Spring 2013 Class times and dates are shown below.  Some of the classes are less than 6 weeks so that we can end all of them during the same week at the end of May.  This is due to cancellations of classes caused by various snowstorms in the past few months.  All of the classes will start between April 8-May 4, 2013

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You can go to the Class Registration form to see what the class times and dates are for the next session of sewing classes.  Since there was a large snowstorm, and Jan has a different vacation schedule, there are exceptions to the start dates originally posted on our calendar.

The Wednesday Evening Sewing with Jan, will begin on February 20th, at 6:30pm.  There will be no class on the 27th but the class will resume for the following 5 weeks.

The Monday morning class with Jan will not begin until the 11 of March and it will meet for 4 weeks so it will end at the same time as all the other classes.

The snowstorm we had February 8 & 9th caused us to cancel classes for Friday and Saturday of that week.  Luckily, I was able to hold makeup classes on the 22nd and 23rd, during school vacation week.  Therefore, the new classes begin on March 1st and 2nd.  If anyone wasn’t able to attend the makeup classes, please contact me to arrange making up your class.

One of my students, Elena, commented that I’ve been very prolific this year, more than she has ever seen me to be.  I’m not sure why that is.  Maybe, because I am not being hindered by RA (rheumatoid arthritis) which is now under control.  Or, it could be that I love my new sewing school space and I am inspired to sew to decorate it, as well as make samples to inspire you, as students, or potential students who like to peek in the windows…..

Whatever the cause of my large sewing output, I have been excited to produce many a project this year.  It started with quilts.  One lead to another, like pieces of chocolate, or the oft mentioned Lays potato chips…….I made a quilt for my daughter, inspired by a fabric one of my students brought to class.  Then, since I wasn’t crippled by RA, I could then quilt it myself at Laurena’s Longarm studio in Burlington, MA.  I then made a quilt for each of my nieces, then another for my daughter.  Then, I thought I do one for myself.  I finally finished a quilt I started at least 8 years ago, and hung it in the new sewing school bathroom.  It matched the decor so well.  Then, another student, Sherry L, brought in some blocks she was working on that involved folding the fabric like you would paper for Origami.  I had her show me how to do it, and by the end of the day, I had 25 blocks folded.  I made a wall hanging quilt and had it done within a week.  I finally stalled out on my 8th quilt of the year, when I g0t stuck on finding the right fabric for the border…….It’s still on my design wall.  I thought I’d take a break from it.

More recently, I was dabbling in clothing, for myself, my daughter, and my sister.  One of the most recent items I sewed is the skirt made from sneaker themed fabric (made by Timeless Treasures, C5522 Brite.)  Again, the fabric caught my eye, when Avery, a teenage student, brought it in to make pajama bottoms.  I purchased what was left on the bolt, thinking I would do the same.  My daughter loves her high top Converse sneakers.  When I showed her the fabric, she said that she wanted a skirt that she could wear with her high tops.  Then, she told me exactly how it should look.  And, it should have randomly placed zippers on it.  So, having been given this task, I designed a skirt to those specifications.  I like to use a pattern that is close, has the right sizing and then alter it from there.  I often get donations of sewing fabric and materials.  So, I reached into a box of donated zippers and brought them out to see if any would work in this project.  I had eyelets, like what you find in sneakers or sometimes in belts.  They were years old and I wasn’t sure that I could find them.  But, miracles of miracles,  I did find them.  And, the pliers to set them into the fabric.

I decided to put in to parts in the back of the skirt that have shoe lacing.  I used white eyelets, since most of the sneakers on the fabric have white eyelets.  I used white shoelaces as well.  It was really fun to play around with these things.  So far, all the girls in my classes love this skirt.  My daughter does, too.  I had to bring the waist in, it was too big, but other than that, it’s well liked, and will be worn.

I’ve never been one to make bags much or purses or totes.  But, since I came across the Weekender Totes over a year ago, I have been hooked.  With the use of fusible fleece and peltex and other fabric stiffeners and stabilizers, we can make some pretty amazing bags out of quilting fabric.  And, Very Bradly being such the rage, these bags are really in!  I think the photos pretty much show off why it has been so fun for me to make these.  And, it’s a new kind of challenge, working in ways that I haven’t much in the past.  Plus, as I say in one of the photo captions, it’s an opportunity to play with mixing colors and prints on a smaller, quicker scale than making a quilt!

I hope you enjoy these photos.  If you want a closer look at a picture, just click on it and it will expand to fit your window.  To get back to this page, just hit the “back” button.

Just a few updates.  Classes have been rolling along smoothly in our new space.  We all LOVE that we are in the same building as Fabric Corner.  How nice is it to just go out the door, around the corner and be able to pick up needed supplies.

3 Quilts are now hung on the walls.  1 of my giant pairs of scissors are hanging and I am figuring out where to put the other pair.  We have a bulletin board, newly painted by Sandy Brooks in the entryway.  I plan to post pictures of students and their projects there.  And any Breaking News, of course.

Over the holidays, more painting will be happening.  Those of you who have been taking classes know that the bathroom and back hallway are way below the standards I usually have for my space.  I love to decorate the bathroom.  It can be a place to inspire you for the possibilities in your own home.  Right now, there is a big hole in the wall between the toilet and sink.  There are places needing patching, and the whole room needs painting.  The back hallway walls are in need of attention and I don’t want it to become some junky catch all.  So, you can let me know what you think when you come see the place early next year.

I have been working on curtains for the front window.  They are almost done.  I used the fabric as inspiration for the paint colors I used around the sewing school.  I have some antique sewing machines on display in the front window.  Recently, someone gave me an old Singer, with Egyptian themed decals on it.  I have wanted one like that for years, so it is fun to put it out for everyone to see.

In January, I plan to have an Open House and will post that here and through a newsletter when I have determined the date.  I wish you all well in the mean time.  Happy Holidays! and thanks for your support.

As of Wednesday, December 7, 2011, we are resuming classes at Laura’s Sewing School & More.  The help I have received has been instrumental in making this opening happen so quickly.  We moved our stuff in on November 26th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  1 1/2 weeks later, we are ready to start classes!  There was a LOT that needed to be done.  A huge amount of electrical work, all of the space needed to be painted, most walls required 3 coats of paint.  Baseboards needed to be installed and painted, cabinets hung and then all of the equipment and furniture put in place and stuff unpacked.

I am myself amazed that we are ready so soon.  I have felt overwhelmed at times, working 12+ hours a day, most of these past weeks and it’s all been possible with a lot of help from many of you, students, and friends.  Thank you.  I will see you soon in our new space.

Hi Everyone!

Our phone/internet service was installed on Weds. Nov 30th at our 785 Mass Ave location.  We can now receive messages, and as soon as we find the phone (it was packed) we will be able to answer the phone when it rings.  You can email us if you know my email address or use the contact/registration form.  I get email notices on my smartphone, so I am not out of the loop.

Right now, the electrical work is pretty much complete.  Inspection was passed and most of the ceiling tiles are back in place.  There are still some more things that need to be accomplished before we can resume classes.

• Most of the painting is complete, but one more wall needs to be finished
• The baseboards need to be installed (Barry is hired to do that on Dec 3) and painted (by us.)
• The HVAC needs to be checked, which we hope will be done on Monday
• Half of the space has new flooring, it needs to be cleaned and sealed.
• Finally, the furniture needs to be put in place, according to plan, and then unpacking and installation of the gravity feed irons and task lighting.

During the next month or so, the rest of the work can be done around scheduled class times.

Before you head to class the week of December 5th, please check the website or call the school phone to confirm that your class is meeting. We will have a better idea of a reopening date after this weekend, Dec 3-4.

We have been painting at the new place.  Most of it is complete.  You can see pictures in my most recent email newsletter (12-2-11.)  Norma Osborn has been a huge help with painting, at the old space as well as the new.  Sandy Brooks, my daughter, Amelia, and several others have lent a hand with the big job painting entails.  I thank all of you named, and un-named, who have contributed to this move.  It wouldn’t be possible without all of your support.  Thank you!

If you should have some time available this week, especially now that we have passed the electrical inspection, much help is needed to move furniture into place, as well as unpacking.  Anyone who contributes 3+ hours will received a discount on a future 6 week class.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Laura

Current students have already heard the news, as well as others have heard the rumors, and what you heard is probably true.

We had the opportunity to move into the empty space in the Fabric Corner building and couldn’t pass it up.  We are working on finishing the space right now, so that we can resume classes as quickly as possible.  One of my students said that moving there  would be like a Drug Dealer setting up shop across from a Rehab Center.  How can we control our fabric addictions when my sewing school will be located above the Fabric Store? But, then, why would we want to?

But, imagine, you forget to buy something for your project?  You just go downstairs.  Need thread, a zipper, some interfacing?  Go Downstairs!  Want some inspiration? Go Downstairs!

I think you will love the new location.  Not only for being in the same building as the Fabric Corner, but it is next door to Bagels by US, 2 doors from Cakes Bakery, and next to that is Arlington House of Pizza.  If you feel like you have overindulged, you can go to Get in Shape for Women just past the pizza place.  If you forgot to pre-wash your fabric, there is a laundromat on the next corner and before or after class, you can get your groceries at Johnny’s Foodmaster across and down the street.

We are going to be only a couple blocks from the heart of Arlington Center, which boasts a great variety of restaurants and small businesses.  At least 3 bus lines (77, 79, 67) go right past the new shop, so those of you who do not drive, can easily reach us by mass transit.

At the new place, we had to remove a bunch of walls, put in a new floor, and are having some major electrical work done.  The electrical work is taking longer than expected, so that is delaying how soon we can resume classes.  Also, painting has to take place and then everything needs to be unpacked. Once the dust settles, I will post pictures and show you the ongoing process of fixing the new place, both in the email newsletter, as well as my Facebook page.  You can link to Laura’s Sewing School on FB by clicking here.

If any of you would like to help pack, or clean, or paint, I would welcome the assistance.  I am writing this late on Thanksgiving.  We still need packing assistance on Friday, Nov. 25, and then some painting and cleaning assistance after the move happens to make sure the Warren St place is ready for whoever moves into it.

The new space needs painting and UNpacking help, too.  I was stumped for colors for the new place.  Several friends/students & my daughter (thank you Norma, Sandy, Veronica, Amelia) have been painting the colored walls back to white in the old shop.  They said they were looking forward to painting colors in the new shop.  I said that I thought we should just paint everything white and then add colors later.  Norma made a good point, saying that I won’t be inclined to do any painting once everything is in place.  I was in the Fabric corner on Wednesday, waiting for a friend to meet me, and I found a fabric that inspired me for the colors we will be using.  I am very excited about it.  You’ll have to let me know what you think when you see it.  If you can volunteer 3+ hours of your time, you can receive a discount on a future 6 week class session.  Feel free to call or email, to let us know if you can donate your time to our transition.  We thank you  for your support, both in the past and the future.

Keep checking back for more information.  Within the next couple of weeks, I will be having a Fabric Stash Bash. I have way too much fabric and will not be able to use it all within this lifetime, so I thought I would pass the riches on to you.  Great fabric, great prices and I can put the receipts toward the cost of the move and renovation.  It is definitely a win/win situation.

Also, I have some older sewing machines that I can pass on to others.  I love older machines.  They are all metal, smooth and quiet and need little maintenance.  I usually sit at an older straight stitch machine to sew most of my clothing projects.  I still have the machine I was given in High School.  So, if you are looking for a machine that has been well used and loved, that will be a quiet workhorse in your sewing room, contact me.  I know I have at least 3 to 4 of them.  A couple of them are in cabinets and the others are portable.

Our new address, as of November 26, 2011 is 785 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA  02476.

The following pics are from 2009.  These are just a portion of what students have accomplished here in their classes.

All the rage here at Laura’s Sewing School, we are having such fun and interest in making Amy Butler’s gumdrop pillows that I have scheduled a one day workshop for us to go wild and make them together.  I will order the stuffing and patterns and you will purchase the fabric of your choice.  You can see the details (dimensions, materials list) about the pattern on Amy Butler’s website.
These cushions are made of drapery weight fabric.  You can find that weight of fabric here in Arlington, at Fabric Corner, at Freddy Farkel’s in Watertown (also known as Fabric Showplace) and online.  Fabric Corner just ordered a large selection of Amy Butler home dec fabrics and they have received 12 of them! They will go fast, especially because they will be posting them for online sale, too. So, you may want to get there as soon as you can to pick up the fabric.  If the weight is fine, it can be any brand of fabric.  You just don’t want a fabric which is too loosely woven, or unravels easily.  Fabric.com has a nice selection of Amy Butler printed twills if you want to use her fabric designs.  There are 8 panels, all the same, which are sewn together like sections of an orange.  They are packed with a LOT of stuffing.  I found hand sewing the first one, Amy Lou actually did that work since it was her project, rather tedious.  So, when I made MY first one, I used an invisible zipper to close the pillow once it was stuff.  Much easier and quicker.

Kids absolutely love this pillow. They have found it as a great place to sit and bounce and roll on or off.  Adults do find it useful as a footrest.   You can make them with one fabric or two.  If you cut it from one fabric, you fussy cut it, making sure that it is cut in the very same place on the fabric, for all the pieces.  This makes interesting, kaleidoscopic patterns, especially if the fabric has symmetry.  You can see this on both of Amy’s pillows.  Even though I used 2 fabrics in the pillows for my nieces, I did cut all of the large-scale, patterned fabric in the same place.  There is an octagonal patch on the top of the cushion.  I fussy cut that, centering it on a flower or pattern.

I propose that the workshop be on Sunday, March 15th.  From 10am-4pm.  That should give us plenty of time to work and eat and stuff and finish one gumdrop cushion.  The next one, you will be able to do on your own and much faster.  I will provide the stuffing and the pattern. You provide the fabric, thread (good quality polyester like Gutermann or Mettler) and an invisible zipper in a matching color.  The only part of the zipper to show will be the tab.  Buy a 12-14″ zipper or longer.  It will work for either size pillow.  And, if you have to buy a longer zipper to get a color match, it is very easy to shorten.  Better too long than too short!  The Fabric Corner sells invisible zippers and the presser foot to apply it to your project.  I just talked to them about ordering enough for all of you.  The presser foot is adaptable to most sewing machines and can be used over and over again.  It is reasonably priced and worth buying.

I will have to price out the patterns and stuffing.  So, I will have to get back to you on the price for the class.  I think that we can have 5, possibly 6 students for the day.  Let me know if you want to take the class and I will let you know the price.  If the 22nd of March is better than the 15th, let me know.  I am flexible about the date.  If you are available during the day, M-F, I could possibly meet with you for a workshop on a Thursday.  I am excited about this project.