Staff Profiles

Early training, a true love for sewing, and supportive families ... you'll recognize the common threads among the friendly and knowledgeable staff at BCS ...

Laura Livingston - Owner

Where does one go with an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences? The last place you would think is to a sewing machine store! While taking time to decide what career action to take next, Laura started to work for Beth Schillig (founder and original owner of Beth’s Creative Stitchery). That was in January 1983, and 23½ years later, Laura purchased the store from Beth. Along the way, the two grew the store together and had a sister-like relationship.

Laura’s favorite type of sewing has always been garment construction. Tailoring a suit was considered a joyous pastime because it is a thoughtful process that equals a proud wardrobe addition! In time, tailored suits gave way to creative wearables. Laura is known as the “Jacket Queen” because of her extensive collection of quilted and creative garments. After she married Scott Livingston in June 1999, Laura decided to devote all of her sewing time to only creative sewing ... no more skirts, suits, dresses, or basic-ware unless it had a creative twist to it! With her Bernina, creative sewing had no boundary because the machine can do everything! Laura has always said, “If your mind's eye can see it, a Bernina can sew it!”

When Laura is not sewing, she involves her time with home and business! She and Scott are avid bikers, and both ride several thousand miles annually (they met in 1998 on a “little” annual 210-mile bike tour to Portsmouth on Mother’s Day weekend called TOSRV—it was his 25th and her 10th). The Livingstons rarely take a vacation that does not involve cycling.

Aside from cycling, Laura tries to grow tomatoes, peppers, and gladioli in her garden. A typical summer evening (when not bike riding) includes a light dinner on the back patio, discussing wine, and preventing any one of their 3 cats from escaping the backyard. Whatever time is left over is devoted to reading.

Robin Carl

Robin has been happily married to husband Hal for more than 20 years, and they are the parents of three children—Justin (19), Rachael (18), and Rebecca (16). She has been working at BCS since September 2005, when an e-bits article asking for part-time employees caught her interest. She thought this could be the perfect part-time job because she really likes to sew, the kids were in high school and didn’t need her 24/7 any more, and the Martha Stewart spotless house no longer appealed to her.

Robin’s first sewing machine was a Christmas present from her very thoughtful husband after hearing Robin casually say (when Justin was only 4 months old!) that she wanted to start sewing again ... it would save them a little money and give her something to do besides cleaning house all day. She has been hooked on sewing ever since. Enjoying all types of crafts and sewing projects, she considers herself a Jack of all Trades and Master of None. She tries to escape daily to her little corner of the basement.

She says that the best part of her job is helping others, sharing her love of sewing, and working with an incredibly talented group of women!

Carol Clements

“I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember,” says Carol. Learning to knit when she was about 6, sewing was a natural progression that followed soon after. It’s not hard to believe, when you realize that her mother was a talented seamstress who made most of her own clothes as well as Carol’s and her sister’s. Watching her mother’s attention to detail instilled in Carol a strong desire for perfection in her own work. Carol had the discipline to “rip it out until I got it right!”

Growing up, Carol was very involved in 4H and continued sewing many of her own clothes throughout high school, while her mother was content to supervise. She completed a degree in Home Economics education at The Ohio State University and took every opportunity for sewing and textile electives.

Marriage to husband Lin and three children followed, and sewing remained a most important part of Carol’s life. She continued to sew for the entire family, adding home dec sewing to the repertoire when necessary. “I bought my first Bernina, a 930, in 1985, and it was rarely still. I used it almost every day.” When the children were small, she discovered smocking and heirloom sewing, a sewing specialty she is passionate about today. When her children outgrew the need for handmade clothing, she continued to hone her heirloom skills on doll clothes for daughter Ashli’s growing doll collection. “There weren’t any patterns, so I drafted my own.” Friends began asking for copies, so a doll pattern business, Ashli Elizabeth Designs, was born. Through the pattern business, Creative Needle Magazine became aware of Carol’s talents and enlisted her as a contributing editor and author of their “Sewing For Dolls” column, a position she held for five years. “It was perfect. I had free reign to design anything I wanted. No pattern folding or busy work! I loved every minute of it!”

These days, Carol is delighted to be sewing for children again, this time as grandmother to Nathan (3) and Carter (1). “This is the best! I love sewing for them. Today, I have machine embroidery, which I didn’t have when my children were small. It’s opened up an entire new world!” Her family remains the most important part of her life. Lin has always been so supportive of Carol’s “hobby turned profession.” He took care of the children when she needed to sew, helped around the house, and kept the books when she had the business. Ashli, a former elementary teacher and skilled seamstress in her own right, is a stay-at-home mom and married to Dr. Ian Welsh, a second-year medical resident. Son Neal is an architect and has recently returned to graduate school for his masters at Ohio State. He was married in June 2006 to daughter-in-law Katie, an Interior Designer and, to Carol’s delight, an aspiring seamstress! Youngest son Adam is an environmental engineer and travels throughout Ohio and neighboring states supervising environmental clean-ups. “I have Lin and my boys to thank for my beautiful new sewing room. Neal used his architectural skills to help me design it, and they did all the construction. The girls helped me decorate. It really is my dream sewing space. I can go in there for hours and never see the light of day!” Wherever she’s lived, Carol has always managed to carve out a special sewing space. “It is as necessary for me as having a kitchen. Many days, I’m in there more than I’m in my kitchen!”

Now an almost ten-year employee of Beth’s, Carol still loves sewing and the anticipation of new ideas and techniques. “My favorite part of this job is teaching. I still love to see the excitement in students’ faces when they see just how wonderful these machines are and how great they are to use. I’ve been so fortunate to have learned from the best. It’s wonderful to be able to pass on some of those skills.”

Jodell Fischer

Jodell’s mother sewed for the family when they were little, but the local 4-H group was Jodell’s first hands-on introduction to sewing. That was the year the family moved to the country and Jodell started third grade. One year, she made the local newspaper, modeling her nightgown and cap for fair week. She remembers the A+ for the lined skirt and vest made in home economics and her first and only tailor tucks!

Jodell spent hours sewing for her new nieces and nephews. They still talk about the funky PJs and other assorted sewing “gems” they received over the years. Sewing was put on the back burner with that “maturing” body thing made sewing for herself not quite so fun. “It was too much work to make a pattern fit, and I just hated doing the alterations.”

In 1995, when the old sewing machine kicked the bucket, Jodell realized she just couldn’t live without a sewing machine! In rode husband Dave to the rescue, with a Bernina 150 for Christmas. Jodell had new reasons to sew and play (uh, create!). A few years later, she added a serger. It only took a short time before embroidery caught her eye, and soon a Deco 650 and a Magic Box were added to the collection. Dave had no idea he had created a sewing monster with that present! He often volunteers Jodell for embroidery projects, and with that came the needed support from the gang at BCS. It also gave Jodell a great reason to visit the shop.

Beth asked Jodell to join the BCS staff when Jodell retired from 30 years of teaching. Jodell was both privileged and humbled because everyone on the staff had their niche and she wasn’t sure how she would measure up. Jodell also had to learn the “business,” a never-ending process. “Everyday is a growing and learning experience. I mostly enjoy helping our customers grow in their sewing experience.”

She added a 200E and the Bernina Stitch Regulator to her Bernina family. “I love free motion quilting my own quilts now because they look so professional. I really enjoy the embroidery on my 200, and my current goal is to own every spool of Isacord thread.”

Husband Dave and she have been married since 1993, and the love and chaos with cat Chester and two dogs (Maggie and Scooby Doo) keep them both busy. “Dave and I met though the Columbus Ski Club, which is where I met Laura. Dave and I no longer ski but participate in softball and bowing with the club. We have tickets for the Blue Jackets Hockey and Ohio State Men’s Basketball. On vacations, we love to visit our national parks, with the Grand Tetons being one of our favorites. We also enjoy camping and the wonderful programs at state parks. Our nieces and nephews keep us busy with their activities and families, and I’m a great aunt to three adorable girls—Avery, Molly, and Emma.

Ric Hurley

We are proud to have Ric on our teaching staff. There is rarely someone so talented and skilled. Ric comes from Dayton OH but has a abundance of experience in the fashion world. He has lived in Columbus for 15 years and is currently a professor of Fashion Design and student advisor at Columbus School of Art & Design. Earlier in 2007, he became a potential candidate for Project Runway. Because of the taping schedule conflict, Ric had to bow out for the 2007-2008 season but will be an automatic consideration for the following season.

Ric teaches Contemporary Tailoring, Drafting, Draping, Pants, and Channel Jacket classes at the shop. In early 2008, he will add some elements classes, such as pocket construction and fashion design from classic patterns.

Past experience includes leading the alterations department at Sax and Jacobson’s and design work for Banana Republic and The Gap. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado in 1984 and studied in Paris with Dior Haute Couture for 2 years from 1979 to 1981. When not doing freelance design work, Ric enjoys painting with water colors.

Sharon Huber

Sharon Huber has come out of retirement to join the staff at BCS. She is a former home economics teacher and guidance counselor who first visited BCS to buy her Artista 165 when she retired from teaching.

She has always loved creative sewing (both garments and craft projects), and being able to teach folks who were excited about sewing was very appealing to her. She also does liturgical sewing for her church, and doing the appliqué work for those projects pushed her to shop for her Bernina. Sharon joined the staff in July 2005 and hopes to be part of the family for a long time!

When Sharon is not sewing, she spends her time in the garden, on her boat in the warm months, and is a sea turtle rescue volunteer, helping to oversee hatching eggs. She is very active in her church and is also in several choral groups. She also makes very lovely jewelry!

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Beth Schillig

Creative endeavors and projects have been part of Beth’s life since she was a child. After receiving an associate’s degree in Fashion Design and Dressmaking from the Fashion Academy of Pittsburgh, she worked part time at a small, independent fabric store in Gahanna OH. It was there, when the shop picked up a second line of sewing machines, that Beth was first introduced to Berninas. Through Bernina training on the use of sewing machine accessories, the creative juices really started to flow!

Beth stayed at that store for five years before moving to the Worthington area and opening Beth’s Creative Stitchery on April 1, 1982. Even though it was located in the rear of a building in the basement, the business took off immediately. Customers were eager for the friendly, knowledgeable service not readily found at sewing machine dealerships of that era. An with all the detailed classes on how to use their new machines, they were able to push beyond the basics and expand their sewing skills to new levels.

After nearly 30 years of promoting Bernina products to Central Ohioans, Beth decided it was time for a change and sold the business to Laura Livingston, her long-time employee and friend. The first year of her retirement was dedicated to being caregiver to her mother, an Alzheimer’s patient. Although challenging at times, she found it interesting, rewarding, and enlightening. Now that her mother is safely living in a nursing home, Beth is free to spend her time as she desires.

Beth is having a great time taking classes and workshops on various subjects, and the quilting bug has taken a major bite! Beth is putting the miles on her two Bernina machines and churning out quilts and wall hangings while experimenting with varied quilting techniques and designs. She has become an avid walker and budding hiker, enjoying trails out west and in Ohio. During the spring-summer-fall months, she spends time at her Lake Erie retreat in Marblehead OH. In between jet skiing, watching the boats go by, and enjoying the beautiful sunsets, she actually gets a lot of quilting done! Home base is still Columbus, just two blocks from the store. She stops in frequently to keep up with what is new and to share her latest creations. Don’t be surprised if you run into her here!