Each year Stefan brings out two Christmas trees made of rhinestone jewelry by his grandmother Faye Briscoe Harris and her sister Cora Briscoe Preston. His grandmother said that as children, their family was too poor to have a Christmas tree.
Stefan attributes his interest in sewing to Faye, who had a job in the Depression sewing canvas cement filter bags, and to Cora, who was a seamstress to wealthy Fort Worth socialites such as
Mrs. Tandy. Cora was known for the ease and assuredness with which she would cut into the pricey designer garments they picked up at Neiman Marcus. She worked out of her home until she was 90, when, on Christmas day she went blind in one eye and couldn't thread a needle anymore. When Cora moved to a care facility, Mrs. Tandy did her the great favor of buying her house for twice Cora's asking price.
