Industrial Sewing graduate Sophia White never would’ve guessed she’d be a textile artist. The 38-year-old California native was more a pen and ink gal. A fan of manga, anime and goth, White studied illustration and sold her hand drawn anime pins and key chains in her Etsy shop LunaRoyaleCreate. When she arrived in Asheville in early 2023, the spunky army vet was ready for a change, though she wasn’t quite sure what kind. She came out from California to live with longtime friends in Asheville, but at the last minute her plans fell through. Devastated and unsure of what to do next, she called a friend from church who recommended Transformation Village a nonprofit that offers housing and counseling to women and veterans. Three days later, she moved in. Then next seven months there would be transformative in more ways than she could ever dream.
Having served in Afghanistan in 2011-2012, White witnessed disturbing events that left a lasting impression. It wasn’t till she came to Transformation Village that she began counseling for PTSD. During weekly Sunday church services she also reconnected with her faith, which she said had faded since childhood.
“I started praying more. God, can you please help me?” She said. “I had always felt like nobody had my back. I had trouble trusting people and meeting people… When I came here it was like someone was holding my hand.”
Through counseling, White gradually began building trust in other people. She also began exploring her artistic side in free weekly sewing workshops at Transformation Village.
She decided to sign up for an Industrial Sewing Class at A-B Tech to gain more experience in textiles. At first, she admits she struggled and nearly gave up. “I am bad with numbers, and I didn’t understand the patterns because they’re about numbers,” she said.
A class field trip to Asheville’s Diamond Brand Gear, a local outdoor gear company, changed her mind. While touring the factory, she saw two men working on industrial sewing machines making “glamping” tents that had fancy decorative stitches in zig zagging bright colors. She learned this technique was called Boro stitching, an age-old Japanese process that utilized recycled denim patchwork.
Her A-B Tech industrial sewing instructor Johhny Ko remembers the moment the turning point took place. “She had raw talent that needed to be nurtured,” he said. “She’d struggled with the class at first having to visualize in 2 and 3 D what she was making. But then at Diamond Brand when she saw the Boro technique, her eyes lit up.”
Then next day White signed up for Ko’s class Advanced Sewing Techniques. Over the course of six weeks, she began exploring Boro techniques of layering indigo patches on top of vibrantly colored fabric. She fell in love with denim and began transforming the many donated pairs of jeans that arrived at Transformation Village into tote bags, aprons and pillows.
Her style incorporates Japanese techniques of Sashiko stitching, a form of embroidery that dates back to the 1600’s in Japan.
“Sophia is a phenomenal artist,” Ko said. “She brought in her own art to use for aprons.”
When asked what she enjoys about sewing, White said it’s the variety of the medium that appeals to her. “You can do so many things. Tote bags, aprons, pillows. And I’ve gotten a much stronger reaction to my sewing than to my illustrations.”
Not content to flirt with her new love, White has decided to jump in feet first. With help from counselors at Transformation Village she was able to tap into VA benefits and obtain a scholarship to attend Maine College of Art for a BA in Textile and Fashion Design beginning January of 2025.
She also was able to qualify for VA benefits for her PTSD that have helped her pay rent on her own apartment this past year. She hopes to find her own place in southern Maine, where she will be closer to her mom who lives in NH.
On a recent afternoon in December, White and Ko met with the staff from A-B Tech, Transformation Village and Carolina Textile District to celebrate her success and say goodbye.
White presented the staff at Transformation Village with a colorful thank you banner. “I would’ve been making giant mistakes and doing something stupid if I wasn’t here,” she said.
Due to leave town next week, the new year stretches ahead of White like a swath of indigo denim. “I am excited to learn how to weave,” she said. “I want to see what I can do next.”
A-B Tech's next Industrial Sewing Bootcamp at Transformation Village is open to the public and begins January 27-February 14. Visit abtech.edu/CE for more info and to register.
Photos below include:
Sophia White with A-B Tech Industrial Sewing Instructor Johnny Ko.
The tapestry that Sophia created for Transformation Village.
Group shot with tapestry: Industrial Sewing Teaching Assistant Judy Lerwick, Transformation Village Director of Educational Services Denise Lawson, Johnny Ko, Sophia White and Case Manager Doris Gooding.
Shot of three with tapestry: Transformation Village Director Carolyne Cronin, Sophia White, Beverly Buckner, Transformation Village Assistant Director
