MEET THE ARTISANS

Lady Tifeni Whittington

Tifeni Whittington

Professional Seamstress

Tifeni has been sewing since Girl Scouts, but didn’t really get the proper concept until she was waiting for her first child. Since then, she has sewn a little bit and a lot of everything. “God gave me this wonderful gift and I try to use it to create beautiful clothing and costumes for others to enjoy,” She is best known for her historically correct costumes and bridal attire. An award winning entrant in the California State Fair, she was head seamstress for a San Francisco designer, who supplied her with nothing but drawings, measurements and fabric. She designed and produced a line of folk wear clothing that sold in boutiques in Northern California, has tailored men’s suits, and costumed many a lass in theatre productions from the Wizard of Oz to Jekyll & Hyde. Although Victorian garb is her specialty, she really enjoys doing Renaissance Nobility. A western re-enactor, she creates all kinds of western wear from historical to modern rhinestone cowgirls. She currently teaches beginning through couture sewing, home making and etiquette, and manages her online shoppe, Sew Creative. She teaches her classes at Sky High Party Zone, in Temecula, California. A proud mother of 4 and grandmother of 8, she sings on the Praise and Worship team at The Masters Touch Healing School and Fellowship, where her sister is Pastor.

Below are some of the artisans that teach at

Sew Creative.

Stefeni Engebritson

Stefeni is the purveyor of Ticky-Boo Teas, Tea accoutrement, Great Imposters Wedding Cakes, Millenery, Ladies Dress Accoutrement, Victorian Bouquets, Victorian refinements for the Home. As a milliner, she teaches classes on hat making and embellishing as well as manufactures them for retail sale. Her Victorian floral bouquets are authentic to the period. Not the usual cutesy arch or bouquet…she researches and produces nosegays and floral bouquets of elegance and grace of the period. Accessorize your wardrobe with unusual and lovely embellishments that she has researched and reproduced for the most discerning ladies. Lacy gloves, jabots, pince nez, reticules, hand fans, make do's, hair embellishments, and much more. Her Great Imposter Wedding Cakes are fabulous and are the economic way to have the most elegant and affordable wedding cake. Look for her handcrafted items purveyed exclusively online at Sew Creative.

MARY-ALICE ISENHART, R.N., PhD.

I began my sewing career more than 60 years ago, sitting with my grandmother at her spinning wheel and treadle sewing machine. She never taught me to spin, but she did teach me to sit at the machine rather than ride on its treadle. From the inauspicious beginning I suffered through high school Home Ec classes in the 1950's, sewing only an apron that on one would wear. Later I learned to sew couture clothing for myself and my family. My son at ll said, "You look like one of them ladies in the magazines". My daughter to this day does not feel well dressed unless she has a hand sewn dress.

After retiring from 25 years in my psychology practice, I returned to sewing only to learn that all the machinery had changed. Not only gone are my grandmother's spinning wheel and New Home treadle machine, but gone are my Singer stationary and portable models. Enter the serger, the computerized machine and the embroidery machine. In the past two years since my retirement, I have taken up Heirloom sewing and have mostly master the new machines. I have studied historical costume design while making myself an Edwardian wedding dress, and resizing my original Victorian wedding dress. I have sewn a renaissance costume fit for a noble for my husband, who insists he is a peasant.

I have sewn Army clothes for my grandsons and party dresses for my granddaughters. I have sewn many heirloom christening gowns for my friends' grandchildren. I have added a new dimension to my sewing with quilting and embroidery designs. My quilting work can be seen in 1 of Eleanor Burns' quilting books. For two years I taught beginning sewing at Hancock Fabrics in Oceanside. I currently teach beginning Heirloom sewing, heirloom quilting, and beginning sewing at Sew Creative .

Marilu Howard

Queen Sheepbaah Creations

Starting at the age of four with a Wedgewood tin full of colorful flosses and the need to create, Marilu dove into her passion of embroidery and other needlework.

In college, Marilu received here Associates Degree in Interior Design. She applied these skills in party planning, organizational makeovers, and personal assisting the rich and famous of film and television.

When her late husband passed away he left behind a six-month-old Border Collie; Morgan, Marilu built a bond with Morgan through sheep-herding and participating in demonstrations at Scottish Highland Games throughout California. At one of these events, Morgan directed her mom into the arms of a kilted Scotsman, who not only melted Marilus heart, but encouraged her to rediscover her talents and passions this is when Queen Sheepbaah Creations was born.

The style of the art of embroidery, Marilu has enhanced several wedding gowns of historical and fanciful influence. Additionally, her embroidery has embellished three historical fashion shows, christening gowns and Celtic dance costumes. Although most of her work has been in Celtic and Elizabethan periods, Marilu loves to work in all historical eras, western, heirloom and fantasy styles.

Her niche started because there was a need to help talented dress and couture designers create with embroidery elements. Although many of the designers use their embroidery machines or are familiar with them, the additional work or learning curve has in the past held them back from offering embroidery work to their apparel. The talent Marilu brings, opens this opportunity to give their clients that added special. Marilu encourages others to use their embroidery machines to make their own creations. She enjoys working on both a one-on-one or in a group situation. Samples of Marilu's work is available at her website: www.queensheepbaah.com and soon in the Sew Creative online catalog.