Meet the Employees

"RaggaMuffin"

Select Sewing's Mascot

Jim and Karen Bennett

Jim Bennett is President and Owner of Select Sewing Service, Inc. Located in the Indy area are 2 stores - North on Keystone Avenue and West on Rockville Road.

The company was founded in 1953 by his father. Jim began "helping out" as a young boy, which has given him over 30 years experience in the sewing machine industry.

Karen hosted "America Quilts Creatively" PBS show and worked as National Education Manager for Pfaff Sewing Machines USA. The industry has brought them together, their knowledge and passion for sewing make them a powerful team!

He and his wife Karen look forward to many successful years together in the sewing industry with Raggs.

Betty Daniels

Sewing has always been a BIG part of my life. My grandmother was a quilter and mother was an avid seamstress. I began sewing at 10 years old, self taught, by 12 years old making all of my clothes. I have sewn for my entire family all of my life. In 2000 I started working in sewing machine sales. Since I am an active member of Indy ASG, I have given many presentations and classes for members. My special interest in Sergers started in 1973. I now enjoy providing Owners Lessons and sharing my knowledge with others.

SALES

SERVICE

Chris Helmick

Chris is the Manager for our Avon store, responsible for sales, service and supervision of employees. He has been with Select Sewing Service since 1984.

Ray Renfro

Ray has been a Service Technician for Select Sewing for over 10 years.

Keith Jenkins

Keith has been working at Select Sewing as a Service Technician since 1998. He has been responsible for outside service for schools in the Indy area. During the past 2 years he has also gained experience in quilting machine and frame set up in the home for our customers.

Ralph Pennington

Ralph began working as a Service Tehcnician with Select Sewing in 1998. His strong mechanical background has been an asset for repairing older sewing machines.

Marge Kohnke

Sewing has always been a big part of my life, my grandmother and mother were excellent seamstresses and I try to follow in their footsteps. I began sewing even before I could use the machine and sewed doll dresses with needle and thread. When I started on the machine, apparel clothing was what I wanted to do. I have sewn for my mom, my children, friends, and myself. I took every sewing class offered from the local technical school. Even though I had sewn for years, I started with the basic classes and continued on until tailoring and sewing for men. My husband's blazer took 6 months of classes to complete. I have also taken specialty classes such as lingerie, home dec, and quilting. When we moved to Indiana, I worked for 5 years at a local bridal store doing alterations as well as creating gowns.

I continue to learn at the ASG meetings and seminars, special programs around the country, and even on line. I feel you can always learn something new. And now I enjoy not only sewing, but working with embroidery software.

I have taught at Select Sewing Service for about 12 years. I am Pfaff certified in both 4D and 5D Software. I teach new owner's lessons, software lessons, and specialty sewing classes. I love to teach and it is a great joy for me to share my knowledge and learn from all my students.

Marlynn Story

Marlynn grew up in rural Tippecanoe County where sewing, baking and gardening was a way of life. My mother was a beautiful sewer and I learned everything from her at a very early age. 4-H and Home Economics rounded out my school years.
My love for sewing has expanded over the years to include machine embroidery, quilting, fiber arts, card making, creating one of a kind sewing projects and teaching.
I am very active in ASG and have given many demonstrations for various groups as well as serving on ASG and SPN (Sewing Professional Network) boards.

Add to that list, a teacher at Select Sewing for fifteen years will tell you my love for sewing is here to stay.

Krista Southern

Krista'a mother was an accomplished seamstress and a taught her children to sew at a very early age. She really doesn't remember at what age she began sewing. It has been a lifeling avocation, now becoming a vocation.

For the past several years Krista has taught New Owners Lessons for several brands of sewing machines at Select Sewing Service. She has a special interest in machine embriodery and embellishments. Krista completed 5D Software Certification.

Krista is very active in the American Sewing Guild , currently serves as President of the Indianapolis Chapter.

Darlene Crafton

Darlene has been sewing since grade school. She loves to sew, quilt and embroider. Darlene is very active in the American Sewing Guild and a couple of different quilt groups. She attends regional and national shows to get ideas to share in her classes. Darlene has taught at Select for the last 5 years. She has taught different classes on sewing techniques, embroidery ideas, and quilting know how. She has ongoing classes for Hoopsisters. She is very dedicated to her students and takes the time with all participants, novice to the experienced. Please join Darlene in an upcoming class. You will learn, have fun, and gain a friend.

Barb Cecil

Barb will tell you she is a proud owner of the top of the line Elna sewing/embroidery machine. Her enthusiasm for sewing, embroidery and quilting made her a great fit to become a Teacher at Select Sewing.