TEAM

Founder and Executive Director

Karen Griffin

Karen Burns Griffin was born and raised in the UK before moving to the USA in 2001. Karen successfully completed her business training at the Aberdeen Enterprise Trust in Aberdeen Scotland. Karen has an educational background in communication and broadcasting and is primarily a self taught designer. In 1991 Karen was awarded a competitive grant from the Prince of Wales, The Prince’s Trust, to start and develop her own clothing and textile business. Her business accomplishments have led Karen to teach youth and adults in sewing technique, clothing design and manufacturing in the UK and the USA. 

The success and growth of the Sonora School of Sewing is a direct result of Karen’s 25 years of experience in the field, including her dedication to community education and teaching, management, project development, as well as Karen’s love for fashion, textiles and design.

Director & Instructor

Megan Houseberg

Megan, a native of Tuolumne County, attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco where she completed her degree in Fashion Design. Following her education, Megan worked as an art teacher and developed a sustainable leather bag enterprise prior to joining the sewing school team. Megan’s strong sense of wanderlust has taken her to many culturally rich countries around the world. These experiences have, in turn, influenced her artistic design method and encouraged Megan in other facets of her life experience. Megan is passionate about sustainability, making the most out of every experience, archiving the knowledge learned from each project and enriching the lives of others with the expertise she has earned throughout her years. Outside of design, Megan enjoys painting, climbing, biking, snowboarding and venturing into the unknown.

Instructor

Natasha Divaris-Landry

Natasha was born and raised in coastal eastern French Canada. After high school graduation she moved to Montreal where she studied and worked as a behavioral health worker for many years before switching and studying fashion at L’École des métiers des Faubourg, as she had always dreamed to do but never had the guts to take that leap. She grew up sewing and has a love for all things textiles including weaving and dyeing. Working in this field is a real joy in her life. Before coming to Sonora with her husband and son, Natasha worked for a Montreal designer called Betina Lou where she learned the ins and outs of working in the garment industry. Natasha’s personal and professional goals are to continually learn, create, teach and make space for others to explore their creativity and delve into garment construction and everything textile. She is currently concentrating on homeschooling her 9 year old son. Natasha’s hobbies are textile dyeing with natural dyes, singing and playing piano, staying active and being outside, and hanging out with her family, including a menagerie of pets.

Instructor

Gerda Garcia

Gerda was born and raised in Germany and educated in the German school system, wherein she completed a two year vocational school training program in tailoring/seamstressing. Gerda moved to the United States in 1978 and lived in several states, from the west coast to the east coast, before settling in Sonora after her husband’s retirement from his military career. While raising her children, Gerda had a home-based business doing alterations; she then worked at Joann Fabrics for several years.

Skilled in every facet of sewing, pattern making, and altering existing garments, Gerda spent the next 15 years working for Sierra Repertory Theatre building and maintaining costumes, dressing actors for many various productions, each with its own unique styling needs, budget, and nuances. In 2019, Gerda came to Sonora School of Sewing, where she currently teaches children of all ages the art of sewing- which she thoroughly enjoys!

In her free time Gerda enjoys growing a collection of succulents, as well as hiking and walking outdoors. She started running 5 years ago and has since completed several 10k races, half marathons, and Spartan races. 

Instructor

Sandra Patri

Sandra Patri grew up in Sonoma, CA. She has over 45 years of sewing experience with a background in design and education. Sandra received a B.S. degree in Interior Design from San Jose State University. She holds several teaching credentials: Clear CLAD Multiple Subject, Clear Single Subject Home Economics, and a Supplementary Art Credential. 

Sandra is an experienced educator, who prior to relocating to Sonora was teaching ROP Fashion Design at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. Sandra has taught hundreds of students how to sew, with some of her students pursuing professional careers in the fashion industry. 

In 2015 Sandra and her husband relocated to Sonora, where she has been working for Sonora School of Sewing since 2018. Sandra’s personal goal is to travel as much as possible and enjoy her retirement.  Sandra’s professional goal is to share her love and knowledge of garment construction and sewing with her students. For Sandra, as a teacher, the most gratifying experience is the sense of accomplishment and joy her students receive when they have completed a project. Sandra’s hobbies include sewing, quilting, spending time with her family and traveling.

Primary Stitcher

Varsha Shah

Varsha was born and raised in India, where she worked at her family’s manufacturing facility. She now resides in Sonora with her family. Varsha’s work experience is vast and varied: she holds certificates in Fashion Technologies and Pattern & Cutting, as well as a Shree Mahila Kalyan Trust Certificate for beautician services. Varsha is now the primary Stitcher at Sonora School of Sewing, where she completes large and small scale manufacturing orders on a monthly basis, as well as sample-making for our class offerings. Outside sewing, Varsha enjoys embracing her rich culture, cooking and spending quality time with her family.

Administrative Support

Mindy Calbert

Mindy was born and raised in remote corners of Tuolumne county, before spending her college years in San Diego focusing her career emphasis on multimedia design & business development and her personal emphasis on ocean swimming and making art. Mindy has managed the daily operations of many companies, large and small, including her own apparel & lifestyle brand focused on outdoor appreciation. Mindy’s personal and professional goal is the same: to live a creative, active, and happy life while empowering others to do the same. Mindy’s hobbies include playing outside, watercoloring, cooking, and roller derby.

Instructor’s Assistant & Stitcher

Amy Lubriewski

Amy moved to Calaveras County at a young age and began developing a passion for performing arts that brought her into the world of costume design. Between her mother constructing Halloween costumes, Amy’s joy of theater, and attending local renaissance fairs, Amy quickly found joy in creating and designing costumes from her favorite books, films, and from her imagination. Soon enough, she found herself enrolled in several classes at Sonora School of Sewing. Always the creative type, Amy jumped at the opportunity to learn a new hands-on skill. After taking several classes at the school, Amy’s joy developed into a deep passion for sewing, and when offered a position there she simply could not pass it up. Amy has since decided to pursue a career in Fashion Design. Amy is currently enrolled in a Fashion Design Course at American River College in Sacramento, and plans to further her education to continue pursuing her passion for design.

Instructor’s Assistant & Stitcher

Macey Costello

Instructor’s Assistant & Stitcher

Karin Clancey

Karin’s introduction to constructing garments started as a child, making dresses for Barbie dolls using tissues. Upon entering high school, she chose to concentrate on Home Economics, which included classes from basic sewing to an introduction to tailoring. As an adult, Karin constructed a few bridesmaid dresses and her wedding dress.

As a young mom, she made many garments for her children, her husband, and herself, including Halloween costumes every year. While living in Portland, Karin attended a class at the community college in which they constructed garments, learned to alter and showed their finished garments in a student fashion show. Karin also had the opportunity to attend a class on making a boned corset during a stint as a docent at Columbia State Park. Karin feels very honored to have become a part of Sonora School of Sewing in her retirement years with such a dedicated and talented group of folks who are there because they want to be there, and to be able to use her sewing knowledge and abilities.

Administrative Assistant

Debra Donlon

Debra was born and raised in San Diego, near the beaches where she enjoyed swimming in the ocean, walking on the beach and taking in many beautiful sunsets. Debra moved to Northern California where she and her husband have three grown children. 

In addition to raising her children, Debra has a background in the Real Estate industry with Keller Williams in Pleasanton and the Hospitality industry with Best Western in Livermore.  Debra earned her degree at Cal State East-Bay, in Hospitality and Tourism. Through her education and experience, Debra gained a perspective on providing customer service as an experience, inspired by Walt Disney, that applies to any business. 

Moving to Sonora in 2020 and coming to Sonora School of Sewing in 2022 Debra  is enjoying her role as Administrative Assistant. Debra appreciates French Impressionism and her favorite artists are Renior and Monet. Debra’s hobbies include sewing, reading and vegetable gardening to supplement her love of cooking; although, her favorite way to spend free time is to be with her family and Labrador Retriever.