Pink Dandelion blooms in downtown Guthrie Center

Custom seamstress Lill Delin turns a lifelong passion into a storefront, offering alterations, custom sewing and colorful creations while stitching together community one customer at a time.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, July 2026

Lill Delin of Guthrie Center has opened a custom sewing shop downtown. Located at 302 State St., the shop is next door to Faith’s Fashion Designs, run by Faith Hockenberry. The two entrepreneurs have been close friends for years.

At Delin’s shop, Pink Dandelion, she offers custom sewing and alterations. Delin explained how she came up with the shop’s name.

“I love pink, and I love flowers. I love dandelions, and my husband broke the news to me that dandelions are weeds, not flowers. And all this time, I had been thinking they were beautiful flowers,” Delin said. “I told him, ‘You can believe that you have a weed, and I’ll believe that I have a flower. End of discussion.’ ”

For years, Delin sewed at home, but she dreamed of having a storefront where customers could see her creations. After her husband died in 2025, Delin began working to make the store a reality. The shop opened June 7. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Other times are available by appointment. The store is closed Tuesday and Sunday.

Delin was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and first came to the United States as a teenager.

“I went to West Virginia two days shy of my 18th birthday. I did not speak a word of English,” Delin said.

Delin said sewing is something she has done for as long as she can remember.

“I just picked it up as I went. My mom was an excellent seamstress,” she said.

Delin’s shop displays many examples of her work, including more than clothing. She also enjoys repurposing furniture into tables and other items she can use in her store.

“I went to school for fashion design,” she said. “I like bright colors. I like fun colors. It gets you out of that funk. We have to find ways to not be negative.”

Delin brings that same passion to her clothing creations.

“I do just about everything, but alterations are the money-maker,” she said. “But my passion is children’s clothing. I absolutely love to make children’s clothing.”

Delin previously lived in Panora but moved to Guthrie Center a few years ago.

“This community has welcomed me and helped me a lot,” Delin said. “I’m very fortunate to be here. I opened here June 7, and ever since that, people have been bringing me stuff. I’m not here to become rich. I’m here to meet a need in the community, and to create something.”

Delin said alterations make up the bulk of her work. She strives to complete orders promptly and can generally adjust her schedule to accommodate customers who need a job done quickly.

Delin shared a favorite story about helping a young customer.

“She was anorexic, and she got invited to prom, but she couldn’t find any dresses that fit her,” Delin said. “She brought me a size 6 dress, so I took the whole sequined gown and literally took it completely apart. And I put in breast pads and pads for the hips, so it had some shape to it. When she came in and tried it on, she bawled. I liked that I could give her a day to be who she wanted to be. For me, that was a meaningful thing.”