I learned to sew when I was 11 years old and made my first pair of striped pants.  I fell in love with sewing.

 

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 By age 16 I had designed and sewn my first clothing line.  My passion was fashion design.  I studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) in New York City.  I learned how to design in Leather and launched my custom clothing line designing stage clothes for the entertainment industry. 

 

I eventually moved to Los Angeles where I learned the art of tambour beading.  I am wearing my first hand beaded outfit with a beaded serpent around the neck, above a beaded garden of flowers and butterflies.  Fred Segal on Melrose in Los Angeles, bought my first hand beaded outfit, and my business took off.  I made one-of-a-kind hand beaded dresses, vests, tops and hats for Fred Segal and Maxfields in Los Angeles for many years. 

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Musicians such as Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Joey Kramer from Aerosmith wore my hand beaded vests for men embellished with Serpents, Spiders, Gargoyles and ancient Peruvian Symbols. Goldie Hawn, Tina Sinatra, Jacqueline Smith, and Valerie Bertinelli were some of the actresses who wore my clothing which has appeared on stage, TV award shows, movies and music videos, and in magazines.

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 I love the whole, slow meditative process of custom work, and being able to manifest and create beauty from an idea.    It starts with that spark of inspiration which can come from anywhere; nature, cities, museums, the street.  Music creates a visual dance of art in my head.  I was driving down a road in Italy passing through fields of Sunflowers and this dress of beaded Sunflowers was born.   Hand beading and sewing for me creates a calm and serene state and I can do it for hours without the awareness of time.

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So much of my inspiration comes from the beautiful fabrics themselves, from the quality and weight of the fiber, to the weave construction and the hand of the cloth.   I scoured vintage clothing stores as a teenager, way back when it was not trendy at all. The exceptional quality of the fabrics and the fine workmanship of vintage clothing with exquisite details inspired me to learn everything I could about design, construction and handwork.   

 

After 20 years of sewing, working with Leather, and hand beading, I became fascinated with hand weaving.   I bought a 16 shaft computerized floor loom.   I spent two years teaching myself how to dye yarn and weave my own fabric.  I learned how different types of dyes react with different fibers, silk, rayon, cotton and linen.  I learned to how to develop variations of hues and intensities of color, as well as creating patterns and textures on the computer.  Through this journey I came to fully appreciate how beautiful quality fabrics are created.

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I now live in Connecticut with my husband, who is an artist and master craftsman.  He built me a beautiful Timber Frame Studio from trees that grew on our property.  This is where I work daily surrounded by nature, beauty and inspiration.    

                                 

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As we were creating our home, I began designing and making home decor, and a new business was born.  For over 20 years I have been making custom window treatments, pillows, cushions and bedding.  I use the same techniques and craftsmanship I perfected through the years of making Couture Clothing and love working with beautiful quality fabrics and trim for the home by the best manufacturers.   My work expresses the passion of doing what I love, whether it is clothing, accessories or home décor.  Everything I make is a part of me.   I am so happy and grateful to be able to share this with you.

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My Custom Pillows are featured in HGTV Magazine 

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  • Window Treatments by Lynn Chalk - Coastal Living Magazine
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  • Window Treatments featured in At Home Magazine
  • At Home Magazine Cover
  • Lynn Chalk Article Designing Woman
  • Lynn Chalk Article All Sewn Up
  • Valerie Bertinelli wearing Beaded Vest by Lynn Chalk
  • Valerie Bertinelli wearing beaded vest by Lynn Chalk