The Sewing Room owner Roxanne Lawlor with her husband, Marty Lawlor, and children Marti, Rein, and Mia.
ANSONIA – During the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home mom Roxanne Lawlor began making face masks for her family to help keep them safe.
“Since I was home all the time, I learned how to make masks for my family, which started with a request from my grandfather asking for one,” Lawlor said. “So, I learned how to make a few masks and was always asking ‘God, how can I help?’”
Lawlor, using instructional videos from YouTube, taught herself how to sew shirts, pants, and to do embroidery with a Cricut machine, an electric cutting machine.
Now Lawlor is showcasing her skills in a storefront downtown.
Lawlor opened The Sewing Room at 334 East Main St. in July. The business offers light alterations, embroidery, screen printing, and other specialty sewing services.
Lawlor lives in Ansonia with her husband, Marty, and their daughters, Mia, 8, Rein, 7, and Marti, eight months.
Lawlor began doing things at home such as putting logos on clothes, along with altering prom dresses and pants.
“I started the business in an extra bedroom in our house, and we called it the sewing room,” she said.
She said she built a customer base, including parents who needed school logos embroidered onto their children’s clothes.
The operation got busy enough to require more space.
Lawlor said her husband was having coffee at a downtown shop a few months ago and heard that the storefront on East Main Street – which previously housed a nail salon – was available.
“My husband came home and surprised me, and said ‘I got you a place,’” Lawlor said. “We were having growing pains and I think he wanted to turn the extra bedroom into a man cave.”
The new shop is 800 square feet and Lawlor said it’s been busy.
“People have been so great and kind to us and told us that there was a real need for a business like this,” Lawlor said.
Ansonia Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley said a specialty retail shop is good for downtown.
“It means that people from surrounding communities will be looking for this type of shop and will come into the downtown,” O’Malley said in an email. “Also, it’s a benefit and convenience to our residents. I’m sure people wish they had a tailor in close proximity. That is a craft that seems to have vanished so let’s bring it back.”
Lawlor said for now she’s the sole employee, but as business continues to grow, she’s hoping to hire someone to lend her a helping hand.
“We really love being in downtown Ansonia, it’s a great location,” Lawlor said.
The Sewing Room is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Walk-ins and appointments are available.
For more information, contact The Sewing Room at 475 – 243-8166 or on Facebook.
