Bernadette’s Creative Art has a new home

Tori Sutton
Staff Reporter
After 10 years in business on St. Patrick Street, Bernadette’s Creative Art and Sewing has a new home.

Last month, owner Bernadette Kowalchuk moved her home and her business to 251 Huron St., setting up the business on the first floor of the nearly 100-year-old home.

“When people come in, they think it’s fabulous,” said  Kowalchuk. “I’ve had a really great response.”

With plenty of space, she’s been able to establish a large working space downstairs and a comfortable living space on the upper floor. She enjoys sitting down to sew in front of her large front windows, which offer plenty of natural light.

While Kowalchuk does everything from decorating to dressmaking, she enjoys difficult projects the most. She often faces off against wedding dresses, which can require a fair bit of expertise to alter with their intricate beading and lace.

“I like really difficult and challenging jobs the best. Having difficult projects really makes you be your best.”

However, that doesn’t deter her from tackling smaller projects for her clients, such as hemming pants and altering jackets.

She’s busy preparing for a special fashion show on Sunday at the Church Restaurant, where some of her own designs will be featured. The event, the Women Celebrating Women Fashion Show and Luncheon, will benefit Optimism Place.

Though she hasn’t had the same amount of walk-in traffic as she did on St. Patrick Street, Kowalchuk said she adores working from home.

“I absolutely love it,” she said.

PHOTO: Bernadette Kowalchuk, of Bernadette’s Creative Art and Sewing, has relocated her store after 10 years in business to her new home at 251 Huron St. Here, Kowalchuk works on a pair of pants which will be featured in a special fashion show fundraiser at the Church Restaurant on Sunday.  (Tori Sutton)