July 15, 2022

By Courtney Collen, for SiouxFalls.Business

A mother-daughter duo with a passion for people and sewing is transforming a former Sioux Falls event space into a quilting design studio.

Jacqueline Joyce Stitch Studio along South Shirley Avenue will focus on quilting, embroidery and other personal sewing projects.

The women behind the business are Beatrice Joyce “BJ” Dvorak and daughter Jacqueline Economo.

Dvorak is no stranger to entrepreneurship after building and selling two companies in the health care industry over the past few decades.

“Retirement is just not part of who I am,” she said.

When she and Economo realized how long it was taking for quilting services, they knew it was time to bring their vision to life.

“Most places are 12 weeks out, so there is definitely an opportunity in the industry for long-arm, quilting services,” Economo said.

The two are dedicated to investing in resources to keep up with demand in order to offer faster turnaround times.

“Sewing is so personal and relaxing for me,” Dvorak said. “Quilting is often an expression of ourselves, and that’s what we want to bring to this.”

The personal design element, they say, will make the studio space unique.

“A lot of quilting shops resell other peoples’ designs,” Economo explained.

“To have a local place where we can design quilt and stitch patterns while selling other designers will provide a unique variety.”

With that design element, they’ll provide design resources, graph paper, binders full of resources and other essentials for customers to design their own quilts.

In doing so, they want customers to feel inspired while finding their perfect match in fabrics and designs while touching and feeling a variety of materials in a comfortable environment.

“We opted for big windows because natural light is important to see the colors you’re working with,” Economo said. “We also wanted elegance with an open retail feel, not busy or cluttered.”

With a background in graphic design and web development, Economo looks forward to merging her passion and skill set with her creativity — while partnering with her mom.

“I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather do this with,” she said. “I grew up as a child of her businesses and always admired her.”

“It means the world to me,” Dvorak said. “I’m so excited.”

The Jacqueline Joyce Stitch Studio will sit on the corner of the River Plaza strip mall facing the Century 14 movie theater.

The women plan to open the shop in the fall.

Quilting services, store products and a quilting cost estimator also will be available online through their website.