TAVERN HILLS WORKROOM

The craft of making custom home furnishings is an art. Fabric is the medium.  The designer and workroom are the artists.  The custom drapery workroom, the studio. Each finished treatment represents the unique working relationship of designer and workroom.

The Tavern Hill workroom is professionally equipped with industrial sewing machinery, large canvas covered work tables and all the tools, supplies and resources needed to create custom window treatments.  In addition, the workroom has an office area with all the necessary electronics to allow for good communications between workroom and designer.

History
Susan’s experience in crafting home furnishings started when she was just a child.  Her mother Irene, widowed young with five children to support, started working in a drapery workroom when Susan was just five years old and soon after set up a workroom in their home.  Susan grew up helping her mother make draperies not knowing that one day this would be her career.  Still working together today, Irene is Susan’s “Senior Assistant” and specializes in pillows, pleating and pattern matching.

During her college years Susan worked in two unique workrooms, one a small to-the-trade workroom with five employees and the other a large, commercial workroom.  In these two environments she learned about production, dealing with customers and the business side of operating a workroom.

In 1988 Susan opened her own wholesale workroom, Custom Draper’s, with two designer clients.  Within a year she was able to devote full time to her workroom.  In 1989 Susan married her long time friend Rob Schurz.  They purchased an old school house for Susan’s workroom and business flourished.  In 1991 Susan and Rob moved to Amelia, VA where they restored a circa 1790 historic tavern.  A separate building was added specifically for the workroom.  With the new location the business changed names to Tavern Hill to reflect the craftsmanship and timelessness of custom sewing.

Craftsmanship
Tavern Hill specializes in a hand crafted product using premier lining materials and time tested sewing methods.  Patterns are drafted individually for each order, drawn to scale on pattern paper or draped with material to make mock-ups prior to cutting the clients expensive face fabrics.  Careful attention is given to proportions, fullness and overall aesthetics.  Hand sewing is preferred for hems, forming pleats and applying trims.  Tailoring techniques add special touches such as small piping, button closures and hand pleated ruffles.  The unique style of each individual interior designer can be represented by subtle differences in fabrication, custom labeling and signature details.

Services
· Custom fabrication of draperies, valances, swags, pillows bedding and
a creative variety of custom sewing projects from church banners to
custom dog beds
· Scale drawings
· Measuring
· Window treatment design consultation
· Professional installation referral