teaching my son Sasha, age 4
Teaching my son Sasha

I have been teaching children for over a decade 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-dimesional 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 Afterschool Classes

This school year (2023-2024) I will not be offering any after school classes or lessons for kids ages 6-10 because of my own kids’ schedules. However, if you have a student who is 11 or older, you can consider my teen summer master classes (see below). You might also look into kids classes at other sewing studios in the area such as A Special Lee Studio in Petworth, DC, Sew Creative Lounge in Mt. Rainier, MD or Three Little Birds Sewing Co in Hyattsville, MD.

Teen Summer Master Classes

Each summer I offer a series of week-long master classes for tweens and teens (11-17) 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. *If a museum trip is not possible this year due to COVID restrictions, an alternative activity will be planned.
  • 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 11-17. For beginner students, we work together to choose initial garment projects that are exciting to the students but achievable given their stage of learning.

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.

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. There is no extra fee for earlier or later pick-up times.

What to bring:

  • Fabric for 1-2 garments and/or $40-50 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: $375 + 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: 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.

July 31- August 4, 2023

August 7-11, 2023

August 14-18, 2023

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

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 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; 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 CS6000i or CS7000i 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. If you have a higher budget and are looking for something that will last more than a decade, I suggest the Janome MOD 30. 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.
Do you work with students with special needs?

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.