TERESA LEE

My love of sewing started early. Growing up, my mother and I shared an old Kenmore machine that lived permanently on our dining room table. Many evenings were spent sewing with MTV playing in the background, while I dreamed of one day becoming a fashion designer.

 

When I was fourteen, I wrote a letter to actress Marlo Thomas—known for That Girl and as a spokesperson for McCall’s Patterns—asking for advice on how to pursue my dream. To my surprise, she wrote back. In her letter, she encouraged me to attend a college with strong design and art programs, and to stay curious and connected to emerging trends. Her words stayed with me.

 

Inspired by her advice, I earned a degree in Art History with a minor in Textile Design and Metalsmithing from the University of Kansas. Years later, after moving to New York City, I unexpectedly landed a dream job at the McCall Pattern Company—the same company Marlo Thomas represented—where I worked as a liaison between the designers, writers, and pattern makers.

 

I later wrote to Marlo Thomas again to tell her how her guidance, given twenty-two years earlier, had helped shape my life and career. She wrote back once more with kindness and encouragement. Both letters are framed and now hang above my sewing machine as a reminder of where it all began.