Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Renkema.
Hi Courtney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Upon completion of high school, I plugged into college and again completed more education. In hindsight, I had hoped to complete my education in my degree of Speech-language pathology as a path to financial stability and security. I was driven and determined in my goals however, the traditional education path didn’t expose my true gifts or introduce me to lifelong interests.
I married my high school sweetheart at age 21, the best gift I received from public education. I worked quite a few odd jobs following that to explore what I might otherwise enjoy pursuing for a career. I finally quit working in the medical field realizing it wasn’t fulfilling and even was actually quite the opposite for me. My favorite job then became working as a nanny for a local family whom I loved dearly. In that time, I gained interest in fashion and purchased a second-hand sewing machine off Craigslist. I taught myself how to sew in my free time. Working a job that I enjoyed gave me the capacity and emotional space to learn and grow in a new hobby.
After discovering my love of sewing, the application of my newfound, ever-growing skills wasn’t clear to me. I had a longing to use the craft but lacked vision for where or how. I felt very strongly that sewing was exactly the work I needed to be doing, but Grand Rapids had few opportunities to expand my education or use it. Shortly after settling into our first home as young newlyweds, my husband’s job allowed us the opportunity to relocate to Orange County, CA temporarily for three years.
I continued to teach myself to sew and began looking for sewing jobs in California. The owner of Fashion Camp, Erin Hibbert, hired me at her creative learning space, teaching children both fashion design and sewing. This gave me vision and joy to see an entrepreneur creating a space both of service to children and families but also for employees to love where they work! She provided me space to grow and contribute there.
We moved back home to Michigan, this time settling into home with our growing family. I became a mother and homemaker while establishing the groundwork of what is now our home studio and business. As a child growing up in the Grand Rapids area, I had limited exposures to sewing or handicrafts outside of art class. I believe that there is a large gap in our community where children won’t find the space to explore some of these skills. I’m really delighted to offer children an opportunity that I would have loved to have as well!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have chosen to find success at home first. This could be considered an obstacle in both preparing and responding to growth in my business. Through adoption and two pregnancies, my husband and I had three children in two years during the early phases of establishing the studio and branding it.
Today we have four young children under 7 years old whom I homeschool alongside my work at The Common Thread Studio. This can limit my availability in our class offerings. I’ve found it difficult to find people locally that can sew and support me in the studio to offer more classes. Overall, it’s been healthy to build the business steadily amidst our growing family. This has allowed my children to participate and contribute while slowly expanding with intentionality. The home studio has been a wonderful incubator space for trial and error in business while being home to serve my family.
We’ve been impressed with The Common Thread Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
A sewing studio that esteems childhood and equips children with the valuable skill of sewing. Our hands-on workspace imparts belonging and exploration in our education approach. Machine sewing classes include but aren’t limited to: beginner and intermediate workshops, quilt clubs, mother and daughter classes, and open sewing studios.
Locally in the Grand Rapids area, there are few opportunities for children to learn how to sew. This can be a hinderance for children who aren’t discovering interests in other areas of their education or extracurriculars. Creating, dreaming, and being encouraged is important and celebrated in our space. To prioritize connection and establish community, our classes remain small. I enjoy interacting with families and helping children explore their interests. Our creative atmosphere of sewing has the potential to create vision for future career paths or satisfaction as a hobby that ages with you.
For those children that express interest in sewing and master the skill, it really becomes a lifestyle. It is a timeless skill that will serve them throughout their lives. Along with the usefulness of sewing, it has also fostered such a rich community that is undoubtedly necessary for our children’s emotional health too. Problem-solving, fine motor skills, creativity, discipline, and patience are also refining benefits.
At this point in my business, I enjoying welcoming my own children into this educational space. To see my children inspired to sew and also gain inspiration from them has helped me better serve our community. I hope to show others they can do what they love and then invite people to join them!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
What you do is not who you are. It can be very easy to place our careers as our identity, for me this would be sewing and entrepreneurship in our family business.
When you love what you do there needs to be clear boundaries and consideration for the other areas of your life that you also need to steward well. For me, I also desire to steward my marriage, motherhood, my faith, home education, and other ideals I have made commitments to.
With that said, my husband and I have both experienced the challenge of not working within our interests and gifts. For this I would say, it would be most beneficial to make a plan, find encouragement and create financial space for other pursuits. Personally, this looked like making difficult sacrifices but to not make a change or procrastinate is detrimental in itself.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thecommonthreadstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecommonthreadstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonthreadstudio
Image Credits
Annie Blanding
La Reverie Photography
Steph B
May 5, 2022 at 1:31 am
My kids LOVE going to see Mrs. Courtney for sewing lessons. Her studio is so inviting and peaceful. I am always amazed with their creations and they are so proud of what they create. Courtney is so patient with them and they have so much fun each time they go. I am so thankful for this opportunity for my kids!!