About
Fort Lonesome is a design-forward custom western wear and chain-stitch embroidery studio based in Austin, TX. We work collaboratively with our clients to create works that capture the stories of their wearers, in an effort to create pieces that slowly and carefully consider the symbiosis of art, narrative, and technician-ship. Our process is led by considerations of necessity and sustainability, and our designs are inspired by the natural world and its visible and invisible energies.
STORY
Company founder Kathie Sever began working in western wear in 2000. She found herself spending a fair amount of time returning to her attempts to rebuild and make functional a hundred-year-old chainstitch embroidery machine she’d purchased. These machines have a legacy of connectedness with much of western wear’s most famous tailors. At that time, information about or mentors in the use of these machines was near to nil, so the learning curve was long and slow. But after many years of tinkering and communicating with some far-away fellow comrades, the gifts these machines, and their ability to confer the energy and individualism of their operators, resulted in the birth of Fort Lonesome in the fall of 2012.
In the coming months and years the team at Fort Lonesome grew to include first Dana Falconberry, then soon after, Christina Hurt Smith and Amrit Khalsa, each of whom brought to the table strong backgrounds in diverse art and design, and whose collaborative approach to working together grew into a shared aesthetic and style.
Since then the company has continued to evolve and grow, but slowly and always with the intention of pushing the boundaries of this long lost art form.
Read more about Kathie and Ft. Lonesome:
STAFF
![]() |
Kathie Sever |
![]() |
Christina Smith |
![]() |
Dana Falconberry What's the last thing you ate? savory oats What's your favorite writing utensil? pilot gel pen G-2 size 07 What color is your aura? matte black What's your theme song? the narration from Planet Earth Who'd play you in the movie? jeff goldblum, obvs Fantasy mode of transportation? shooting a spider web out my butt and riding wind currents WWF moniker? Hero or villain? The Sensitive Artist. Neither hero nor villain, have left the ring and am sitting in a dark corner doing sketches. What's the title of your memoir? Who Cares I Don’t Care What's your favorite bank holiday? Christmas! ☃️ |
![]() |
Amrit Khalsa |
![]() |
Bekah Dubose |
![]() |
Michelle Devereux What's the last thing you ate? string cheese What's your favorite writing utensil? Crystal Bics What color is your aura? neon brown What's your theme song? The same one as Night Court Who'd play you in the movie? Owen Wilson Fantasy mode of transportation? Pizza Hover board WWF moniker? Hero or villain? Danger “Rabies Bag” Devereux, Villain What's the title of your memoir? What a Semi-Brief Ordinary Trip It’s Been What's your favorite bank holiday? Is Groundhog Day a bank holiday? |
![]() |
Bruce Weist Whats the last thing you ate? TOTALFREEDOM’s Broken Base |
![]() |
Brian Allmand Whats the last thing you ate? A taco
What's your favorite bank holiday? Thanksgiving |
![]() |
Stephanie Gibson What's the last thing you ate? Strawberry/Banana/Yogurt Smoothie (I’m about to eat cheese puffs so don’t get the wrong idea here.) What's your favorite writing utensil? Yellow Ticonderoga #2 pencil What color is your aura? Grass green ombré-ing to chartreuse with flecks of salmon and navy blue throughout What's your theme song? Anything that weirdo Debussy has composed Who'd play you in the movie? I'm Aubrey Plaza in my heart, Rashida Jones in public. Fantasy mode of transportation? Rainbows WWF moniker? Hero or villain? Bruja Bitch (specialing in the evil eye as it requires little confrontation.) I prefer to be more of a grey character, switching sides on a whim. What's the title of your memoir? Stop Looking At Me (Thank You, I'm Sorry) What's your favorite bank holiday? Christmas |
SHOP