MEET THE EXPERTS

Erika Kottelenberg

Educator
Sewing Machines Etcetera
Website: http://www.sewingmachinesetcetera.com
Phone: (905) 639-5525
Email: info@sewetc.com

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Fashion for Your Kids - more...

ARTICLES

Sew What You See - more...

Erika Kottelenberg could not have known when she learned to sew at her mother’s side at the age of 8 that she would eventually co-own a sewing-based business.

She and husband Nick Kottelenberg took over ownership of Sewing Machines Etcetera in Burlington from her parents, Bert and Elsa Hopman, in the fall of 2009. It’s a business that grew out of Elsa’s seamstress services and classes that she ran out of her home when Erika was a girl and one of her students.

Erika had already been sewing for four years when the store opened at the original Grimsby location in 1992. She and her younger sister Tesha would head there straight from the school bus. Since then she’s been part of the fabric of the store. A graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Fine Arts program, with a minor in English, she is able to combine her skills to design and teach courses for the store as well as handle the marketing.

Computers have become common-place in so many aspects of modern life and sewing is no exception. Erika grew up with computers and feels at home with the technology. She enjoys introducing sewing-related software to students at Sewing Machines Etcetera, expanding their capabilities and stretching the boundaries of the software programs.

It’s exciting for her to see how class participants take their assignments in their own creative direction, while mastering technology that was previously foreign to them. There’s a “show and tell” session at the beginning of each class that allows students to display their creations.

Training courses offered through Husqvarna Viking and studying reference books have provided a foundation for Erika’s expertise. As the mother of three young children, she doesn’t spend much time in the store these days. Creating course content and marketing material are jobs she can do from home.

Over the years, Erika has developed relationships with fellow sewers and even some friendships. She’s often called upon for support as students take on new challenges.

As a co-owner of the business, she will be meeting the new challenges of not only working at but owning Sewing Machines Etcetera.

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