Hello
I'm Sheryl, and I'm the designer behind the projects you see here and at my Etsy shop. Instead of retiring in my older years, I prefer to run my business as well as staying active in a non-profit my sister, some friends, and I started several years ago. All this keeps me hopping, and I like it that way.
My Story
This all started back when I was a child. My mom would save me all her fabric scraps and I would make things for my Barbie dolls. I also believe that's when my purse obsession started because I also started making them. I never used a pattern in those days either. My mom bought us a child's sewing machine and that didn't last long because I started using hers. I will also say, my Barbied dolls had the best home decor and clothes. Back then in the 1960's Barbie only had clothes. She didn't have furniture, cars, horses, houses, or anything else she has today. So mom got me started with sewing, while grandma introduced me to crafting with beads, felt, ribbon, and Styrofoam ornaments.
Back in 1993 I had my first pattern published in "Crafts" magazine. This was before the Internet and the only patterns you could find were in a fabric store, books, or magazines. Wow, how things changed since then! I continued to design for magazines and books for a while when my kids were young. About ten years later I decided to get back into it. By that time, I had a lot of books and magazines to my credit. I did that while working outside the home as well.
Then it happened! PDF patterns became a thing and I was hooked. I discovered a new way to share my creativity and sewing information and tips. So, in 2011 I got back into it and opened a couple of pattern shops. Now I mostly sell on Etsy but also a few other places.
About ten years ago I was getting messages from digitizers wanting me to hire them to digitize my pdf template designs. I didn't even know what all that was. I looked into it and discovered that I could digitize my own artwork! So, I did. That's when "In the Hoop by Sher" got started. So now I do both. I really enjoy sewing more than the machine embroidery and that's where I'm spending most of my creative energy lately.
I made this website so I could share a lot of what I've learned as well as fun and useful tutorials that are beginner friendly. I also have my PDF pattern shop on Etsy, but I honestly get so much satisfaction sharing the tutorials and tips with everyone. So here I am. This website and blog are new, but I've been around for a long time. So come along with me on this journey!
Contact me, I love to hear from you!
I'm always looking for new ideas and inspiration. Is ther anything you'd like to see? Any projects that sound interesting? I'm listening!