Who is Lezette Thomason?
Updated: Jun 3, 2023
Lezette Thomason works magic in the world of heirloom sewing. Although she wasn't born with a needle in her hand, Lezette has rarely been without one since. Her creativity, boundless energy and gift for sharing her love of children's sewing, as well as both classic and innovative techniques, have made her a familiar name in the sewing industry.
As the new stewards of the Children’s Corner, we are honored to step into a company with such a strong foundation. As she has from the beginning of our transition, Lezette continues to be generous with her knowledge and infectious laugh.
Born in Shelbyville, Tennessee, Lezette and her twin sister, Annette ("We’re an only child," she quipped.), learned their first sewing skills from their mother and grandmothers. "My mother dressed her twins alike, and she made everything for us in the same style that we have at The Children's Corner," Lezette said. "She had a friend next door who had a daughter a year older. Mother liked to do the machine work, and the neighbor liked to do the handwork. So when they made dresses, they made three alike."
The neighborhood creativity spread, coaxed by the twins’ grandmother, and soon, they too, were learning classic techniques. "My first dress I ever smocked was black gingham. I was in about the 6th grade, and my father's mother wanted Annette and I to learn to smock," Lezette said. "We used black floss on black and white gingham and pulled up the squares."
Although Lezette was educated at Peabody College in Nashville as a classroom math teacher, destiny stepped in when she joined three other women, including Ginger Caldwell, to open The Children's Corner. Working side by side up until they sold the business in 2015, Lezette and Ginger produced more than 250 Children’s Corner Patterns.
In addition to designing patterns, Lezette traveled around the country teaching in many sewing classrooms. She shared her energy and knowledge with countless women. Many of you are in this “club” and have benefitted from hearing that perfectly southern and lovely voice fill the classroom to get your attention by saying “Girls!…” She says, "it's fun to see students' eyes light up when you show them an easier way to do something or, more than that, a prettier way to do something just by using a different foot on their sewing machine. I don't think people are intimidated by sewing-I think they are hungry for knowledge on how to do things properly, how to work with designs, how to put fabrics together, how to see a picture of something and reproduce it."
Lezette continues to share her talents with her private Facebook group: Sew Classic for Children. She remains generous with her time and sewing knowledge and all who have benefitted from being in class with her are better behind their machines because of this lovely woman.
Still involved with the company is Lezette’s daughter, Anne Friedland, as a member of the design team. It is no small feat to take a pattern concept and turn it into a reality. Anne’s unique expertise in digital pattern drafting is essential to the design team. We could not be more thrilled to have Anne is an integral part of our team. Lezette shares how exciting it is to know Anne continues to work as a part of the company she helped build. When Lezette retired, we asked many of you to tell us about your relationship with her. We presented her with a print of the watercolor drawing of the pattern named for Anne. Surrounding the drawing are your words.
For more stories about the women who helped build Children's Corner, see articles about Ginger Caldwell, and Cathy Jones.
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