Hello friend!

Thank you for finding your way to my page. I hope you find something that amuses or informs.

I'm known by many names. My readers know me as JC Cassels, the Science Fiction novelist responsible for The Black Wing Chronicles series.

My Instagram followers know me as The Manic Seamstress, a Neo-Victorian with a vintage aesthetic that was nurtured by my fashionista great-aunt.

My friends know me as Cali Hicks, a former television professional, and freelance writer...and a frazzled mom and nana.

No, make that a MANIC mom and nana whose life runs faster than I can keep up with it. The faster-paced our world becomes, the more I want to slow down my part of it. There is something Zen about hand stitching a hem and sewing with the good fabric.

Not only was I raised as a complete anachronism with pin curls and Victory Rolls by my great-aunt who wore them when they were all the rage, I also learned to sew from her. Her now-antique Singer sewing machines are my dearest friends, and the family treasure trove of vintage patterns of the wardrobes sewn on them are my fashion goals.

I've had a passion for Victoriana ever since I first read about Louisa May Alcott at the age of 5.

Having finally attained the grand old age at which I am bothered no longer by what other people might think of my eccentricities in dress and music, I have embarked on the adventure of making and wearing history-bounding clothing as part of my daily attire.

I'm a big proponent of corsetry, natural fiber fabrics, and finding a quiet place to hear myself think.

Little by little, I am putting to use my former life experience in television production and writing as I chronicle the transition from the MANIC life of a 21st Century woman dependent on fast-fashion, fast wi-fi, and fast food, to something more manageable for my inherent anachronistic sensibilities.

My family and I live in a 120 year-old house on a mini-farm in rural South Georgia, USA with our three dogs and two cats, (all rescues.) We raise chickens, garden, and try to pursue a simpler life in an increasingly complicated age.

Join me in my quest for a slower pace, slower fashion from a bygone era, and a little bit of silly fun along the way, because for this MANIC SEAMSTRESS sewing is cheaper than therapy.