Gina Flood was supposed to be stitching doggy bow-ties. But when a friend asked for a dress for his daughter, she could not refuse.

“I ended up making 64 in eight different colours,” she said. “I thought, ‘Why stop with one?’.”

Before she knew it, her children’s clothing was as popular as the outfits she made for animals at All Things Sassy Pet Boutique. Ms Flood knew it was time to step-up her game.

“I started the store after I was made redundant from D & J [Construction],” she said. “At first, I focused on pets, because you can make more outfits for dogs using less material.”

Children’s clothes, hats and bags now compete for space with pet items.

“I’m saying, I cater to all our children, four-legged and two-legged,” Ms Flood said.

She started sewing as a child.

“We weren’t allowed to go anywhere,” she said. “My sister read and I made doll clothes. Over the years, I just kept sewing.”

Ms Flood is always making something — or thinking about making something. Her energy level could be described as frenetic.

“I don’t sleep,” she said.

When she opened her doors in the Bermudiana Arcade, she was very unsure how long she could survive in the rough economy.

But All Things Sassy did a lot better than expected, although she still works hard to stay afloat.

“Let’s just say when I breathe I still feel the bubbles underwater,” she said with a laugh.

Cup Match colours kept her busy this summer.

“My assistant, Desiree Riley, and I were up well into the night sewing outfits for Cup Match,” Ms Flood said.

“We had reversible dresses, and we had the Cup Match-themed hats and bags.

“We couldn’t keep the dresses in the store.”

One of her fans is D’iani Pitcher, daughter of St George’s captain, OJ Pitcher, and Daishawnai Richardson.

When The Royal Gazette visited, the three-year-old was wandering around the store remarking on how pretty all the dresses were.

D’iani tried on first a blue dress with sparkling fairies, and then a bright yellow dress with tropical flowers.

When she picked up a red and blue dress, Ms Flood quickly suggested an alternative blue and blue design.

“I don’t think your daddy would like that one,” she said.

You have to have tact in this business.

Ms Flood often does work on commission. Right now, she is working on a dress for a premature baby; the matching hat is complete.

In addition to the clothes she makes, she brings in a line from Britain.

“That makes it easier to find little tops to go with the pants or skirts I’ve made,” she said. At the moment, she sources all her fabrics locally, but she is looking into designing some of her own.

“Stay tuned,” she said with a wink.

Her children’s outfits range from $20 to $35.

“It might be more for a commissioned piece,” she said. “But I try not to have anything in the store over $50.”

She was pleased to see the alterations side of her business grow.

“People were coming in saying, ‘If you’re sewing, can you fix this for me?’,” she said. So I do small alterations like hems, nothing big. Right now, I am holding my own. The interest is there, although I haven’t done a hoopla of marketing.”

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