaugural members, so for $100 you could be an owner too!
Cityfolk Post-Festival Appeal: The weather was truly unkind this year, shutting down the downtown festival twice and resulting in a 60% loss compared to other years. To keep the festival, the concert season, and the Culture Builds Community educational program going, Cityfolk hopes to raise $100,000 by the end of the year. Please give at the Cityfolk website.
Give a Dam!: Over $3.8 million has already been raised for the River Run project, but now it’s your turn to give a dam.
Success! Congrats to Sew Dayton and the Downtown Mural Project for meeting their recent crowdfunding goals (although I’m sure they’ll continue to take your money).

You can also join our group to participate in discussions on Dayton activism–this week’s hot topics include food trucks, bike share programs, and the Priority Board system–send me volunteer opportunities, or just check back here next Tuesday!

The Anatomy of Dayton Fashion Week(Part 2): The Success Stories

September 3, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

International Fashion House Azucar

The bar was set high for the Inaugural Dayton Fashion Week, what started out as just a fun idea grew and grew and in the age of social networking word soon traveled outside of the city, outside of the state, and oh yeah outside of the country!! Who would have thought that little old Dayton, OH would cause such a stir in the Fashion World that even the people at Italian Vogue’s party during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Miami would be talking about us and watching us…after all this was just the first one! The designer submission for DFW 2013 have already started rolling in starting with South Africa’s International Fashion House Azucar who has already signed on!

In this first year, we faced it all controversy, skepticism, criticism, and attempts of sabotage, yet we were lifted up each time by friendships, support, faith, determination, shared visions, encouragement, opportunity, and outreach, making dealing with the negativity from a handful of individuals much easier to ignore and here we stand today with success in our hands.

In the days and weeks leading up to and following Dayton Fashion Week, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions from a huge sense of accomplishment to asking myself if I ever wanted to be a part of something like this again…especially since I wasn’t in it for personal gain; I was and still in it because I love this city! Each time I thought about throwing in the towel I was reminded and motivated by those who stood behind me and had my back when we faced adversity, next to me when there was work to be done, and in front of me when it came time to take the lead and show the world just who and what Dayton Fashion week was and is all about. I found that the support far out numbered the naysayers…and I can proudly look back at our first year with ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS!!

The success stories that have followed in the past couple of weeks speak for themselves and have made it all worth it, starting with:

“The Face” of Dayton Fashion Week

Celebrity photographer Rich Jackson was in the building during Dayton Fashion Week doing some scouting. Rich has been credited

DFW Model Olivia Nichols wearing designs by Dlang Ferguson, Jewelry by Serket, photo by Rich Jackson

with discovering some of the today’s top models and entertainers. During his stay here in Dayton he hand selected 9 models from Dayton Fashion Week that caught his eye during our Kids Couture and Ready To Wear shows. Including Jessica Ventus, Kayla Holts, AjA Howard, Ashley Jones, Grace Langshaw, Dana Langshaw, Erica Skrylac, Jeanne Kinne, and Olivia Nichols who was named “The Face” of Dayton Fashion Week; Olivia has gone on to do other shoots with Rich for national campaigns!

Abercrombie & Fitch signs Dayton Fashion Week Model

Model Josh Reid signs with Abercrombie & Fitch

Joshua Reid was discovered while walking the runway of Dayton Fashion Week by scouts from Abercrombie & Fitch who were in attendance and as of today Josh is officially the newest face of A&F!

“The Hidden Gem”

According to McKinley Pierre, the Executive Producer of Miami, FL based fashion series Inside Couture Dayton designer L’Amour Ameer stole the show! From his creative runway presentation to his multipurpose multifunctioning designs—“Look! Up on the runway!! It’s a bag, it’s a—wait for it…wait for it…Wow it’s a jacket??” Mr. Ameer’s showcase during DFW had people cheering in their seats and left the people from Inside Couture in awe naming him the “Show Stopper” and “Hidden Gem” of Dayton Fashion Week!

Sew Dayton Opens for Business!

What can I say about Dayton designer Tracy McElfresh other than the fact that she was a God send during DFW! Not only was she one of our most popular designers appearing with us on Living Dayton, FOX 45 In The Morning, and appearing in F.I.Q. Magazine but when Junda suffered her stroke days before the kickoff of DFW Tracy stepped up, took over some of my duties and became my right hand woman when it came to answering most of the contractual questions being asked of me by designers. So, I’m super excited for her new business Sew Dayton; in conjunction with Activated Spaces Tracy and her business Partner Jesy Anderson will open their own clothing shop complete with original designs from Tracy, hand bags designed by Jesy, and they will even offer sewing lessons! Located in the Oregon District across from Thai 9, Sew Dayton will open its doors this Friday Sept 7!

Sarah Tyrchniewicz of Pretty In Dayton

Pretty In Dayton gets invited to the Big Apple

Another God send was Fashion blogger Sarah Tyrchniewicz of Pretty In Dayton, like Tracy, Sarah stepped up and took over some of my duties when Junda fell ill and helped us to keep the ball rolling. And in the process, her honest, sincere, and edgy writing style caught the attention of designers who are participating in New York Fashion Week which kicks off this week! They invited her to sit in the audience and do what she does best give her thoughts and opinions on the latest fashion trends hitting the runway and the streets! Though she had to decline the late invites we’re pretty confident that Sarah and Pretty In Dayton will continue to capture the fashion worlds attention!

Photographer of the Year!

Dayton Fashion Week Photographer Lamar Pacley has been nominated for Photographer of The Year for the 2012 Ohio Hip Hop Awards! Lamar played a huge role in the success of Dayton Fashion Week, from scouting models, shooting the cover of F.I.Q. Magazine, and working with the designers to name a few. Lamar definitely has our vote you can vote for him too at http://survey.websitegear.com/launch/29437/173!

Moving Forward

Photographer Lamar Pacley of Shuttereye Photo

These are just a handful of the success stories that have unfolded in the last couple of weeks from members of Team DFW! I’ve been approached about creating a Designer Incubator for the Midwest, Dayton Fashion Week caught the eye of producers from Naomi Campbell’s new reality show “The Face” and requested some information about several of our models, Dayton Fashion Week models and designers will be on a big screen near you soon after being cast as extras and stylist for a feature film being shot locally, DFW Events Manager Cindy Gaboury is writing for a new magazine called Envision Chronicle, you’ll also see the work of one of DFW’s models on a national hit show soon, and DFW Designer and CEO of Midwest Fashion Week Berny Martin will be showcasing his Spring 2013 designs during New York Fashion Week Emerge Show just to mention a few more!

The Inaugural Dayton Fashion Week has made its mark in the Fashion Industry and Fashion Weeks from across the country and fashion insiders from around the world have reached out to us for support and to help us grow to make it to the next level! The 2012 Dayton Fashion Week consisted of a lot of educating, trial and error, lessons learned, adjusting, adapting, communication, and corrections. Coming into this year we only had 3 people who were familiar with Fashion Weeks– myself, Junda, and one other model– now we have 300! The planning for the 2013 Dayton Fashion Week is currently underway. Stay tuned for details on how you can become a part of the planning process! For more information on Dayton Fashion Week be sure to “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/daytonfashion .

New Pop-Up Shop “Sew Dayton” to Open in Downtown Dayton

August 27, 2012 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

A new business will open downtown on Friday, Sept. 7, as part of the third phase of the Pop-Up Project, part of an initiative to fill downtown storefronts called Activated Spaces. Sew Dayton, owned by two seamstresses, will offer fabric and patterns, custom party dresses, bags, and a variety of accessories, as well as offer classes.

Sew Dayton will pop up for an initial six months at 16 Brown St. in the Oregon District. The store will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours will be extended to 9 p.m. during First Fridays and Urban Nights. The store’s number is 937-234-7938.

Tracy McElfresh, left, and Jesy Anderson are opening Sew Dayton, a new Pop-Up Shop operated through Activiated Spaces. The store, which will host a soft opening during the Sept. 7 First Friday, will offer sewing classes, custom clothing items and accessories.

Sew Dayton is a collaboration between two existing businesses, Dresses by Tracy McElfresh and JKessel Design. McElfresh is a third-generation seamstress. Her business partner, Jesy Anderson, began sewing three years ago and has not stopped. Together, the pair is excited to bring their love for fabric to a downtown storefront as they continue to offer their custom-designed products and as they teach the art of sewing to others.

Sew Dayton also has a Kickstarter fundraising webpage, and its $5,000 goal has been met through pledges by more than 70 backers. In return for their pledge, these backers will receive anything from handmade zipper pouches or headbands to private sewing lessons, depending on their level of investment.

The opening of Sew Dayton builds on the success of the Pop-Up Project’s first two phases, launched in November 2011 and May 2012. Two of the initial three businesses in the pilot are approaching their one-year anniversary: Beaute Box, 116 W. Fifth St., and Peace on Fifth, 519 E. Fifth St. All three shops from the second phase remain open for business and include: American π, 37 S. St. Clair St., Arin, 27 S. St. Clair St. and Vintage Barbershop, 110 W. Fifth St.

Two more Pop-Up Shops will open as part of the third phase of the project. They will be announced soon and are anticipated to open this fall.

Activated Spaces’ Pop-Up Project, which helped fill 5,730 square feet of retail space during its first two phases, is led by volunteers from the young professional organizations Generation Dayton and updayton. The project is a strategic effort to fill vacant street-level space and spur interest in opening a business downtown that’s part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a strategic blueprint for the future of downtown.

“The Pop-Up Shops have helped enliven downtown while building on growing momentum for the center city,” said Tom Razauskas, who owns the building housing Beaute Box and Vintage Barbershop. “It has been refreshing to work with volunteers and business owners who really believe in downtown and are excited about its future.”

“The Pop-Up Project provides a low-risk, low-cost, flexible way to showcase local businesses while adding vibrancy to downtown,” said Shanon Potts, a past chair of Generation Dayton and Activated Spaces volunteer. “The long-term goal of the project is to convert temporary leases into traditional leases, while establishing downtown as a regional destination for shopping for one-of-a-kind items and retail services.”

“This project also supports local, creative entrepreneurs as they take a risk and test out their business concepts while bringing renewed life to downtown storefronts,” said Scott Murphy, immediate past chair of updayton and Activated Spaces volunteer. “Visitors who support these pop-up shops will help to spur a more permanent retail environment in our downtown ― the next step in downtown revitalization.”

Visit www.activatedspaces.org or e-mail [email protected] for more information about Activated Spaces.

Two Dayton Seamstresses Need Your Help To Sew Their Dreams

August 8, 2012 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Sew Dayton is a fun new sewing shop located in downtown Dayton, Ohio with a modern style and a pinch of vintage inspirations. It’s not your grandma’s traditional sewing store but she would still love to shop here!

[yframe url=’http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2071372453/sew-dayton-fun-trendy-pinch-of-vintage’]

Our Dayton, Ohio community has an amazing group of emerging crafters and artists. Dayton is thriving with creativity and it’s exciting to see the arts develop in our community. With all this talent you might be surprised to know that Dayton, Ohio is missing a place for people to learn how to sew! Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced level sewer, there is a need for a space in Dayton that offers private lessons, group classes, high quality fabrics & notions, modern & vintage patterns and knowledgeable staff.

Sew Dayton is dedicated to helping clients solve problems and answer questions about sewing projects of all levels at any step in the process. Our goal is not only to be a great resource for all sewers but to offer sewing materials you can’t find anywhere else. Sew Dayton will stock both modern and vintage fabrics which is lacking in our area. If you’re looking for materials that are on target with current trends, then Sew Dayton is your store!

Core Values at Sew Dayton:

· Customers and clients should be treated like family.

· Every customer is welcomed with a smile (and a hug)!

· We gladly help all clients no matter the size of the project or the experience of the sewer.

· Your projects are important to us.

· Customer service is a top priority. We will take time to listen and understand your needs.

Tracy McElfresh of Dresses by Tracy McElfresh, LLC will be part of Sew Dayton!

Sew Dayton is passionate and energetic about the art of sewing. We are excited to share our knowledge with others and we are dedicated to our community and to the success of arts in Dayton.

One of the goals of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan is to help launch entrepreneurs down the path of owning their own business while revitalizing Dayton’s downtown abandoned store fronts. Activated Spaces was developed as a partnership between the Downtown Dayton Partnership, UpDayton, and Generation Dayton to see this goal come to life. Sew Dayton has applied to be a part of this amazing project.

Working with Activated Spaces allows us to set up shop in an empty street level store front in Downtown Dayton. Sew Dayton will receive a reduced rate rent and a start up lease term that works for us.

Sadly, some storefronts in Dayton have been left vacant and neglected over the years. Activated Spaces requires that we give our space some TLC in order to get the doors open. With a donation from you, it will be possible for us to revitalize our storefront space and open the doors with Sew Dayton up and running within the 30 days. Sew Dayton needs your help!

Jesy Anderson of JKessel Design will be part of Sew Dayton!!

In order for Sew Dayton to flourish we will need to set up an account with a modern and trendy fabric distributor, purchase additional fabrics, notions, patterns, sewing machines for classes, and make over our storefront. This is where the initial start up cost exceeds our current savings.

Donations will help us achieve our goal of opening a new shop in Dayton! You can give now through their Kickstarter Campaign.

We want our dream to succeed and with your help it will blossom and become a reality. We want to keep our dollars local and help our community thrive while we fulfill our dream of opening Sew Dayton.

Thank You,

Tracy McElfresh and Jesy Anderson of Sew Dayton

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