Sew, sew fun!

Last Spring when we were thinking about what we would like to do this Summer for classes, I had the idea of offering a beginning sewing class for people 10-100!  Luckily, there was no one in the ward who is over 100, so no feelings were hurt.  I made flyers, posters and samples and started recruiting.  Although I have taught lots of serger sewing classes, I hadn't actually taught beginning sewing for almost 40 years.  We  had a good mix of learners.  We made three projects over the course of the summer.  Students made a tote bag, a walker tote for someone in a care center and pajamas. The sewing class was from 4pm - 6pm on Tuesdays.  There were several young mothers who wanted to learn but after several weeks of bringing their small children to class and trying to cut out and sew, I offered to teach an evening class so husbands could put children to bed and the women could have a little night out.

Computer bag

One of the main reasons I love to teach cooking and sewing is the ah ha moments when a student realizes they can do what seemed impossible at the start.

All set up and ready to go!

Ipad case

The art of cutting out and measuring

I originally planned about 6 projects, but it became apparent pretty early on that I had been overly optimistic about how fast people would progress.  There were a few weeks when everyone was at a different place in learning that I felt pretty crazy!  I had 2 young girls, a young man with autism, a couple of women who had never sewed, etc.  It is always good to remember that the finished project is not the goal, but learning confidence and social skills are the most important outcomes.  Now I can say, "Been there, done that"