Okay, it's time for the truth. There is only one.

This is not a statement born of marketing hype. It's the simple truth.

Ana's Accoutremonts, Ruth's Custom Sewing, and RK Tailoring are all the product of one feverish business mind, that of Ruth Kaplan.

Who is Ana Foscari? Ana started as a persona in the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA), and slowly developed a life of her own. Ana's personality and history are actually a subset of Ruth's.
So Ana wouldn't do anything Ruth wouldn't-after all, they are best friends!

Why the fiction? In the early days of the business, it made sense to look larger than we really were. People often expressed surprise that only one person could accomplish the wide range of sewing skills shown in the website and the catalog. Having two women in the business made more sense and made us look larger.

It is also fun. Ana dresses more flamboyantly than Ruth. When I'm feeling "small" I can be Ruth and disappear into the crowd. When I'm going "large", I can be Ana and stand out.

Finally, it adds security. Running a home based business has security risks, especially when you advertise to the world. Having a fiction of two women in the business lent some additional security.

Why come out of the closet? We're a very successful business now, and don't need to look any larger than we really are. We can still have fun being Ana on occasion, and we've tightened some of the security issues in our new location.

So who is Ruth Kaplan? (Do NOT look at the little man behind the screen! I am Oz, the Great and, well, okay…)

Ruth has been an Air Force Officer, an engineer, tactical weapons designer, intelligence analyst, technical writer, and editor of a survivalist newsletter and now a seamstress. But NOT "yo' Mama's seamstress"….

If I had wanted to lie cheat and steal, I would have gone back to working for the government. When my brief marriage broke up in 1988, I was already "taking in" sewing. Government work paid better, but it made me crazy, so I stayed on the horse I was on, so to speak.

I took any sewing job offered. If I didn't know how to do it, I'd call my girlfriend or my grandmother or figure it out myself. But I made sure that each job was done right.

Quality became the watchword of the business. Reliability was a close second. When I booked my first prom dress, I realized that scheduling had just become a serious issue. If I was a week late, for me it was "oops!", but for the client, it was major emotional trauma. I worked out a system to make sure I never overbooked my time. No all-nighters!

To do top quality work, I had to charge more than the local part time seamstresses, which also meant I had to be more aggressive in advertising and marketing. Without a second income as a backup, I had to ensure an uninterrupted flow of business. I joined the local Chamber of Commerce and got serious about learning the business side of the job.

With the growth of the World Wide Web in 1994-95, I realized I had several major Renaissance mail order clients who were involved in web development and who used the web. In 1995 I bartered several Elizabethan doublets for my first website. Ana's Accoutremonts was on the Web!

I recognized from clients' comments that the personalized service that I provide is what every other business talks about, but often falls short. I often spend an hour or more with a client on the phone before I even book the order. The extra time is essential for our mutual trust and satisfaction. I've got to know my client's preferences, and the client has to have confidence that I will deliver what I promise. I'm very careful not to promise what I cannot deliver.

While it takes extra time and effort, going through all the details of the garment design with the client is also fun. We often get excited, visualizing how the garment will look and fit. I advise the client honestly, based on my experience, but ultimately, you get what you want. As long as it's physically possible-I can't make you look like a body builder unless you already lift weights. I'm a seamstress, not a magician.

Integrity is not just a concept-it is an everyday part of my life. As a practicing Buddhist, Right Livelihood is part of the Eightfold Path. If I ever find that I'm not living up to my own obsessive standards, I'll close up shop. After all, I hear there's a shortage of technically trained workers out there….

Why We Are Driven To Excellence
You may wonder if we really do what we say we do. So few people these days do. We do. We do because we are driven, driven to deliver on time, to specifications, as much as is humanly possible, and then some.

Why?

Not because anyone will die if their Renaissance Doublet is a week or a month, or even a year late. Nobody's ever died because their wedding dress didn't fit right. It's not like we're doctors or police or the military. Nobody dies if we're late or make a mistake.

Thank goodness.

Because we do occasionally make mistakes, deliver late and don't do things exactly the way the client wants them. We're only human.

There is so much in this world that none of us can control. From the little things like software that crashes, to the big things, like cars that crash. So much pain, suffering, and death. But the one thing that we can control is what we personally do.

And that's what drives us.

So that when we walk out the door every night, we know, we did the very best we could.

And then some.

So, those are the basics. And yes, truth is stranger than fiction. Perhaps one day, we may publish Ana's life history. Our greatest concern there is if the World Wide Web has enough pages left.

We wish to thank all of our prior Patrons for their assistance in making this company what it is. We also want to thank you future Patrons for your Trust and Confidence in our abilities.

Our sewing room is smoke free, but it does have two cats who sleep there during the days while we work. If you have cat allergies, she can take special steps during the construction of your garment to keep exposure to cat dander at a minimum. We run an Austin triple air filter to eliminate possible allergens from the air. Rest assured that your satisfaction with your custom garment includes freedom from nicotine and other allergens.

Ruth Kaplan a.k.a. Ana Foscari

Anger never ceases with anger,
Anger heals through love alone.
Open your heart to love.
Pray for Peace.

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PRICES ARE FOR LABOR ONLY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE