The daughter of a schoolteacher/naturalist/seamstress mother and a mathematician/woodworker father, Cheryl’s childhood was always full of activities and projects. She began sewing as a small child, and has always enjoyed creating styles that were just a bit different from the normal ready-to-wear. As an adult, her creative side eventually won (after a career in geology), and she began costuming for period events in the Houston area in 2000.

In 2013, a fortunate job relocation for her husband, Harry, took the couple to Paris for an entirely new adventure. Cheryl took the opportunity to seek out renowned instructors in France and Great Britain to learn the skill of hatmaking, to add an extra dimension to her costume design. “After all”, she says, “with the right hat you can create whatever character you choose!”