The Call to be Creative: Part 1
03/30/2026 01:04PM ● By Lisa Schlichtman
Laura Tamucci sells baby blankets, bibs, napkins, pouches and more under the moniker Gracie Stitches. Photo courtesy of Laura Tamucci.
Sewing is a family affair for Laura Tamucci. Her mom taught her to sew when she was a young girl living in California, and Laura has now passed down the craft to her children – daughter Dylan, 8, and son Anthony, 12. Dylan has her own sewing machine, and often, mother and daughter sew side by side on the dining room table that serves as Laura’s studio space.
The birth of her daughter inspired Laura to leave a high-pressure career as advertising director at the Steamboat Pilot & Today and return to two early loves – sewing and teaching. She accepted a part-time position teaching art at Steamboat Montessori School, and dedicated the rest of her time to sewing baby blankets. Soon she was selling her colorful, incredibly soft, sherpa-lined creations at Ohana in downtown Steamboat.
Sewing under the moniker Gracie Stitches, Laura is known for beautiful fabric choices – the patterns she gravitates to are colorful, fun and sometimes whimsical. Some of her bestsellers feature winter wonderland scenes or skiers.
“Choosing fabric is my favorite part – it’s so visual,” says Laura. "I have a few companies whose designers I really love. And then I also buy a lot of fabric on Etsy. I pick what I like and it’s usually what other people like too.”
As an art teacher, Laura draws inspiration from her students who she says create more freely than adults. “They’re just making stuff, and they love it. And as an artist, I want to be like that. Like, if you like it, you like it, and don’t worry so much about what people think about it.” Laura also is able to incorporate her quilting and sewing into classroom lessons, especially when teaching about pattern and color.
And there’s something special about creating a blanket for a newborn.
“You can ask anybody, ‘What was your baby blanket?’ and they could probably describe it because it was so close to their heart,” Laura says. “Every once in a while, I’ll see a baby in a stroller with one of my blankets and I don’t know the mom or the baby, but it’s special and really sweet to be a part of something so comforting."
Laura has expanded her inventory to include baby bibs and swaddles, napkins, zippered pouches and sweatshirts adorned with a handcrafted quilt square. She also sews larger throws and quilts for adult-sized shoppers. Her creations are sold on her website – www.graciestitches.com – and at various retailers around the country thanks to Faire, an online wholesale marketplace that connects small, independent makers with brick-and-mortar stores looking for unique products.
Locally, Gracie Stitches blankets are at Ohana, and Laura is also a vendor at local craft and holiday fairs.
“The business has grown organically and steadily,” says Laura, who spends about 10 to 12 hours a week at her sewing machine. “Someday it’ll grow bigger, but for now with my kids and school, it’s a good fit. I just really love sewing, and it’s fun that people want to buy what I make, because I’d be doing it anyway.”
Sewing is a family affair for Laura Tamucci. Her mom taught her to sew when she was a young girl living in California, and Laura has now passed down the craft to her children – daughter Dylan, 8, and son Anthony, 12. Dylan has her own sewing machine, and often, mother and daughter sew side by side on the dining room table that serves as Laura’s studio space.
The birth of her daughter inspired Laura to leave a high-pressure career as advertising director at the Steamboat Pilot & Today and return to two early loves – sewing and teaching. She accepted a part-time position teaching art at Steamboat Montessori School, and dedicated the rest of her time to sewing baby blankets. Soon she was selling her colorful, incredibly soft, sherpa-lined creations at Ohana in downtown Steamboat.
Sewing under the moniker Gracie Stitches, Laura is known for beautiful fabric choices – the patterns she gravitates to are colorful, fun and sometimes whimsical. Some of her bestsellers feature winter wonderland scenes or skiers.
“Choosing fabric is my favorite part – it’s so visual,” says Laura. "I have a few companies whose designers I really love. And then I also buy a lot of fabric on Etsy. I pick what I like and it’s usually what other people like too.”
As an art teacher, Laura draws inspiration from her students who she says create more freely than adults. “They’re just making stuff, and they love it. And as an artist, I want to be like that. Like, if you like it, you like it, and don’t worry so much about what people think about it.” Laura also is able to incorporate her quilting and sewing into classroom lessons, especially when teaching about pattern and color.
And there’s something special about creating a blanket for a newborn.
“You can ask anybody, ‘What was your baby blanket?’ and they could probably describe it because it was so close to their heart,” Laura says. “Every once in a while, I’ll see a baby in a stroller with one of my blankets and I don’t know the mom or the baby, but it’s special and really sweet to be a part of something so comforting."
Laura has expanded her inventory to include baby bibs and swaddles, napkins, zippered pouches and sweatshirts adorned with a handcrafted quilt square. She also sews larger throws and quilts for adult-sized shoppers. Her creations are sold on her website – www.graciestitches.com – and at various retailers around the country thanks to Faire, an online wholesale marketplace that connects small, independent makers with brick-and-mortar stores looking for unique products.
Locally, Gracie Stitches blankets are at Ohana, and Laura is also a vendor at local craft and holiday fairs.
“The business has grown organically and steadily,” says Laura, who spends about 10 to 12 hours a week at her sewing machine. “Someday it’ll grow bigger, but for now with my kids and school, it’s a good fit. I just really love sewing, and it’s fun that people want to buy what I make, because I’d be doing it anyway.”