Pegg’s career with horses and sewing began at an early age and grew into a life-long involvement with horses, showing, and sewing. Her accomplishments include showing championships, 30 years as a 4-H leader. 15 years as a Michigan High School Equestrian Team coach (three District championships), author, DVD producer, guest speaker, sewing instructor and soon to be pattern designer.
Pegg began showing at an early age and by the time she was a teenager, was making her own show clothing which included both western suits and saddle seat outfits. As time progressed, she began making her three daughters’ western and saddle seat clothing, as well as, making her son’s rodeo shirts. People noticed her children’s clothing and began asking for their own custom shirts. This slowly grew into a part time custom clothing business which eventually expanded into exhibiting at events such as the Hoosier Horse Fair, MHC Stallion Expo, Equine Affaire, Quarter Horse Congress, and many other venues.
During these events, Pegg noticed that people asked many of the same questions: Where to get patterns, where to get fabric, is the clothing hard to assemble? To that end, Pegg began offering equestrian wear patterns, fabric, rhinestones, ultra suede and supplies so that customers had one stop shopping at the trade shows.
Even with these improvements, it became clear that people still needed more information and guidance in sewing their own show clothing. While local fabric stores offered sewing classes, they didn’t address the techniques needed for using the stretch fabrics that had become popular with the horse show crowd This was in impetus for Pegg creating her line of instructional DVDs and books. Each of the books and DVDs take the viewer from the basics – measuring, applying the measurements to the pattern, laying out, cutting and assembling the entire garment. While the books mirror the DVDs, each are told/written in user friendly terms.
A chance conversation launched an entirely new venture for Pegg’s business. Not content with the one day 4-H sewing clinics Pegg had been offering, people began asking for more extensive instruction over the course of several days. Thus Sewing Retreat weekends were born. These two day sewing retreats featured small classes with personalized attention to detail. Attendees could sew one garment over the course of the weekend or partially complete two different garments – allowing them to learn the techniques required to produce the results they desired.
People loved the sewing retreats, but for various reasons could not attend. This then created the next evolution of Pegg’s business – personalized private sewing lessons held in her sewing studio. Customers drive or fly in for one, two or three days of personalized sewing instruction which is centered around their personal sewing needs. These low-key, personalized classes have been in large demand and openings fill quickly.
Realizing that she modified many of the patterns she used, Pegg has begun developing her own line of show clothing patterns which include a back zip horsemanship shirt, fitted show jacket and chaps patterns. Many more ideas are on the drawing board and being developed.
