Ginger Stout assumed her temporary move to Chicago would be cheerless and brief. After a year of aiding her mother with alhizmers, she planned to return to her old life in Washington D.C. where she sold computers. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined providing her sewing services to legendary singer Diana Ross.
Ginger Stout is the first black woman to own a sewing business from Bernina. What was once a cultured hobby shared with her mother matured into a fulfilling career. Throughout her travels, she has received numerous awards for her work. Previously in Chicago, she rented exquisite lofts from African-American artist Nick Cave in Chicago. Her final move resulted in occupying a shared space in Crown Point with her best friend Barbara Jean. And after becoming a member of the Crossroads Regional Chamber, she was given the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I remember it being on a Saturday, because that’s when we had planned our family reunion,” she said. “And that’s when they called and asked if I was free on Saturday to do alterations for Diana Ross.”
After hearing it, she was overjoyed to share the offer with her family, who encouraged her to take it. Stout tended to the legendary outfits of the icon herself, professionally mending the materials the celebrity had given her. She couldn’t be more happy to provide her expertise with every bead, bow and button attached. Many of the dresses Diana Ross wore on tours in her day were things that Ginger had altered.
“I’ve always wanted to own a store of creativity that offered a lot of freedom,” said Stout. After finding a nurse to help her care for her mother, she wanted to work for a flexible organization. “I used to always shop at Fishmen’s Fabrics with my mother. So after seeing their ad needing salespeople, I reached out and was offered the position to run their Bernina machine store.”
Bernina is among the top key players in the Sewing Machine Industry, recommended by many sewing experts. Despite not necessarily being entry-level, they are renowned for being the best on the market. “I was intimidated because not only are the machines very beautiful, they’re Swiss made and extremely high-end.”
After her mother passed, she remained at Fishmen’s for over half a decade and prepared to travel back to her former home. That’s when her manager Phil offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse. “They told me if I had left, they would have to close down the store because no one else would be there to run it. He sold it to me and that’s when my journey of selling sewing machines started.”
However, that was just the beginning. The transition from the big city of Chicago to the rural areas in Indiana wasn’t easy for Stout. “Starting all over can be a lot. Along with having to make new connections, one of the biggest challenges is adjusting to the lack of transportation.”
However, with the help of her community chamber, she was able to feel at home. Ginger Stout now spends her time teaching others the importance of sewing and fashion at her Spyceware Sewing Center. Whenever she can, she invites other small businesses to the chamber so that they too could take advantage of the many opportunities they provide. By bringing back the art of sewing into the community, she impacts people by giving them a skill each day.
