This statement is being issued to provide full transparency on the lack of accountability and unethical business practices by Susan "Sue" Folts in relation to the International Bra Sewing Bee. For years, instructors who contributed to the International Bra Sewing Bee with their expertise, content, and labor have faced unanswered questions about their compensation, and despite repeated efforts to resolve these issues privately, they have been dismissed, misled, or outright ignored.
The following is a comprehensive timeline supported by official correspondence, financial requests, and recorded meetings. This documentation is being made public now because the affected instructors have exhausted every private avenue available to them, and further silence would only enable this to continue. The instructors involved in this statement are standing together to ensure that others in the sewing education community do not suffer the same fate. It is time for transparency, accountability, and restitution.
Since 2020, instructors have raised concerns over missing payments and unexplained financial discrepancies. Many were initially hesitant to speak out publicly, hoping for professional resolution. However, as the years passed, it became evident that attempts at private resolution were met with evasion, misinformation, and outright retaliation from Sue Folts.
Key concerns that have led to this public statement:
Repeatedly Ignored Requests for Payment & Financial Transparency: Instructors sought explanations for their payments through emails, private discussions, and direct negotiations, yet were given inconsistent answers or dismissed outright.
Fabrication of Financial Data: In her meeting with our financial analyst, Sue admitted to fabricating 2024 financial numbers.
Unilateral Changes to Compensation: Per their contracts, instructors were led to believe that they would receive 80% of net revenue from Vault and Extended Access sales, yet Sue altered these agreements without discussion or consent, and some instructors never received payment at all for these sales.
Unauthorized Use of Instructor Content: Many instructors discovered that their recorded lessons were still being sold long after they had stopped receiving payments, violating their contractual agreements.
Retaliation Against Those Who Asked Questions: Instructors who asked for financial clarity saw their content removed from the International Bra Sewing Bee platform without notification, and were accused of acting in bad faith. Subsequently, some teachers were “uninvited” from participating in the 2025 conference after being asked to teach.
Obstructing Financial Records: Instead of providing clear accounting records to indicate that teachers were paid fair compensation in alignment with their contracts, Sue attempted to charge instructors $75 per hour for recreating financial reports that should already exist as the basis of the contract.
After years of good faith attempts to resolve these matters behind closed doors, the affected instructors are no longer willing to wait for clarity in silence. This statement is being issued to protect others in the sewing education space, to inform future instructors about International Bra Sewing Bee's business practices, and to demand accountability.
Susan "Sue" Folts – Owner/Operator of International Bra Sewing Bee
Responsible for non-payment of instructors, fabricating financial data, unauthorized use of content, and retaliation against teachers who raised concerns.
Dani Martin – President of Robins Accounting Services Inc.
Financial Analyst who represents the affected instructors and facilitated the effort to obtain financial transparency.
These instructors taught for International Bra Sewing Bee from 2020-2024 and have reported missing payments, unauthorized content use, and compensation disputes:
Monica Bravo, BravoBella, established 1992
Lily Fong, LilypaDesigns, established 2018
Carla Musarra-Leonard, La Bella Coppia, established 2013
Elizabeth Howell, Costume Professional, established 1997
Margarita Sheflyand, Ready-to-wear Industry Designer, established 1981
Evyone Credele, Ready-to-wear Industry Designer, established 1971
Jennifer Fairbanks, Porcelynne, established 2002
These names were obtained from signed correspondence between instructors and BraVentures LLC, requesting financial transparency and unpaid compensation records.
A number of additional teachers, including non-USA based teachers and teachers whose primary business is not sewing related, supported this action.
The instructors who helped build the International Bra Sewing Bee deserve fair compensation, transparency, and respect. The sewing and education communities are built on trust, and Sue’s actions have severely damaged that trust.
We urge those affected to come forward, share their experiences, and support efforts to hold the International Bra Sewing Bee accountable.
This statement will remain publicly available as a reference to prevent further unethical behavior within the industry.