Embroidered Summer

This summer I introduced embroidery to my younger students, the 8-12 year olds.    

In past lessons, a couple of them had mentioned that they didn't like hand sewing. Can you believe it? They said that- to me? So after I heard that, guess what I planned? A summer of hand sewing!  I thought summer would be a good time to do this as they would have some extra time around the house and be able to to it at home- not just in lesson. I use embroidery to teach hand sewing skills because it really encompasses it all: threading a needle, tying knots in the end of the thread, sewing and keeping the thread in the needle, making the needle go in and come up where you want,  tying off at the end, etc.  Plus is is fun to sew pictures in thread on stuff. 

I set each girl up with a hoop. fabric, embroidery needle & thread.  I used a dressmakers tracing wheel and pattern tracing paper to transfer straight lines on to practice fabric. Then we learned the running stitch, back stitch, stem stitch and chain stitch. 

We started out on muslin for practicing. We ended the project with embroidering on a t shirt that they could wear to school. Kayla even did one more project and made a bib for her soon to be born cousin! 

Here are some of the girls learning how and also some finished projects!

Madi and Eden
Eden is teaching her friend Madison how to embroider. 

Nina

 Nina loves dogs. So far every project she has made skirt- purse, pj pants has been out of a fabric that features dogs. So I was not surprised when she chose to embroider two scottie dogs on a shirt.   She is intending for them to look" kinda alien" so she has planned for them to be  green and purple and weird colors.

Nina is using a stem stitch to outline her scotties

Izzy

Izzy is working on the chain stitch.

Izzy is 8. This is Izzy's sewing folder. When each girl starts with me, they have a folder to keep handouts and patterns and the other paper things they need to bring back and forth. Izzy drew a picture of me on the back of hers- aren't I gorgeous!!!

Isn't this just the cutest thing ever? 

Kayla made a bib for her son to be cousin. He is a boy and so she designed a bib with an outer space theme.
Kayla really took to the embroidery. She was the main one saying she didn't like hand sewing. She admitted to me this morning, it isn't so bad. :) She is even planning to incorporate embroidery into her christmas presents!

The pattern piece for this bib is a dinner plate! Trace a dinner plate onto your fabric- then use a saucer to draw in the neck area. Cut this out and you have a bib! Bias tape edges make this a really quick , easy to sew up gift. 

We used some iron on transfers from Sublime Stitching for our images. 

This alien is absolutely adorable. Look at her perfect stitches! This could not possibly be any cuter!

We had a hurricane here in August.  We lost power in the morning on the first day and were without it for 6 days. Eden and I sat in front of the window and embroidered. A lot. There really wasn't much else to do!  She worked on a pair of birds. 

 Here she is working on her birds during the hurricane.

These  are her finished birds.  I am so proud of my darlin'- these look incredible! We are going to frame these and hang them in the dining room. She worked very hard at getting her stitches to look like feathers.

This last project is mine! :) I saw this in a catalogue for way too much money so I made my own- I think I am going to make a pillow cover out of it. The moon and witch are appliques. In the catalogue it was framed but I think a pillow would be  much more fun. 

Brag Photos

I love my job. Have I told anyone that recently? I am sure I have but I need to say it again- I love my job. One of the reasons I love my job is that I have the sweetest , brightest most creative students.

One of my students is Rachael. She is 10. Rachael is going to grow up to be an awesome fashion designer! Here is her first skirt she made along with the tote we made to match.


And here is the tote


I am so proud of her!!!



Another of my students is Daisy. She is 17 and studying fashion marketing and design.
This skirt has a zipper in the back. We also made a zipper clutch to match.

So Cute!!!!

Here is the skirt we just finished. We learned gathering and attaching a ruffle on this one:


Daisy is now moving on to clothing from patterns. I will post pictures of her next project soon! :)

New studio!

This spring my family moved to a new home. We love it! We have been busy unpacking boxes and painting and learning about our new abode. I especially love it as I now have a studio to work in! No more living room sewing lessons! Hooray!
The sewing room is on the far end of the house and has a door leading directly to it from the side. I chose a pale peach/pink for the walls and a fiery rust red for the accents. It looks awesome! Very girly but not too froufrou .
The most fantastic thing about having the space is that I have been able to take on more students. This is my only job now and I love it! I am able to be home for my family and have a job that is really fun. It rocks! This is what I have been working towards for the past two years. It has finally paid off and is a thriving busy business.! Yippee!

This weeks I have had three lessons. It is a slow week and I am happy for the break! ☺ I have 7 scheduled for next week . I have some new students and they are a fun bunch! They are all so interested and eager to learn- I just love it!

My plan is to write each week about my projects and what everyone is learning in their lessons.

This week Nina finished her purse! She did a great job! She was so careful with her stitching .
Here she is showing it off!



Nina is 11 and wants to a fashion designer one day.
Here is a photo of her winding her bobbin.



Amy is new with me and made her first project with this week: She made a tablerunner and it turned out gorgeous! She chose beautfiul fabrics and did a lovely job of topstitching aroud the edges. She is going to send me a picture:)


Today Candace learned all about the wonderful world of hems. She is heading back to college soon and we are trying to pack in as much as we can before she leaves. Next week we will make her first skirt.


I am going to take pictures of the new studio tonight and will put them up soon.

See ya!