Student Work Stories 3.
Coat restyle + gloves
This high-quality wool jacket had an unusual, very low shoulder/oversized look, which made the piece uncomfortable and gave it a batwing shape. Our student lifted the arms by adjusting the seams, ensuring enough ease in the arm for comfort. The high-quality Hong Kong finish on the inside seams allowed us to use it as a design element while maintaining enough ease in the lower arm.
From the offcuts, she created matching gloves, combining them with warm fleece fabric. A well-executed, comfortable piece, showcasing creative use of the remaining fabric.
Kid workshop
Our last kids' sewing and textile class was really fun! The children created a dress using a dress form and draped fabrics, incorporating decorations like embellishments and dry felting. It was a very creative and free-form process, followed by learning how to execute the dress. It’s important to allow for free play at the start, rather than overwhelming the kids with technical details. Once they experience the freedom of creation, they become motivated and develop the patience to learn the skills and details needed to bring their ideas to life.
During the workshop, they also learned how to use sewing machines and created items such as zip pouches and bags. We encouraged them to bring in broken garments to repair, teaching them about sustainability in the process.
understand your machine
One of the goals of our Sewing Machine Skills lesson is to demystify the machine and help people become comfortable using it without fear or stress.
In the lesson, we explain in detail how the machine works, which provides a deeper understanding and builds confidence. When you understand how something functions, the stress melts away, and you can think clearly when faced with a challenge. For example, I’ve seen so much confusing content about thread tension on social media. In the workshop, we discussed it thoroughly, explaining the importance of balance for different fabrics and how to adjust the tension accordingly.
From Rips to Radiance
It’s always exciting when we have a new workshop, and our first "Embroidery for Mending and Design" was no exception. We’ve been talking to people, planning, and working out the best approach, and we hope you’ll find it both useful and entertaining.
The event was a success! We mended and decorated a favorite shirt with a huge hole in the arm, explored the challenges of using metallic thread, and took a deep dive into how to keep knitted fabrics under control while embroidering them. Instead of assigning the same task to everyone, we encouraged participants to bring their own pieces, so we could address their unique challenges and support their personal goals.
A bonus was learning tricky darning stitches and how to mend small holes in knitted fabrics from the wrong side, making the repair invisible from the front. You know, those pesky moth holes… :)