Common Thread didn't start with a business plan.
It started with a sewing machine and a spark ✨
Costume Design
After graduating from San Dimas High School in 1982, Yvonne enrolled at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College to hone her sewing and patternmaking skills. She went on to build a distinguished career as a professional costumer in Hollywood — working on beloved films like La Bamba, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Stand and Deliver — and traveled the country as Linda Ronstadt's personal costumer on her iconic Canciones de mi Padre musical tour.
Claremont Roots
After leaving the theatre industry Yvonne followed her parents to Claremont, got married and started a family. When Sycamore Elementary School put out a call for after-school enrichment teachers, Yvonne showed up with a handful of sewing machines and a curriculum she built from scratch. The kids took to it immediately. So did she. That was the spark that changed everything.
Studio Opening
After years of preparation and teaching sewing to the local Claremont community, Yvonne opened her first studio and never looked back. Through a pandemic, a pivot, and more than a few late nights at the sewing machine, it has grown into something far beyond what that first class could have imagined.
Common Thread
Today the studio is home to six talented sewing teachers, a thriving community of students from ages 8 to adult, and a creative energy that fills every corner of 218 West Foothill Blvd. in 2026, we marked ten years as a brick-and-mortar studio in the heart of Claremont — a milestone we are deeply proud of.
Our Team
Meet the makers behind the magic! We're a passionate crew of sewists and artists who love nothing more than helping students of every age and skill level discover their creativity, build confidence, and have fun—one stitch at a time.
