I am getting so excited to start the Winter/Spring sessions with all of you! A welcome back to all my returning students and a welcome to all my new students at Tower Hill, Tatnall, and Ursuline Academy!

Usually, I try to write a newsletter each week to let parents know what we are doing in class and any remind them of any important dates like our parties we all love. This term I’m going to ask parents and kids to visit my blog each week on my website. All the blogs will be up on the site and you will never miss a weekly update.

I’ll continue to post all the dates of the classes, keep you informed of any changes, and post pictures of our creations!  And, if your kids enjoy the kits they can purchase additional kits on the website or through me at school.

I’ll also be posting the blogs on my Facebook Page (Fascination in Fabrics).  Please visit my page and “like” my page.  Read some of the articles that I have posted or share your own article on sewing to my page.  Anything sewing related would be fantastic and probably enjoyed by all.

I’m “Sew” excited about my Website, Blog and Facebook Page!  Come visit me soon and I’ll see you next week! And please share with anyone that might be interested in the joys of sewing!

Ms. Bobbi

PS My summer camps are up on the website and are ready for kids to register!

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Hello Friends, I’m finally able to offer on my website many of the kits that I use in my classes. Look for them under Ms Bobbi’s Kits of the Month in the shopping section of my website. Each kit is complete with everything you need to complete the project. If you need something that’s not in the kit like stuffing it will be clearly marked on the kit. All that’s needed is an enthusiastic sewer and a bit of creativity!

Perfect for gift giving for birthdays, holidays, or other special occasions, these sewing kits are great for building skill in both hand and machine sewing. Great for students in my classes as well as homeschoolers and teachers wanting to teach beginning sewing skills in their classes. Wonderful for Girl Scout Troops, 4-H groups, Indian Guides, and play dates! Kits are also a great addition to Makerspaces in libraries, schools, and elementary classrooms. Kits for this Month are Halloween projects.

A Pumpkin Pillow with faces to cut for my young sewers and Pumpkin or Spider Pouches for my older kids. More kits coming as I continue to add to my collection. Enjoy!

Learning to Sew and Loving it!

I enjoy teaching both kids and grownups how to sew. For the past 12 years I have operated a traveling sewing school making good use of my Textiles and Clothing degree. I think of myself as a Home Economist but the new buzz word for this honor is a Consumer Science Professional. I usually travel with 10 sewing machines, 2 irons and ironing boards, several wheels with outlets, and all the sewing tools, equipment, and kits that we will need to complete the projects that we will stitch during class. I also have a 70 pound hand truck that helps to carry in the machines to the schools.

Once at my destination I have to transport all the tools and equipment to my hand truck, get to my classroom destination, set the machines up and get ready for the kids. I teach the lesson for 90 minutes and at the end of class I ask the kids help me clean up the room. After they leave I take down all the machines and pack up all my equipment, back on the hand truck they go to be packed in the van again to travel to our next destination. And often I do this dance 5 days a week!

When I’m not teaching, I spend my time between working on my website (www.fascinationinfabrics.com), learning the value of incorporating SEO sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter into my marketing mix, and researching or designing projects for my classes. I usually try to plan my projects well in advance of the projected class dates that my students will stitch them. After I know what we will be sewing I either order the supplies or shop for them locally. After the supplies arrive I summon the help of a wonderful friend and colleague and we spend hours cutting and prepping kits that will have everything ready for my kids to sew. Finally I stitch the samples. Honestly, until we start lessons on using a commercial pattern, my kids don’t understand or appreciate how much I do for them so that the class can run smoothly! It’s a process….

The projects that we stitch are geared to 2 different age groups. My first group is my 5 and 6 year olds. These stitchers spend time learning mostly hand sewing techniques in the beginning along with cutting and pinning skills. They spend time learning how to thread a needle, knot the end, and practicing a running stitch, overcast stitch, and a French knot. Several weeks into the session I start to add short lessons on the sewing machine and their journey begins on learning to use the sewing machine.

My second through sixth graders also start with hand stitching. However, these sewers navigate the sewing machine much quicker than the little ones. Sewing machine basics and safety start from the first class as does beginning techniques to master with fun projects to stitch.

The basics of hand or machine sewing start each sewer on their journey into the sewing world. After that their path is determined by their likes and preferences. Like any other skill there are many kinds of sewing that one can enjoy. Many of my young sewers enjoy stuffed animals, quilting, clothing construction, or making bags and totes. The possibilities are endless.

The hardest part of teaching sewing is to remind each student that sewing is a learned skill. It is not a competition with anyone else. It is individual journey. For each project in sewing that you stitch your goal is to understand the techniques used to complete the project. Whether it takes one class session or five class sessions, the mindset should be one of understanding the process and not who is finished before you! The main goal of all my classes are centered around learning to sew and loving it! Sewing is a creative art form meant to enjoyed in a stress free environment. The joys of sewing last a lifetime for my young sewers and each student will have a different journey based on personality and their individual tastes. My continuing goal is that each of my students will have a positive and very rewarding experience learning to sew. And, I am so honored to teach all my students the joys of sewing and will continue to do so for a long time! It is after all my passion and my life!