Welcome to Sew Away!
Hi, I’m Vanessa, the creator behind Sew Away a handmade shop filled with bookish joy. I sew bookmarks, book sleeves, and Bible sleeves for readers who carry their stories everywhere.
Sew Away was inspired by my own journey of learning to read as an adult.
Reading was something I struggled with, but sewing came naturally to me. Around that time, I didn’t have a lot of fabric. I would save leftover pieces from alteration jobs and even upcycle old jeans and other fabrics I had around.
When I started carrying books with me, I wanted something to protect them. So I took the fabric I had and made my very first book sleeve for myself. I didn’t know it then, but that little book sleeve would become the beginning of Sew Away.
I found a book by Billy Graham at a Sunday Mass gift shop and began reading one page at a time. That journey taught me that progress doesn’t have to be fast it just has to continue.
Today, I carry that same message into every piece I make, sewing with care, patience, and encouragement.
Sew Away is for every reader, every story, and every chapter no matter how it begins. Whether you’re a light reader, a heavy reader, or somewhere in between, there’s a place for you here. 
In 2018, I went back to school to finish my high school diploma. The last class I needed was history. I only needed five credits, but the reading was really hard for me. I tried, got frustrated, gave up, and then tried again.
In 2021, I decided I was going to keep going. I got a library card and started with just one page at a time. Then another page, and another book. Little by little, I started seeing how far I had come.
And here I am today, walking with my high school diploma. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and that journey is a big part of why I created Sew Away.
In 2022, at 26 years old, I finally graduated and earned my high school diploma. That fall, I enrolled in college.
Learning to read changed so much for me. It gave me confidence, brought me joy, and opened up a love for learning that I never knew I had.
That’s a big part of why I created Sew Away a handmade shop where I can share my love of books and a little piece of my story through everything I make.
Every piece I create carries a little reminder:
You’re one of a kind. Keep going.
It’s never too late to learn.
And it’s never too late to open a book.