teaching my son Sasha, age 4
Teaching my son Sasha when he was little

I have been teaching children for over 20 years in many settings — schools, community centers, youth employment programs, camps and one on one — and have found that sewing is a craft that offers meaningful learning to young people across many ages and backgrounds.

Whether a child is 6 years old or 17, learning to sew can help them exercise their artistic side, develop fine motor skills, and wear the hat of an engineer as they cut out two-dimensional shapes and sew them into three-dimensional garments.

Long before STEAM was a thing in education, sewing was pastime that allowed young people to have fun energizing their artistic side while making things they can actually wear and use. I find that kids continue to be excited about the craft today; it gets them off their screens, working with their hands and socializing with others who share their interests.

Kids and Teens Private Lessons

I work one-on-one with kids of all ages, including those with special needs or learning differences. My rate is $60/hour and my private lesson hours are 9am-5pm Monday – Friday, with a small group teen class from 4:30-6:30pm on Sundays. I offer a package of 6 hours for $300; if you choose this option, you purchase the package and then will receive the code to book appointment times. If you would like to schedule a free Zoom call for your child to meet me before starting lessons feel free to contact me. 

 

SCHEDULE LESSONS

Teen Studio Sundays

Have a child who is a young fashionista or an avid maker?  I offer tween/teen studio hours from 4:30-6:30pm on select Sundays for students ages 11-18. The class size is small (4 students max), and I work with each student to help select projects that will enable them to expand and grow their sewing and design abilities. You can choose the dates that work with your schedule. If you have a child who is learning for the first time, please contact me before registering so we can work out a plan for getting started.

Sundays 4:30-6:30pm 

SEE DATES & REGISTER

Teen Summer Master Classes

Each summer I offer a series of week-long master classes for tweens and teens who want to dive deep into the process of design, from conception to reality.  The week begins with students sharing and brainstorming ideas for pieces they would like to create, then we identify specific construction skills they want to improve, taking time to think about the full design process behind a garment. Class size is limited to four students each session, so everyone gets plenty of personal attention and instruction.

We’ll be spending lots of time sewing at the studio, but we will also take field trip to places that can enrich students’ understanding of the craft and expand their design ideas:

  • Fabric store: On the first day of each session, we will go to a store such as G Street Fabrics (Rockville, MD), Sarah’s Fabrics (Takoma, MD) or A Fabric Place Basement (Alexandria, VA) where students can learn more about fabric types and how to select the right fabric for a particular design. Students will have the option to purchase materials at the store (budget provided by parent) but students are not required to buy anything if they are bringing something from home.
  • Art Gallery: we will go to one exhibit each week to museums such as the National Gallery of Art, the Portrait Gallery, or the Hirshhorn to reflect on the intersection between fine art and fashion. Students will have sketchbooks and cameras (where allowed) ready to capture pieces that they are drawn to, and will have an opportunity to translate ideas from the art into their designs.
  • Textile Techniques: Playing with textile creation is a wonderful way to integrate other arts forms into the design process. Each week we try a project to experiment with fabric dying, painting, printing, and more to create a unique textile.
  • Sketching: We will spend time each day experimenting with drawing techniques so that students feel more comfortable capturing and communicating their creative ideas. No prior drawing experience or skill will be needed.

Experience level: all levels welcome (including new beginners) ages 10-18. There is one week for 10-13 year-olds, and three weeks available for 14-18 year-olds. If your child is a mature 13 and you think he/she would do better in the older group, just let me know and we can discuss. 

For beginner students, we work together to choose initial garment projects that are exciting for them but achievable given their stage of learning. For experienced students, we find a blend of challenge + fun when it comes to selected projects so they can expand their skills and enjoy their time.

Transportation: I will transport students to and from all field trips in my vehicle (waiver to be provided), but parents are welcome to chaperone in their own vehicles if they are interested in attending. In some cases we may take the metro as a group; students will need metro cards.

Students tend to come to this program from a many areas around the DMV. If you are interested in seeing if another family could carpool to/from the classes just let me know and I can facilitate connections between families to see if there is any option for riding together to/from camp.

Hours: 9am-3pm Monday through Friday

*If you need an earlier drop-off or later pick-up, just let me know. In most cases I can be flexible.

What to bring:

  • Fabric for 1-2 garments and/or $50 -60 for purchasing material during the fabric store trip
  • Lunch and snacks each day
  • Sunscreen (for our trips on the mall)
  • Water bottle
  • Sketchpad & pen/pencil. Any size is fine.

Price: $425 + materials for one or two garments

All thread and sewing equipment is supplied by me; students are welcome to bring their own equipment if they prefer, but please label each item with their name.

Dates: Please note that this year I have one week for ages 10-13 and three weeks for students ages 14-18. Students can attend as many of the sessions as desired; field trip locations will vary by week, so no two weeks will be the same. Because I limit participation to only four students each week, and many participants sign up for multiple weeks, the program tends to fill fast. It is a unique opportunity for personal instruction in an environment that is more flexible and tailored to their goals and interests than a traditional camp. 

July 27 – 31, 2026 (10-13 year olds)

August 3-7  (14-18 year olds)

August 10-14 (14-18 year olds)

August 17-21 (14-18 year olds)

SELECT DATES AND REGISTER

Homeschool Classes

For children who are homeschooled, sewing classes can be a great way to augment their learning in many areas, especially artistic development, math comprehension, and spacial learning. I work closely with parents to help identify the learning goals for each child and can develop fun, project-based lessons that get their creative sides going and also reinforce academic concepts you may be working on in other areas. If you have a child or a group of children who are interested in classes, please contact me for more information on scheduling options and availability. I can accommodate up to four students at a time in my space. Pricing for small groups is typically similar to my after school classes ($180 for six 90 minute classes), but I can also work with you to develop a schedule and price structure that fits your needs and budget.

Looking for more ideas for homeschooled children in Maryland? Check out HomeSchoolMom.com

FAQs for Kids Classes

Below are some of the more common questions I receive from parents and some answers I hope are helpful! I am a parent too and know how important it is to feel that your child is in a safe, nurturing, and caring environment that pays attention to their unique needs.

Hopefully yes! But some of this depends on you, and some of it depends on your child’s personality, and his or her age. My classes are small and that enables me to get to know each child and his or her parents so that I can better understand learning styles and parent expectations.

I have now taught hundreds of children, and in general, I have found that until students reach about 10 years of age, they are in exploration mode when it comes to sewing. My goal is to nurture that exploration, expose them to the basic skills, and foster a love for the craft, but I don’t expect them to sew perfect seams or spend lots of time correcting mistakes when they are very young.  I want them to have fun, be safe, and love to sew.

In about 4th grade (around age 10), I start seeing a shift in students’ attention spans and desire to focus more on the quality of their work. That is when I begin pushing them to spend a little more effort in the finished product, and to try more ambitious projects that require multiple sessions to finish. This all depends on each child, and some reach this stage earlier than others. Above all, I strive to foster a love for sewing and design first, because this will motivate them to do their best work and grow as creative individuals.

 

 

I find that the most valuable feature on a child’s sewing machine is speed control, which is the ability to keep the machine slow even if they are pressing the foot pedal down all the way. Not all machines have this feature; it usually adds a little to the price, but can still be found on reasonably affordable machines. A smaller-sized machine is not necessarily better or safer than an adult size, and your child may grow out of out of it quickly. I suggest the Brother CS7000i, or similar Brother models with speed control, as a good starter machine for kids. It is reasonably durable and works well for adults too if a grown up in the household gets the sewing itch. I generally do no recommend Singer sewing machines, as they tend to have a poor track record for quality these days, despite their past as an industry leader.

Yes I do. My mother was a Special Education teacher and she instilled an appreciation in me for the joys of working with people who have learning differences. As a teacher, my first goal is to be a student myself, listening, observing, and gathering information on how a child learns best so that I can tailor my teaching style to their needs and help them learn in a loving way. I work with parents closely in this process, and welcome feedback and input to develop an approach that is meaningful and well-suited to each child.