Dreams that Were
About HCTM Designs
HCTM Designs was started by Heather Moore in Rochester, NY in 2014. The "CT" in my logo stands for her middle names "Cynthia Tiffany". The idea first came into being after she abandoned the idea of starting a custom bridal shop with her sister. At the time they were in seperate states, and the once bright idea grew dimmer and dimmer as they each pursued different career paths.
Originally established as an Alterations business, Heather hoped to be able to provide enough income for her to stay home with her two children. She began to colaborate with Photographers and Models in the local area, in order to expand her portfolio, and establish herself as a local designer and seamstress. Her primary goal was to be able to work from home as a single mother and raise her children.
As she worked with local models and photographers, she became interested in modeling. Struggling with self-esteem and confidence, she began exploring modeling, and within a year discovered the local kink community.
As she improved her skills and continued to collaberate, Heather quickly discovered she prefered making costume accessories to bridal gowns. Further more upon discovering her sewing skills, one of her play partners the kink community, James Link, encouraged her to learn to make collars. Lacking the euquipment to make leather collars, shebegan to experiment with alternative styles of collars.
Her first vending event was at the Rochester Erotic Arts Festival in April 2015. The sale didn't go as wella she would have liked, and was a little discouraged afterwards. However, while there she met her nesting partner, Mykel Madera who consistently encouraged her in all her pursuits.
She abandoned the pursuit of collars in favor of cat ears and tails. At the time it was difficult to find good quality catsets for a reasonable price, and dog-sets were much more popular. As she developed her skills making costume ears and tails, she experimented with dying different textiles, and learning different methods of constructing tails and ears. She returned to the Erotic Arts Festival every year following with new products each time. Her explorations in the kink caused her to explore the construction of various products related to some of her interests. Which, in turn, further developed new skills, and more interests.
After establishing a good customer base on etsy as well as in the local community, she not only returned to the Erotic Arts Festival each year, but gradually began to ad other events to her annual schedule. She also continued to pick up students, and alteration jobs as her schedule allowed. her primary focus being her children rather than her buisness.
In June 2019 she relocated to Hastings, Minnesota due to a change in Mykel's. The larger her business grew, the more bored became pursuing costume accessorites and she opened three more etsy shops in order to satisfy her other creative interests. She began designing stencils, jewelry, earring displays, stuffed animals, and many other items. Throughout this time she also made costumes for her children for halloween, and photo shoots. She taught sewing lessons, she also picked up the oaccaional custom design job be it an alternative wedding gown, a christening gown, or a cosplay costume. She slowly added events to her vending schedule as her children got older, and less dependant.
Education History:
Heather was Homeschooled until 17 when she began college, she received a GED at the age of 16 and began sewing at the age of 8.
Heather graduated with honors, from Monroe Community College in 2009 with a two year degree in Small Business Management, with the dream of starting her own small business. The original dream was a custom bridal shop with her sister Michelle Swartz, but that dream faded after her sister's relocation to Pensylvania.
After completing her Business degree, Heather returned to school and began to pursue a Degree in Graphic Design. There she met the father of her first child, who moved away before the child was born. After the birth of her daughter, Kayleigh she returned to school online at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, with the hope of being able to work from home after completion, so that she could see her daughter grow up.
She put her education on hold in 2012 when her son was born. She decided to shift her focus to her sewing skills. She sharpened her skills through practice, and instruction from her sister, and later accumulated skills opperating embroidery machines at the Embroidery Loft in Fairport, NY.
Between 2014 and 2019 she sharpened her sewing skills through practice, teaching, alteratins, and custom design jobs. She colaborated with local models and photographers for photoshoots, and developed skills in dyng, and fabric painting.
After her re-location to Hasting, MN in 2019 she started to branch out in other areas such as jewelry and art.
During the shut down in 2020, in addtion to her normal costume orders on etsy she began making masks for etsy customers, as well as helping her sister with donation orders.
Summer of 2020 her Nesting Partner purchased a Glowforge, and she began to reconnect with some of her previous Graphic Design skills specifically in the area of vector art. The laser-engraver reads vectors, and her previous knowledge allowed her to make incredible designs for acrylic, leather, and wood products as she continute to expand her business.
By the time the country was re-opened she had doubled her part-time business two years in a row. At that point she decided to return to school to finish her Graphic Design Degree. She began studying at SNHU in Fall, in pursuit of her Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design and 3D Modeling.
In January 2022, she hired her cousin as a private contractor for online marketing, in order to allow her to continue to expand her skills in other areas.
