Working in Clark County: Grace Anderson, tailor at Grace’s Sewing Shop

Like many other businesses suffering during the pandemic, Grace’s Sewing Shop saw business nearly flatline during March and April.

Owner Grace Anderson, a 75-year-old tailor, works out of a small shop by her home in Battle Ground. Weddings were kaput, meaning much of her work on dresses and suits disappeared.

“I have some things hanging here that have been here since the beginning (of the pandemic),” Anderson said. “I had a flight attendant who had uniforms that needed altered, but she couldn’t fly anymore, so they’re just hanging here.”

Anderson resorted to making face masks, creating more than 330 of them, she said, and she gave one per customer if they needed one.

But now, as people are forced to get on with their lives one way or another, business is picking back up, she said. She has a wedding dress alteration to complete and a few bridesmaids dresses.

“Since I’ve been working on customers’ clothes now, I haven’t had to make too many (masks) since,” Anderson said, adding that the need for masks has dwindled.

In general, mask making has somewhat renewed interest in sewing, an activity some consider antiquated. According to Google Trends, people searching on Google for the term “sewing” hit a small peak just after the pandemic started. Tutorials have also popped up all over the internet on how to sew masks.

Anderson has somewhat of an adverse view of any longevity to people’s interest in sewing, however.

“Whether they’ll sew to a greater extent, I don’t think so,” she said. “I think they probably won’t. They may get to making something simple, but I don’t think they’ll go to the extent of doing what I do.”

Anderson moved to Battle Ground from her home state of North Dakota in 1963, when she was 18 years old. She had a friend who lived here that she would visit from time to time. She started sewing not long after that.

“I just loved the area, and I swore that’s where I was going to live,” she said. “So when I graduated from high school, my father worked for the railroad; he gave me a ticket. I came out here and never looked back since.”

The Columbian caught up with Anderson to learn more about her work.

For those who maybe don’t know, what’s the difference between a dry cleaner and a seamstress?

The dry cleaners aren’t doing all the things I’m doing. They do some of the basics of hemming and sewing buttons, but they don’t do it quite as extensively. I work on wedding dresses — I hem them, work them to fit. A few years ago, I made a wedding dress from a size 12 to size 24.

Do you call yourself a seamstress, or maybe a tailor?

(Laughs) Oh, it’s a bit of both. Tailoring, I don’t know what the terminology is for sure; whether it’s tailoring it to fit somebody or total reconstruction of a garment. I’d say total reconstruction of a garment is dressmaking. And I don’t do that. When people ask me what my profession is, I usually write down tailor.

Seamstress sounds outdated.

Correct.

I saw in the dictionary the word seamster; that sounds like a more gender-neutral term. Maybe that will make more of an appearance in our language these days?

I’ve never heard anybody use that. But it was in the dictionary? Well, we’re learning something new. You never know. It’s a possibility. To cover both genders, I suppose. But then seamster sounds like a man.

What projects do you have on your plate right now?

I’ve got a wedding dress I have to hem, and a couple bridesmaids dresses. When I’m caught up with my stuff, I make tote bags for traveling and purses out of jeans and sell them.

What is the most complex project you’ve ever completed?

Oh goodness. This happened many years ago, but a guy came in from Portland and he was a performer, and he asked me to make him a G-string. That’s funny. That was awkward, but I did it.

It seems like sewing is something that was really popular many decades ago, but has decreased over the years. Why do you think that is?

Exactly; because it’s so much easier for them to go to the retail store and buy it new, and you know, you pay the price. Clothes, people don’t care if they fit exactly like they should. It’s not taught in the schools anymore. When I went to school, you got home economics and you were introduced to sewing.

Would you like to see sewing make more of a comeback?

Definitely. At one point I taught some sewing to some kids. But I don’t know if they have the patience for it. I’ve been trying to encourage my granddaughter to start sewing. She has a machine. But she’s like ah, I don’t know. They have other priorities. My daughter doesn’t even sew on buttons.

What advice do you have for people who maybe want to sew their own masks?

Do a lot of research as to what you’re supposed to contract them out of. These masks are hard to breathe in even when they’re cotton. Whatever the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells you — whatever they recommend. There was something new this morning. Go online, get a concept of the sizes and size you can cut your material and just do the best you can. Make sure you do it well enough so the elastic that goes around your ears doesn’t pop out. Because a lot of people make masks and they go to wear them and the elastic pops apart. So make sure that’s reinforced real well, and just use good quality material.

Something just came out?

This morning on “Good Morning America,” they said something about masks, instead of two layers they should have three layers, and possibly a filter inserted in between. The TV said to machine wash it in hot water and dry it in a drier. You just go along — you know, you start with a Chevy and end up with a Mercedes. They’re increasing the capabilities blocking the virus because you’re putting more into it. I’m going to continue making the cotton ones that are double layered. They are hard to breathe in as it is without more obstructions in there. That’s just what I’m going to keep doing if I go back to making them. Right now I don’t have the time. The best thing is just to have a mask.