OUR STORY

The Tenth String was a band name before it was a business. My husband Kyle and I once played violin and guitar at a wedding and joked that we needed a name for our gig. Four violin strings plus six guitar strings became The Tenth String. When I started the business, the name stuck.

In 2017, Kyle gave me a sewing machine after I casually mentioned wanting to learn how to sew. I was working in professional sports with a pretty crazy schedule, so it sat in my closet until 2020, when I suddenly had plenty of time at home.I taught myself how to use it and started making masks, then dog bandanas, scrunchies, lanyards… Honestly, a little bit of everything. I wasn’t necessarily passionate about what I was making yet. I just loved making something with my own two hands, learning new things, and figuring out how to turn it into a business. I’d stay up way too late thinking about what to try next.

Eventually, I ran out of fabric while quarantining and started looking through my closet for something I could cut up. I found an old denim jacket, added a tapestry to the back, and posted it on Instagram. People started messaging me asking if I would sell it, and that’s when things really clicked.

Before I knew it, I was spending hours digging through thrift stores for pieces to rework. The Tenth String grew into one-of-one clothing, website drops, lots of pop-up markets, and more collections than I can count.

A lot has happened since then. I’ve moved across the country and back, and Kyle and I now have two little ones. My time looks very different from those early days, and it’s made me think more carefully about what I want this business to be.

If there’s one thing becoming a parent has taught me, it’s how valuable time is. I've become more intentional about what I spend time creating. I’ve shifted from filling the racks for pop-ups every weekend to making fewer, more special pieces for my online shop and a handful of stores. I want to spend my time making things I’m excited about, and this feels like the right direction for me.

If you’ve bought something, visited me at a market, shared a post, or sent an encouraging message, thank you. Some of you have been here since the masks and scrunchies, and it means so much that you’re still following along!!

It’s never too late to be brand new.

⋆˙⟡Sofia