Bachorski, who recently opened C Sew, an in-home sewing studio that provides professional alterations, tailoring and hand-crafted sewn goods, was faced with the burden of having to find a new job after being injured while serving her country.

Bachorski, who also repairs sewing machines through the Elkins Sewing Center at her shop, spent close to 14 years in the United States Navy before medically retiring and moving to West Virginia in 2023.

Before coming to the Mountain State, the Michigan native lived in California while in the Navy. Since her retirement she has had five surgeries on both her feet and has been left trying to find work that fits into her needs. Her last surgery left her in a wheelchair all of last winter.

“I kept trying to find a remote job, because with my disability it’s really hard, there are some days the best I can do is just crawl to a sewing machine or a computer,” Bachorski said. “So I decided to start my own business, that way I was working from home, I’m my own boss, and I have my own hours.”

Tools from Cynthia Bachorski’s workshop in Beverly.

This past summer Bachorski volunteered to help make some items for the Rosie the Riveter celebration in downtown Elkins, during which a statue was unveiled at All-Veterans Memorial Park. At the urging of a friend at that event, she decided to start making plans for her business.

“I made all the head scarfs and pocket squares people wore at the Rosie event,” Bachorski said. “People were coming up to me and asking me if they could buy them, and my friend Linda Shomo really encouraged me to start working on a plan to open the business. So I started looking at everything and thought I would give it a shot. I figured why not? I get to work for myself and always be happy. Since I’ve opened, I wake up excited each morning.”

Bachorski said being introduced to sewing at a young age helped jump start her skills in that area. She said the skills she has for working on sewing machines is courtesy of the United States Navy.

“My mom sewed and she was a quilter, so she taught me and I did quite a bit of sewing when I was a kid,” Bachorski said. “Then later in life I did a lot of sewing in Michigan and California, especially each year during the renaissance fairs, where I would make costumes, tents, and a lot of other things. I also sewed a lot of my shipmates’ uniforms and would do alterations for them as well while in the Navy.

“When it comes to fixing sewing machines, I utilize my Navy tech skills that I gained by working on radars, navigation equipment, radios, and many other electronics.”

Bachorski said that even though she is working on sewing machines, her main focus at her business is going to be with alterations and things of that nature.

“I’m doing the sewing machines exclusively for the Elkins Sewing Center,” Bachorski said. “So if anyone asks me to fix a machine, I’m going to send them to Sue (Pifer) at the Sewing Center. My focus is on the alterations, so in turn when people call Sue over at the Sewing Center for alterations, she’s giving them my number and I’m taking care of those clients. My focus with C Sew is strictly the sewing aspect of it, alterations, crafts and things like that.”

For more information about C Sew or to obtain Bachorski’s services, call 304-704-6083 or visit the businesses’ Facebook page.