Sara Trail with one of the dresses she designed and made.
Talent of Quilting Passed Down In Her Family for Four Generations
Sara Trail’s Great-Great Grandmother, Margaret Smart, was brought to America in the mid 1700’s as a 12- year-old, captured, Ethiopian slave. Margaret, the first known quilter in her family, passed the artof quilting on to Sara’s great-grandmother who passed quilting on to her grandmother, who lives in Alabama, and she on to her mother.
“I was introduced to sewing as a four year old.” Sara said. “I vividly recall sitting on my mother’s lap and helping her guide quilt fabric under the sewing machine.”
Bernie Cabrara of Antioch’s Queen B’s Quilt Shop allowed Sara, at nine-years-old, to take her first of many adult Quilting classes. Bernie sometimes had to call Sara’s mother, Kay Trail, and ask her to pick Sara up early due to her incessant chatter and ‘over-zealous’ assistance offered to her adult classmates.
All of the Antioch quilting ladies have helped Sara learn more about sewing and have been extraordinary in their love and technical training, she shared.
Sara’s most influential quilting mentor is long time Antioch resident (like a grandmother to her), Mrs. Eleanor O’Donnell. Because of her patient and skilled quilt training, combined with lots of homemade treats, for many, many hours a week, over the course of several years, Sara was offered her first book deal at 12 years of age.
Professor Laverne Edwards – a retired design school and architecture professor and member of the same church as Sara – has been personally responsible for teaching Sara everything she now knows about couture level clothing construction and pattern design.
After many hours and years of Edwards’ expert instruction, Sara was offered an opportunity to design for Simplicity Patterns.
“God has blessed me with access to my two sewing mentors at an early age,” Sara stated. “I am humbled by their gracious and willing spirit to train me as a young girl, free of charge since I was eight years old and continuing to whenever I need help.”
Sara has authored three books, ‘Sew With Sara,’ ‘Simplicity Home,’ and ‘Simplicity Crafts.’ She has also been featured in a three-project DVD entitled, ‘Cool Stuff To Sew With Sara.’ The books and the DVD can be purchased at major book stores and on Amazon.com.
Last year, Sara was licensed to design fabric by Fabri-Quilt located in Kansas City, Missouri. Her designer fabric collection of eight fabrics is called, ‘Biology 101, By Sara Trail.’
The fabrics will be sold in major fabric stores across the U.S. and in Europe next spring.
She also designs clothing, home decor and accessories for Simplicity Patterns, Inc. Of New York City and her Simplicity patterns, ‘Designed With Love by Sara’ can be purchased at Wal-mart and Joann’s Fabrics stores across the U.S. and throughout the world.
Sara has a goal of establishing a ‘free of charge’ sewing studio for those children without the means to pay for private sewing classes in Antioch. The studio would be open to any child who has a desire to empower themselves through the art of sewing.
A high school senior at Contra Costa Christian School in Walnut Creek, Sara plans to attend college next fall in Northern California. She is a member of the Grace Temple Church of God in Christ where she works as an assistant children’s church teacher.
She is the only child of, whom she describes as her “fantastic parents,” Eddie and Katrinka (Kay) Trail and lives with them and her two dogs, Maddie and Cheetah, in Antioch.
Sara’s experience of only sixteen years has taught her well that it truly takes a village to raise a child and says “I am so blessed to be a part of the Antioch village!”
Recently Sara spoke to the Antioch Rotary Club, sharing her experiences in a rapid-fire speech, as well as some of her products, to the delight of the lunchtime audience.
Dr. Jim Green said her talk was one of the most enjoyable and memorable in his 40 years as a Rotarian.
For more information, visit Sara’s website at www.sewsarasew.com.
