St. George mom turns custom-sewing for tall family into lucrative clothing line

Written by Jessi Bang
July 11, 2022

ST. GEORGE —When a tall mother of four tall children found her family busting at the seams or drowning from clothing that didn’t fit, she patched the problem by sewing clothing of her own, ultimately backstitching her way into a unique clothing line named after a grandma she adored.

Britta Foster, who stands at 6 feet, 1 inch tall and her husband David Foster, a staggering 7 feet, 3 inches tall, are the second-tallest couple in America. And to paint a picture of her husband’s frame, Foster said she made him a jacket for Christmas that took 9 full yards of fabric.

Her four kids – three boys and one girl – are already outgrowing everyone in their classrooms. Her 10-year-old son Daniel is currently 5 feet, 6 inches, and is estimated to be around 7 feet, 2 inches. Her son Lawrence, 7, is estimated to be at least 6 feet, 9 inches, while her youngest son, Joseph, is predicted to be around 7 feet tall. Her one-year-old daughter Lena is estimated to hit a growth spurt up to 6 feet, 4 inches tall. 

“I knew I would have to learn how to sew when I had my kids. It wasn’t a matter of if they were going to be tall – it was how tall?”

Walking in public whether alone or with her family can easily become a public spectacle and Foster said they even have a family game they call “HTAY” – How Tall Are You, where they count how many times people ask her husband about his height. With the record count at 15 times in one place, she said they get asked more at Costco than they ever have at Disneyland.

Britta Foster poses with her daughter in matching swimsuits made by Love, Zola, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster, St. George News
Britta Foster poses with her daughter in matching swimsuits made by Love, Zola, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster, St. George News

Foster said she and her family lived a nomadic-lifestyle for years, which made it impossible for her to start sewing. After her husband finished playing professional basketball three years ago, they moved to St. George and finally put down roots. At the time, she had a basic sewing machine that her sister gave her as a wedding gift but wasn’t sure how to use it – not even how to thread the needle into the machine.

The first item she sewed was a blanket for her youngest son. Then, after four boys, Foster said she was shocked and excited to find out she was pregnant with her first girl. She instantly knew she would need to learn how to sew dresses that would fit her, so she bought her first pattern on Etsy. Initially terrified to create her first dress, she sat on the pattern for months. When she finally decided to make it, she realized it wasn’t as bad as she had psyched herself out to be, and she’s glad she finally did.

As she handmade unique clothing for her daughter and posted them on social media, Foster said she had an outpour of responses encouraging her to publicly sell them. A little apprehensive at first, she started with basic baby nightgowns, which she sold on Facebook Marketplace.

Britta Foster's daughter sits in a Christmas dress made by Love, Zola, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster by Cachet B Photography, St. George News
Britta Foster’s daughter sits in a Christmas dress made by Love, Zola, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster by Cachet B Photography, St. George News

When Foster joined Sunflower Seams, a pattern company that offers digital patterns, she said the pattern-testing involved allowed her to try new things, and even if she “totally fails,” she enjoys the challenge and experience that comes from it.

As she set out to name her business, Foster said her “Grammy Zola,” whom the clothing line is now named after, had taught her many basic techniques as a child. But over time and without practice, the things she learned faded. After a neighbor came over and showed her the basics all over again, she began to hone in on her skills.

“My goal in all of this was just to put a lot of love in all my pieces, that’s why I named it after my Grammy Zola,” Foster said. “She was the neighborhood grandma; she was everyone’s grandma. She would make cookies for everyone. She even helped deliver someone’s baby in the back seat of their car on the way to the hospital. Everyone knew her and she was the sweetest person.”

Although her grandma passed away when she was around 20 years old, Foster said she has remained close to her and wanted to pay tribute to her in a unique and beautiful way. 

“She never got to meet my babies, but she has been with me through all my pregnancies, in my dreams and I’ve felt her strength with all of my deliveries,” Foster said. “Even though she’s not here, she’s still very much a part of me and I try to pour that love into everything I make.”

Britta Foster hugs her grandma Zola, the person her clothing company is named after, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster, St. George News
Britta Foster hugs her grandma Zola, the person her clothing company is named after, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Britta Foster, St. George News

Through her clothing business, Love, Zola, Foster began to create more custom orders. When a friend sent her the link to apply for the MoFACo artisan co-op, she said she was hesitant to apply, worried that she wasn’t good enough to have her form of art showcased at the gallery. She continued to practice and filled out the application one year ago. She was quickly accepted and her clothing has been featured in the shop ever since.

While Foster loves the ruffles and frills of girls’ dresses, she also makes a variety of boys’ clothing and recently made an adult-size crop-top shirt, which she plans to dive into more. Swimwear for both genders, including boys’ swim trunks and briefs along with girls’ one and two-piece swimsuits were just added this summer. As far as future goals, she plans to open a Shopify store in the near future.

“It’s so fun to see just how cute these kids are wearing my designs,” Foster said. “It’s been really fulfilling to be able to see people enjoy what I make.”

For more information on Love, Zola, along with how to place a custom order, visit the business on Instagram and Facebook.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

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Twitter: @STGnews

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