A love of sewing and fashion has taken Valarie Midgley from lavish Toronto theatre productions to bustling enterpris-es in her hometown.

“I always knew I wanted my own company making custom-made clothing,” Valarie says. “It took me 18 years to get the dream I want-ed.”

The founder and designer of The Whole Nine Yards, Valarie first picked up a needle at age 7. By her early teens she was making her own clothes. At 16 she took a sewing class for what she imagined would be an “easy A” grade in high school. It’s where her love of custom-made clothing was cemented. She got her feet wet at a fashion co-op, then it was off to Oakville to study fashion at Sheridan College.

As an independent contractor in Toronto she worked in film and theatre, bringing her flair for fashion to productions like The Lion King and Mamma Mia. She even had a three-page spread of her garments featured in the influential Oprah magazine.

Despite that success, she had a yearning to return to her roots. With alteration and tailoring experts starting to retire, she saw a need for this service in Thunder Bay. With four machines and, 400-square-feet of space. The Whole Nine Yards was launched. Fourteen years later, she can boast a 3,500-sq-ft shop, 22 industri-al machines, a staff of six and multiple business awards.

“My staff and I do one-on-one customer service ensuring the client gets exactly what they need,” Valarie says. “We also help people feel better about themselves. We help them embrace their unique beauty.

“We give our clients the ahhh-moment when their garment fits just right. Those smiles can light up a room.”

Three years ago she launched another venture. Carefree Clothing & Manufacturing focuses on easy access clothing for peo-ple with mobility issues and crafting different types of wear, such as flannel nighties, housecoats, shawls and onesies with trap doors.

Valarie’s next goal is typically ambitious: to break into the inter-national market. “I want to get to the next level of manufacturing,” she says. “There is still so much to do!”