In the early 1990s, Liz TerboLizard was working as a bartender in the Lower Haight, slinging drinks in her handmade outfits. One day a customer came in and complimented her bag. "She'll make one for you," boasted her manager. And just like that, Liz's career was born.
Always creative, it was the birth of her daughter that inspired Liz to begin making kids' clothes, and she eventually opened Lit'l Lizards, a brick-and-mortar shop in Noe Valley. With all handmade goods, her store catered to the family neighborhood, and the experience taught her all the ins and outs of running a business. But the exhaustion of running a storefront in San Francisco eventually took its toll. She eventually closed the shop, put everything online, lowered her overhead to zero, and spent a lot of time "making huge projects in tiny spaces."
Cut & Sew, NoPa's resource for creative textile projects located on a mostly-residential block of Fulton Street, did not come to her quickly. Working from home, it took four years of searching to finally land on a perfect location. Formerly Supreme Salon, famous for poker upstairs and a barbershop downstairs, the space at 1421 Fulton Street between Broderick and Baker had been empty since the mid-1990s. Once the lease was signed, Liz gutted it from top to bottom (though she kept the numerous outlets from the barber shop days of yore). Three weeks later, in May of 2013, Cut & Sew opened its doors.
"There are so many people that do things without a storefront", Liz says. "Everyone needs a window."
Walking by the shop, it's hard not to be pulled in by the bright fabrics and crafty interior. Part retail store selling homemade kids' clothes and products, part craft workshop, the space features handmade dresses hanging on a rack next to scraps of fabric laid out on Liz's work table. Sheets of textiles ready to be turned into drapes dangle from the ceiling.
In the back corner is Liz, working hard with a smile on her face.
The projects she takes on now are varying, ranging from customized slipcovers for furniture to curtains, cushion covers to aprons. When we stopped in, she had just wrapped up a project creating 30 aprons like the one below for a restaurant in Sonoma, and was drafting up the measurements for roman shades hanging near the doorway.
Aside from her craftsmanship and sewing prowess, Liz is also a connector. Her profession requires her to know people and places. Need an interior designer? She has a list. An upholsterer? There's one right down the street. From crochet experts to reliable alteration services, Liz is a library of resources for all things home and fabric-related.
As for what gets Liz excited, "It's less about the project and more about the textiles ... Let's say 3D inanimate objects," she says.
So next time you stroll past the cheerful window of Cut & Sew, stop in and say hi. See what Liz is working on, garner a referral for a project, and leave feeling maybe a little more inspired to be creative.
