History of ASDP

In 1983, Tricia Crockett and Kathleen Spike saw a need for home-based sewers to support and network with each other. They worked together contacting and talking to anyone who showed interest in such a group. Largely due to their efforts, The Custom Clothing Guild of Oregon was active by 1984 with 15 charter members. The Custom Clothing Guild (CCG) of Oregon continued to expand and other sewing professionals around the country began to inquire how they could start chapters modeled after CCG. In 1990 a committee in CCG wrote a Procedural Manual to be sold to other groups.

In 1991, with the financial and administrative support of the American Home Sewing and Craft Association, our group launched the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers and CCG changed its name to the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers-Oregon Chapter. The first national board of directors was composed of Oregon Chapter members.

In 1994, a seven-member Standards and Practices committee was formed to develop Standards of Quality for Custom Clothing. In 1998 the Standards for Sewing Techniques and Fit were presented and accepted as PACC Standards. In 1999 the Standards for Textile Usage and Visual Design were presented and accepted as PACC Standards. These documents became the basis for the Master Sewing and Design Professional (MSDP) certification program.

In recognition and acknowledgment of the wide variety of skills and specialties of ASDP members, members voted to change the organization's name to Association of Sewing and Design Professionals, Inc., effective January 1, 2008. The PACC Standards were renamed to the ASDP Standards of Quality for Custom Clothing.

In 2008, the Association also launched a Certification Program. Over 20 years in the making, this testing program was developed to provide certification as Master Sewing and Design Professional or Master Alterations Specialist. The MSDP/MAS certification program is operated independently from ASDP to provide sewing professionals with prestigious credentials that validate their skills and expertise. Having a certification process in place is one of the main components of raising the perception of custom sewing as a skilled trade. The certification programs are also open to non-members. As of mid 2014, MSDP has awarded four participants, all Formal members of ASDP, with their certification as Master Sewing and Design Professional, and one has also been awarded the first Master Alterations Specialist certificate.

In 2021, ASDP reached two milestones: celebrated 30 years as a non-profit organization completed paperwork for the first national affiliate with ASDP-BC to serve the needs of Canadian sewing professionals.