After getting her MBA in 2008, Works-Leary taught herself how to sew while she was on the lookout for good startup ideas and opportunities. This is when she found a large community of sewers online discussing high-end designer fabrics made by some of fashion’s big names. She tried looking for these fabrics in her hometown Dallas, but failed to find a fabric retail store that carried these brands. This became the inspiration for her brilliant business idea to open a brick-and-mortar fabric store that carries these designer brands and also offers sewing classes to those who wish to learn the craft. She opened a small store called CityCraft in Dallas, Texas and after only six months of operations, expanded by renting the store next door and doubling her floor plan to accommodate the growing number of people who use the sewer’s lounge as their own personal studio and for those want to learn the art of sewing.