ph: 607-245-9754
spinnint
MY NAME IS ANDREA BARBIS AND I'VE BEEN SEWING ON A MACHINE SINCE I WAS THIRTEEN . I DIDN'T MAKE ANYTHING WORTHY OF WEARING IN PUBLIC UNTIL I WAS ABOUT SEVENTEEN, HOWEVER, AS I WAS SELF TAUGHT. WHEN I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL WORK (MY FULL TIME JOB IS A CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER/PSYCHOTHERAPIST) I WENT TO A LOT OF SHOWS AND ADMIRED THE BACKLESS TOPS I SAW WOMEN WEARING. NOT FINDING THEM ANYWHERE, I BEGAN DESIGNING MY OWN. I ALSO MADE MY OWN SKIRTS THAT TWIRLED OUT A LOT WHEN I SPUN (HENCE MY COMPANY NAME). I ENJOYED MAKING THEM SO MUCH THAT I HAD ALREADY SATURATED MY WARDROBE AND GAVE ALL MY FRIENDS GIFTS. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT IN MY TALENT AT THE TIME THOUGH SO I HADN'T THOUGHT OF TRYING TO SELL MY ARTESIAN WORK. THAT IS, UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN A HEAD SHOP OWNER ASKED ME IF I DID CONSIGNMENT IN 1998. MY ITEMS SOLD QUICKLY AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR I BOUGHT MYSELF AN OVERLOCK SERGER MACHINE TO ENSURE MY SEAMS HELD UP. IN THE SUMMER AND FALL OF 2000 I VENDED MY FIRST FESTIVALS.
MY QUALITY AND FIT HAS EVOLVED GREATLY. I NOW USE A SIX THREAD SERGER/OVERLOCK WHICH DOES A STRAIGHT STITCH NEXT TO THE FOUR THREAD OVERLOCK FOR ADDED DURABILITY. MY CLOTHES ARE ALL GUARANTEED; I WILL EITHER DO FREE ALTERATIONS ON YOUR GARMENT OR YOU CAN EXCHANGE FOR STORE CREDIT IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH YOUR ARTICLE.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME PERSONALLY: I LIVE IN BINGHAMTON, NY WHERE I GREW UP. I CURRENTLY PRACTICE SOCIAL WORK/PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE (MSW) FROM ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. I 'M THE MOTHER OF TWO ADORABLE BOYS. I ALSO HAVE THREE CATS AND A DOG (A MIXED BREED ADOPTED FROM FOSTER CARE). I HAVE BEEN A VEGETARIAN FOR TWENTY-THREE years.
ph: 607-245-9754
spinnint