although i grew up sewing with my mom, i haven’t touched a sewing machine in my adult life. a few years ago, my mother-in-law was going to get me a sewing machine for christmas, but at the time i just wasn’t ready to dive into another project that required more tools, supplies and space around the house. however, over the past few years there have been more and more times when i see fabric, pillow covers, table runners or other projects and think “i could totally make that… if i knew how to sew” so i’ve been warming up to the idea.
well, while we were at this First Friday’s Artwalk in Downtown Phoenix i saw 1st Stitch Sewing Lounge and immediately cruised in to inquire. the owner, Tina, explained that you can rent space ($10/hour) to sew your own projects or take a variety of sewing classes. consideirng i was in the midst of my nine-week sabatical, the timing was perfect so i signed up right away for the next beginners class.
the class was three weeks long, two hours each class. $10 for the first class and $20 for the following two classes for a total of $50 for a 6-hour basic sewing class. sounds good to me! me and my three classmates we went from stitching paper to making a full blown apron in just three weeks. we learned basic machine use, stitching, measuring, fabric pressing and how to follow a basic pattern.
i’m thinking about signing up for the next intermediate class to learn more about pattern making, button holes, muslin useage, etc.
if you’re in the Valley and looking to learn to sew (men or women), i totally recommend calling Tina at 1st Stitch Sewing Lounge. she’s super sweet, patient, funny, encouraging and you’ll walk away with some great basic sewing knowledge. oh, and she teaches kids 8-17 for free! how great is that? learn more about 1st Stitch here.
week one
{i just love this little downtown shop}
{first up: basic stitching exercises. no thread, just using the needle on paper}
{on the first night, we moved from paper to actually stitching patterns on fabric}
week two
{learning about patterns}
{following my apron pattern. learning proper cutting and measuring techniques}
{that’s tina, helping me on my machine}
week three
{tina helping everyone with their finishing touches}
{i never realized how important an ironing board is in the sewing process}
{from pinning to sewing the apron}
{me and my classmates showing off our finished aprons!}
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The photo of you with the measuring tape around your neck is so Project Runway. Love it!
Teri B.
Hahaha! I can only dream. Unless it’s project APRON i’m probably not “cut out” for the job yet. Pun for your my PR friend.