Meet Mary Obico, The Maker

Sewing & design enthusiast offering alterations & custom-made services for Bridal & Formal needs.

Hello, Guys & Dolls. My name is Mary. I am one of those few individuals born in San Francisco and have lived in the Bay Area for most of my life. My interest in fashion started with me playing, dressing, and sewing clothes for my dolls. I recall my paternal grandmother teaching me how to hand stitch when I was about 5 years old. From that lesson, I made a pair of pants from an embroidered handkerchief for my doll Skipper. I stitched it in such a way that the floral embroidery was running along Skipper’s pant side seam.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising from San Francisco State University. Most of my fashion design education comes from studying fashion design and sewing books, along with courses from Bay Area community colleges - City College of San Francisco, Canada College in Redwood City, and the Apparel Design and Apparel Merchandising program at College of Alameda. I have a strong interest in historical costume and vintage clothing. My favorite historical periods are the Edwardian period and the 1920s. To feed my interest in period costume, once in awhile, I volunteer at the Costume Shop with Lamplighter’s Music Theater, when they have Gilbert and Sullivan productions. 

I enjoy tailoring, couture, and bridal sewing since it involves attention to detail, working with delicate fabrics, and problem solving when it comes to fitting clients of different body shapes, sizes, and proportions. I find it very gratifying to put in lots of thought and patience restructuring a garment to better fit the wearer as well as careful consideration of sewing techniques, fabrics, and other supporting materials that goes into an alteration or custom made design. Learning from a client that they feel much better in a tailored garment that not only looks good yet also feels comfortable on them is very rewarding to see from client’s photos, videos, and comments.

Explore alteration and custom-made services for Bridal needs, or Formal wear.