Valpo residents have kept Addison “Addie”Hines busy this spring with their alteration needs from prom dresses to jeans. The Valpo native recently opened The Stitchery Studio and has been hard at work since.
Hines graduated from Valparaiso High School in 2016 before beginning a degree in fashion design and business at Columbia College Chicago. She worked as a seamstress throughout college, learning the ins and outs of the craft while interning with different companies downtown. After moving back to the Region, Hines began dreaming up the looks of her own alterations store.
“My friends and family had been encouraging me to open an alterations store, and I realized that I would rather live in Valpo than Chicago, so I honestly just went for it on a whim,” Hines said. “Then, this amazing space in downtown Valpo opened up for me, and everything fell into place.”
Hines opened The Stitchery Studio to the public on March 4. Since then, she has worked six days a week to keep up with the volume of clients, mostly because of prom and wedding season.
“Valpo needed a place for alterations,” Hines said. “I have people coming in every day who are so happy that there is a new place because there is only one other woman who does alterations in Valpo. She has even been sending me some of her clients, which is nice of her.”
Beginning this summer, The Stitchery Studio will offer sewing and crocheting lessons for kids and adults. She hopes to offer more advanced classes in the future.
In the studio now, Hines sells tote bags that she designed, but she mostly uses the storefront as a location for people to drop off and pick up their belongings. Looking ahead, Hines plans to utilize her storefront’s prime location to sell and showcase local artists in the front window because of the exposure it will give them.
“This is the community that raised me, and I am eager to help people out and get more involved with it,” Hines said. “I am trying to brainstorm ways to be involved with Popcorn Fest and different events that are held downtown.”
Hines gained an interest in alterations and sewing because it comes with the territory when studying fashion. She credits her professors and classmates in college for helping get her involved and teaching her the basics, yet YouTube also became a friend of hers for quick learning.
While opening a new business has kept Hines busy this year, she enjoys riding her bike and kayaking with her boyfriend during any spare time she has. For Hines, seeing her hometown through the eyes of a business owner has shown her just how kind the residents of Valpo can be.
“Valpo’s a pretty big city, but it isn’t so big that it is overwhelming,” Hines said. “I have loved getting to know all of my clients because they are so nice and excited to bring their things in. It is easy to tell that Valpo is a very community-driven area, and I love that.”