Sewing Classes, what we teach in them, and what we learn from them.

From being too scared to try threading a machine to making a cushion

We have been running sewing  classes in Colchester Fabric8 since last Summer.  During this time we have run classes in putting in zips, patchwork, making fancy dress costumes and how to use a sewing machine.  There is a special warm glow you get when you give someone the skills to create something. I have lost count of the number of people who have come along to our "How to use a sewing machine" and told us they bought a machine years ago but have been too afraid to use it. The fear of failing can be very powerful and very destructive. The look of pride on people's faces when they hold up something they learnt to make in an hour or two and the determination they  have to go home and start sewing is fantastic.

A group of happy quilters with  out Patchwork,
quilting and appliqué tutor Michelle.

We get different kinds of people coming to our classes. Many are like the young lady above who was afraid to even thread the machine  at first. Often these people have a project in mind and need help overcoming the initial fear or maybe just need a little knowledge. We then have people with a good basic knowledge but who want to try something new like our Patchwork and Quilting classes or our Machine Appliqué classes.  Often these people like to come in groups and they like to make it part of a girls day out.
For these people we now offer a special discount.
If you book 2 places on the same class you get 5% off.
If you book 3 places will get you 10% off
If you book 4 places will get you 15% off.
And if you fill the class up with 5 people you get 20% off, that's a whole person free!

 We have learnt a lot from teaching as well though
.
1) Mean people don't sew. I mean it, we've never had anyone who wasn't totally lovely attend our classes.

2) It is always worth going to a basic class even if you know loads. We have had several people book in on the "how to use y our sewing Machine" even though they felt very confident in their abilities. Sure enough they always leave with a little gem of knowledge. One lady had been making curtains for years and said had she been to the class 10 years ago who life would have been a lot less frustrating .

3) Teaching helps you improve yourself. By slowing down and thinking about everything I do as I explain how to sew I have found myself becoming neater and more precise!

4) Enthusiasm is contagious, and it works BOTH WAYS! Our students always leave primed and ready to sew (most pick up a lot of fabric after the class to go home and work on). However after the classes I tend to stay behind and carry on sewing myself. There's nothing quite like sharing a passion for sewing and quilting to make you want to grab some fabric and start creating.

5) THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS - EVER! This can not be stressed enough! What may seem obvious because you've sewn for decades may not be at all apparent to someone setting out. And sometimes the questions really do make me think long and hard (such as how do you adjust the tension when sewing a light silt to a heavy furnishing fabric).

So there you have it, great reasons to either try a sewing class or to teach one! If you're handy with a machine then invite a friend over for a sewing session and teach them the basics. you will BOTH find it fun and rewarding!

And if you're anywhere near Colchester pop in for a sewing lesson with us! at the moment prices start at £8.00 and the lessons are not only informative but great fun!

Check back tomorrow for the second part of the blog. Teaching Kids  How to Sew!

How to make a quilted panel for a cushion.

I have a chair I absolutely love. A leather captain;'s chair is a superb piece of Steampunk furniture. Whilst this creation of brass and oxblood leather may look superb it is not very well padded. I decided that  instead of just buying a cushion I would make a padded, quilted panel to adorn a pillow case to use as a cushion.

I scavenged my pile of remnants for some suitable steampunk fabrics. Check out this blog on tips for how to store fabrics.  A basic quilt can be made with small squares of fabric. I found a red fabric with a beautiful design about twice the size of my intended quilting squares. I decided this would become the central feature of my panel. 

Each square  of fabric would have a seam allowance of about 1cm. The central panel would have to be 1cm smaller on each side than TWO quilting  squares to make allowances for the fact  that it would not loose fabric to a seam allowance half way along it's length (as it was all in one piece)

The easiest way to sew lots of squares together is to sew them into strips and then to sew these strips together.

Right sides together  pin and sew one square to another, and repeat to make a strip of three squares.

Repeat this until you have 4 stripes of fabric. Press the seams open. 

Now line up one end of the strip to the central panel and right sides together sew along the length of the panel. This SHOULD leave one square not sewn to the central panel.

Now place the next strip along the other edge of the central panel, begin by sewing the end to the square of the first strip that is not sewn to the central panel. Now fold out and right sides together sew this strip to the edge of the panel. 

Repeat for the remaining two strips. You should now have a square or diamond of patchwork. This by it'self can look very attractive, but I wanted to add an extra dimension.  To give the panel a padded effect cat out two pieces of fabric the same size as your patchwork and some nice thick wadding. Sandwich the wadding 

between the patchwork and one piece of the fabric WRONG SIDES together. Pin in place and starting from your central piece top stitch where one square of fabric meets another. 

You should now have a beautiful padded panel. to finish the work place the second fabric piece over your quilted project RIGHT sides together and sew along the edges, leaving a gap to let you turn everything right sides out. Slip stitch this gap shut and you now have a stunning padded panel.

By itself this padded patchwork makes a nice decorative cushion, however the next blog will show you how to make a matching cushion cover opr pillow case to stitch it onto.

We have a new Website

After a long time in development we are very proud to unveil out new Website.  If you pop  along to http://www.fabric8online.co.uk  You will find what we believe is a clear and easy to follow web-shop. I thought I'd give you  a brief tour here.

Along the top are the basic categories , So if you want fabric for dressmaking the just click Fashion Fabrics , for quilt making  and other crafts then click the Craft Fabrics section and so on. There are also sections with free patterns and a Clearance section where you can pick up a bargain. All this is pretty much self explanatory, However, if for an example you were to click on Fashion Fabrics you will find we have made it easier to find the fabrics you want. Clicking on Fashion Fabrics brings up a list of all the different groups of Dress Making fabrics we have.

Cotton,  Dress Linings and Nets, Fleece and Furs,
Jersey , Lace & Tulle , Linen , Organza & Chiffon
Polycotton,  Sequin and Lamé,  Silks and Satins, Velours and Lycras,   Wool as well as a section for special events labeled  Celebration Fabric a section for those fabrics that never quite fit in, Other and  Sew Magazine Features for fabrics that have made it into this fine magazine.

Let us assume you have decided you want to make a wonderful creation in Cotton. On clicking Cotton you find your final options.Here you can quickly narrow down your browsing to Plain Cottons, Patterned Cottons, Canvas, and Seersucker & Lawn. There are of course search boxes through out the site should you know exactly what you want. However we like the site also to be set up so you can browse through our stock in a quick and logical way. Please have fun on our website and let us know how you find it. Happy Sewing!