GODFREY - Earline Hopkins started sewing Barbie doll dresses when she was 8 and was wearing her own handmade clothing by the time she was in middle school. These days, she is the premier seamstress for heirloom and children’s clothing in the Riverbend region.
Hopkins owns Earline’s Originals, which recently moved to Godfrey. She loves taking on custom sewing projects and teaching smocking and sewing classes. As she grows her business, she hopes to instill her passion for custom and heirloom sewing into her students and clients, who love the clothes she creates for them.
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“Sewing for special clothes and special dresses, that is something that becomes a keepsake, an heirloom,” Hopkins explained. “You pass it on down to your family, and you feel like it’s worthwhile to pay the price for the fabric and the way to put it in there, because it’s more than a one-time dress, it’s a keepsake.”
Hopkins’s passion is children’s clothing. She loves creating christening gowns, flower girl dresses, and custom clothes for children under age 5.
Lately, Hopkins has enjoyed deconstructing wedding dresses to create christening gowns for the next generation, so a child can be christened in their mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress. She can also make doll clothes to match a child’s outfit.
When she creates a special occasion dress, Hopkins will embroider the child’s name, birthday or date of the event on the garment, making it even more impactful. She loves knowing that these projects are keepsakes for the families.
She emphasized that while she does not do bridal gowns, adult clothing, alterations or hemming, she is always happy to work with her students on whatever projects they’d like. Hopkins loves teaching one-on-one lessons or group lessons with up to five students at a time. She noted that it’s “real fun” to teach a couple of people together in her sewing room in Godfrey.
“I think the teaching is my true passion,” she said. “I enjoy that as much or more than sitting down and just making a garment. I feel such a reward when I can pass that on.”
Hopkins was a 50-year sewing veteran when her granddaughters were born, which inspired her to try her hand at heirloom baby treasures. She quickly discovered her passion for creating heirloom clothing. In 2011 and 2013, she received two certifications from Martha Pullen, a renowned expert on heirloom sewing.
“If someone is a sewer, the equivalent of Martha Pullen is like going to a private cooking school for a week with Martha Stewart,” Hopkins explained. “It’s pretty exclusive. If you receive the certifications, it is a person who knows what they're doing with clothing, especially heirloom and children’s clothing.”
As Hopkins settles into her new space in Godfrey, she can’t wait to continue sharing her passion for sewing with the community. She pointed out that it might be cheaper to buy clothes online, but it’s “so special” to have a one-of-a-kind, custom keepsake made by someone who cares about the work.
“When you look at one of the dresses that’s been handmade like that, the drape is different, the way the child looks in it,” she added. “They’re rich-looking and very beautiful. They’re not a polyester something. You can tell the difference.”
For more information about Earline’s Originals, including how to purchase custom clothing or to sign up for a sewing lesson, visit the official website at EarlinesOriginals.com.
