Sheena Labossière arrived in Sicily with her husband Jordan and her two young children in 2019. In their home on the slopes of the Etna volcano, Sheena uses her free time to sew. In her workshop, with her five sewing machines, Sheena creates clothes that are the envy of everyone. On average she sews between 100 and 150 pieces a year! The photos of her creations on Facebook elicit dozens of complimentary comments.
Sheena learned sewing with her mother and a lot by herself. Her kids are dressed like fashion cards and they appreciate mom’s creations. Lately, her son wears his zombie pants a lot. Her daughter received the nickname at the school of “principessa” (the little princess) because of her beautiful clothes. Sheena also sews for her husband and herself. Her own wardrobe is 90% made by her with the exception of jeans and winter coats.
Sheena gets the fabrics from a network of friends in the fashion world. One of them is a fabric designer and she sends Sheena her latest coupons. When Sheena creates a garment with “designer” fabrics, it is Sheena’s designs that are used to find customers for her fabrics.
Another friend creates bags. She sends the patterns she draws to Sicily. Sheena then makes the bags to “test patterns” before they are sold to the customers. If she loves to make bags and clothes, she admits to going a bit gaga for Christmas and Halloween. This year's theme was Peter Pan: Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell and Captain Crochet. In the past, the family was treated to the costumes of Pac-Man (M. and Mrs.), Super Mario, and Princess Peach. Not to mention Batman & Robin, the Minions, Waldo etc… Her son, who has grown up since their arrival in Sicily, is increasingly involved in the selection of fabrics and styles.
For Sheena, sewing is a moment of joy. “It’s my happy place.” It’s also a way to get away from the isolation of expatriation. “Sigonnella is a small military base, a small community.” And it is a posting that can be difficult to live with because there is no possibility for her to work. “With COVID, it was also a great way to keep busy during the long Italian lockdowns.” Through sewing, she feels connected to a wider community where she is neither a mother nor a wife. “It’s something just for me.”
Is she pursuing a long-term goal with her sewing? Making it a livelihood? Sheena admits she gets a lot of requests. “When they hear that I sew, people immediately ask me to hem their trousers! LAUGH. Others ask me, and these are my favourite comments, if I could teach them.” She does not rule out making a career out of it, especially since she can arrange her schedule as she sees fit. It's also something that she could continue to do wherever her husband’s career takes them after their posting ends in 2023. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sheena Labossière's beautiful creations in shops one day.