About the Store

Staff at our "New for You Part"  from left:  Fran Kertesz, Anne Watson,  Barbara Whitfield, Lindsey Landguth, Andrea Anderson, Charley Hauer, and Barbara Thomas

Fran's Staff

Fran Kertesz - Fran has been involved in sewing as a business since 1977. Before that she was a Home Economics teacher and earned a Master’s degree in Child development. Sewing has always been her passion and she has a diverse background including: alterations, piece work, custom sewing and she has been involved in sewing machine repair and sales since 1990. Fran and her family moved to Wilmington in 1996 when she opened Sewing Circle. The store has since grown and Fran continues to strive to offer the best product and service to her customers.

Anne Watson - Originally born in England, Anne first discovered her love of sewing when she was only a little girl. Anne has been working at Fran’s for 3 years and she enjoys making art quilts, loves to experiment with color, and enjoys teaching others how to sew. In her spare time Anne loves to cook, go to the beach with her two dogs (Josh and Bailey), and is thoroughly enjoying her retirement.

Lindsey Landguth - Born and raised in Texas, Lindsey is the youngest of the Staff at Fran’s Sewing Circle (21yrsold). Lindsey is currently attending UNCW and is going to receive a major in Business. She has been sewing since she was 10 years old, started a small purse business when she was only 16, and has now been working at Fran’s for 2 years. Lindsey teaches the Kid’s Summer Camps, Simply Stylish, and Basic Sewing 102. She loves helping new and egger sewers, anything Amy Butler, and making home dec. and fashion projects.

Andrea Anderson - Has been living in Wilmington for 14 years with her husband and two kids. Andrea has enjoyed the art of quilting for 16 years, has been sewing since she was in high school, and has been a staff member of Fran’s for 5 years. Andrea likes to create challenging pieced quilts, play with color, and come up with her own original quilt designs, and in her spare time she prefers to play tennis, go to her daughter’s sporting events, and sew. Andrea teaches many of the quilting classes that we offer at the Sewing Circle and she also teaches other projects that she thinks others would enjoy.

Barbara Thomas - Barb is the newest addition to the staff here at Fran’s. She moved here from Santa Cruz California this year with her husband and little dog Bodie. Barb loves to work with luscious batiks and vibrant colors. She also loves to design art quilts, Celtic wall hangings, and other challenging projects. Barb has brought a wonderful new perspective to Fran’s by incorporating her fresh ideas for a new spatial arrangement of the store, innovative techniques, and different classes to add a new dimension to Fran’s Sewing Circle.

Barbara Whitfield - Barbara has lived in Wilmington for 25 years and has been working at Fran’s for over 6 years. She has been sewing a total of 50 years got started by sewing doll clothes at an early age. Barbara mostly loves to make fashion clothing, bags, and quilts. She also likes to teach fun quick projects here at the store. When Barbara isn’t working at the store she likes to be outside in her garden or be in her sewing room working on new techniques.

Charley Hauer - Charlie was Fran’s very first customer when she opened Sewing Circle and has been a member of Fran’s staff the longest. Charlie is a self taught quilter and was inspired by watching quilt programs on PBS. She makes the most intricate quilts that you will see displayed at sewing circle, and she also enjoys combining embroidery with her quilting. Charlie’s eye for color is always an asset for helping customers plan their quilt tops. Charlie loves to spend time with her two pugs Yoda and Lefty.