Events

There is no local & affordable fashion school in CT. We started our own. Fundraiser will help teach sewing & fashion design to under-privileged participants in the New Haven area. We are offering different packages. Please check them out, share. Donate below.

Funds will be used to teach underserved students in our fashion camps. Instructors are Designer/Entrepreneur Tea Montgomery and Catherine Cazes-Wiley. Thank you sew much for any contribution.Read More

  • Date:10/04/2025 09:00 PM - 01/15/2026 09:00 PM
  • Location Online Event

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Since 2016, our programs have been focused on lifting the Greater New Haven area, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, including artists, artisans, and makers who are in recovery from homelessness, immigrants and refugees, and other locals. We help them create micro-enterprises, and small businesses and become better-adjusted productive citizens. We do this by providing a combination of

1. in-depth sewing mixed with the business of fashion education.
2. connecting them with the local community of business instruction, incubator/acceleration programming.
3. financial training,
4. safe housing (in progress).

 Programs and Press

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Press

Tinaliah The One who perseveres" team

Tea Montgomery

Business Facilitator/Designer and Instructor

Creator of Threads by Tea, a lifestyle brand of custom wearable art designed to inspire and empower. Tea holds an MA in Arts, entertainment and media and a BA in business management. He has taught Fashion Design at Coop High School and worked with many local art organizations (Collab New Haven, ConnCorp, Arts & Ideas and Gateway Community College.)

Timothy Limbrick

Editor

Tim is a versatile no-nonsense English Literature major from UCLA that helps us to navigate through language barriers. He is multicultural, works in urban setting Brooklyn NY as a cook during the day and a comedian at night.

Catherine Cazes-Wiley

Director, Instructor

From spending a decade in the aviation field as a Commercial Pilot/Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic to becoming a certified Milliner and Sewing Instructor/Alteration business owner; Catherine journey's is presently to revive the textile/fashion industry in New Haven. Catherine’s love for fashion and sewing led her to start an alteration business from home, to build the sewing Dpt of MakeHaven, then to create the non-profit teaching others sewing skills and the creation of small businesses.

John Wiley

Photographer

John has worked with the local education system as a Youth Behavior Specialist for over 40 years. He is our wise counsel on behavior, conflicts management and youth. He enjoys taking photos. He is married to Catherine.

Sharon (Shay) Jones

Seamstress, quality control

Shea is a sewist specialist, who has helped with in-house contracts. Her one-of-the-kind aprons have been exhibited at the Creative Art Workshop 3 years in a row. She has been present at every event, classes and fashion show lifting up SEDI with us.

CT Fashion Week- Eco-Culture Fashion Show sponsored by the Salvation Army

Creating small businesses: Shay's collection of one of the kind aprons.