About the Instructor

Expert Seamstress and Designer
BA in Fashion Design
10 Years Experience in Fashion Industry - All Phases
Teach Sewing, Pattern Making, Draping & Fashion Drawing
Professional Pattern Maker for Jones of New York
20 Years Experience Teaching Fashion Design in High School and College
Taught Fashion Design at Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale
Florida Certified Professional Teacher
Was Program Director of Bauder Fashion College in Ft. Lauderdale
Was a designer for K Mart Children's division
Created my own line of swimsuits

Meet Carol Kroegel – A Lifetime of Fashion, Teaching, and Creative Passion

Hello! My name is Carol Kroegel (yes, I am a family member of Paul Kroegel of Pelican Island) and my former name was Carol Serpa and my maiden name: Carol Kielbasa. I’ve spent my life immersed in the world of fashion design and sewing. My journey began at age 10 in my hometown, where my next-door neighbor, Ann Gonet McGowen—a Viking Sewing Machine salesperson and original Stretch & Sew pattern maker—introduced me to the art of sewing. By high school, I was designing and making all my own clothes, often staying up into the early hours to finish a garment just for the joy of creating.

I went on to study Fashion Design at Colorado State University and quickly entered the fashion industry after graduation. My career began at Cliftex Corporation in Massachusetts, a major men's suit manufacturer, where I worked in Quality Control and production. I later traveled to New York City to apprentice under a head patternmaker, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in the development of women's tailored suits.

My career took me to Jones Apparel Group in Connecticut, where I specialized as a patternmaker for women’s separates, before relocating to Florida to care for my father. In Miami, I worked as a clothing designer and technical designer, combining creativity with problem-solving in design rooms. Unfortunately, after NAFTA shifted much of garment production overseas, I transitioned from industry to education—a move that turned out to be deeply fulfilling.

I began teaching Fashion Design at Bauder College, where I also served as Program Director. I later joined the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, teaching core courses such as Slopers, Draping, and Construction. Teaching became my calling. I eventually taught high school students, many of whom went on to pursue careers in fashion—including one who was accepted to the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

Over the years, I’ve run fashion summer camps for kids aged 6–16, created a swimwear line, taught at the Armory Art Center in Palm Beach, and even tutored a student through an entire FIT semester during COVID. Today, I live in Sebastian, Florida and operate Sew by the Sea, a creative studio where I teach sewing classes and offer immersive fashion retreats for aspiring designers of all ages.

Whether you're a beginner or preparing for fashion school, I bring decades of experience in patternmaking, draping, design, and construction into every lesson. Teaching isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am. I’m here to guide, inspire, and help you discover the joy and confidence that comes from creating something beautiful with your own hands.

Let’s sew something amazing together!

I was a professor at Bauder Fashion College and then promoted to Program Director of the Fashion Design Dept.

PARENT CONCERNS:

For parents of children who attend classes, let me put your mind at ease:

I taught Fashion Design and Sewing at Nova High School in Broward County, Florida for 10 years. and had to be fingerprinted and undergo the strictest Federal background check to be a Florida Professional Certified Teacher.
I teach out of my spacious home and have a $1 million dollar liability policy. Proper emergency procedures are in place should a medical emergency occur. I have never had an accident with any of my students, only minor cuts, of which I have band-aids.
I have always been a professional and you can count on me to do what I say I'm going to do.
I also taught Sewing Camp in Palm Beach county to ages 8-16, and familiar with the drop off and pick up procedures. Proper paperwork concerning pick up person will be instituted and no exception will be made unless verified from the designated parent. I will not let anyone but the people on the "pick up list" for your child to pick up your child. Under no circumstances will anyone else be allowed to pick them up

Class size is limited to 4 students, and 5 maximum if one child provides his/her sewing machine. This is a manageable group for myself. I will be the only one teaching at all times and the only one interacting with your child.