Claudia Villa, manager of Kanab Mini-Storage in Kanab, Utah, was recently featured in the “Southern Utah News” (SUN) for her professional side gig: a sewing business she operates out of one of her facility’s units. The seamstress and costume designer specializes in cosplay and custom pieces, according to the source.
After moving to Kanab to care for her ailing sister, who was battling breast cancer, Villa rented a unit at 772 E. Chinle Drive to store her belongings, the source reported. When the owner asked her to manage the facility, she decided to set up shop there.
It isn’t clear how long ago Villa left Phoenix, where she resided for 40 years and ran her own costume-design shop, Phoenix Cosplay. For more than 25 years, she sewed for individuals as well as the Phoenix Theater, where she created costumes for productions including “Annie” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
Villa told the SUN that sewing has always been her passion. “My mom taught me to sew when I was young, and I just always enjoyed it. I had the ability that if someone told me what they wanted as a costume or outfit, I could come up with a pattern in my head and then create it,” she said.
With five sewing machines, Villa also does custom embroidery, wedding gowns and alterations. She’s even designed items for Imlay Canyon Gear in Mount Carmel, Utah, which makes gear for exploring desert canyons.
Since moving to Kanab, Villa is once again involved in the local arts scene. She designed and sewed costumes for the movie “The Attic Door,” a 2009 psychological thriller filmed at Kanab Heritage House Museum, where she also works part-time. In addition, she recently produced costumes for the play “Mary Poppins” at the Kanab Area Community Theater.
Source:
Southern Utah News, Storage Shed Seamstress