“I have been sewing clothes, accessories, and projects for my home for most of my life. I love the process and I love working with wonderful fabric. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn and develop this skill and to discover that I can create something functional and beautiful with my own hands."

Mary Ray has a long and varied career in the sewing industry. She was the manager and buyer for a specialty retail fabric store; an independent sales rep for a fabric importer; a custom designer specializing in bridal couture; and a designer of award-winning wearable art that has been featured in shows and galleries around the country. She has taught at the American Quilters’ Society Show, Design With Heart, the American Sewing Guild Conference, the Toronto Creative Sewing and Needlework Show, The Sewing Workshop in San Francisco, Quilting by the Lake in New York State, and Bernina University, as well as guilds and shops around the country. She was an associate editor of Threads magazine and an instructor in the fashion design department of Bauder College in Atlanta, GA.

Mary is currently a contributing editor with Threads and travels around the country teaching and lecturing about sewing. She is a member of the American Sewing Guild and PACC (the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers).