Sewing a simple skirt at the age of 10 became a business opportunity for Layne Livingston, 27, when she started up her at home design and sewing shop in Woodstock, Georgia.
Livingston was taught how to sew when she was younger by her mother, but she did not pursue sewing until she was in college. Throughout the years, design came natural to Livingston, as she would create different Disney-inspired outfits on a website known as Polyvore prior to the start of her Etsy business in 2015. “My name was Fantasy 2 Fabric because everyone had that watermark in there with their username on it, so that is where it came from. It was fantasy but design,” said Livingston about the inspiration for the name of her business.
Livingston currently works on her designs for Fantasy 2 Fabric within her room, but she has no plans to expand into a large facility outside of her own home. “I feel like a shop would turn into alterations, and I do not do alterations. I am not a tailor. That’s why I always tell people I’m a costume designer, not a seamstress,” Livingston said. Livingston has turned her bedroom into her active workspace by converting her linen closet into her fabric closet, setting up her sewing machine on her desk at the head of her room, and having her dress mannequins stand in the corner by her window so she can pin her design and view her finished designs in the natural light.
When Livingston first started Fantasy 2 Fabric, she was working on about one design a month, but she now works on three to four designs a month, and she has not only been creating costumes, but she has also created Disney-inspired outfits for herself and friends to showcase on trips to Walt Disney World. Laura Crawford, 25, is a close friend of Livingston who has been able to don several of her creations at Walt Disney World.
“I have known Layne for over 12 years,” Crawford said. “My favorite costume I’ve seen Layne put together was her vintage princess inspired collection of dresses in honor of Walt Disney’s yearly ‘Dapper Day’ celebration.”
As a North Georgia local, Livingston has grown Fantasy 2 Fabric over the past six years, and she has found her niche for her favorite designs. Her passion for fun and personal design translates to her work, “I don’t like projects that don’t bring me joy,” Livingston said. She creates her costume designs by how she knows and understands the character of the costume. Through her designs, Livingston was also able to translate her work to local theaters and princess party companies that bring characters to life in front of people’s eyes.
Audrey Montgomery, 25, used to work with Livingston through a princess party company, and was able to wear several of Livingston’s costumes. “She sets an incredibly high standard for herself and respects the traditions of the costume’s origins while also adding her own flare and creativity to the design,” Montgomery said.
Livingston has been able to make a name for herself and her business, Fantasy 2 Fabric, by continuing her Etsy shop and creating costumes in her community. Livingston looks for a purpose behind her work for Fantasy 2 Fabric, and she has created a positive livelihood from a personal passion within the comforts of her own home.
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