To view the table below, click on it and it will enlarge.  To return to this page, click on the “back” button of your browser.

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.

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.

Zoe in her great fitting dress. Can you see that it has cars on it?

Our classes are different from most venues in these ways:

• We have small class sizes, 5-6 students per class
• Each student works on projects of their choosing
• Everyone works at their own pace
• Every student receives individual instruction
• We customize our teaching style to our students’ needs.
• You can be a beginner in any class, you don’t have to know anything about sewing to join us!
• You don’t even need to own a machine, we have several available for rent during class time.

Pedro and his first project, PJ pants

Our next session of classes will begin the week of September 8-14, 2012 The session will be 6 weeks long and each class meets once a week.  You can see the dates and times below.

The registration is now open, and your space is reserved upon receipt of payment.  Our registration form is located at the bottom of every page on our website.  Or, you can find it by clicking on the Class Registration/Contact Form link in the Green Column to your left.

Adult Sewing Classes meeting Morning or Evening, 3 hours a week for 6 weeks.

Kids and Teens (9+) Sewing Classes meet After School, 2 hours a week for 6 weeks.

All classes are taught by Laura, unless stated otherwise.

• Darlene and her first apron.

• Monday Morning Sewing with Jan Bickford, 10am-1pm, $270, September 10, 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15
• Monday Evening Sewing 7-10pm, $270, September 10, 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15

• Tuesday Morning Sewing, 9:30am-12:30pm, $270, September 11, 18, 25, Oct 2, 9, 16
• Tuesday After School Sewing for ages 9+, 3:30am-5:30pm, $195, September 11, 18, 25, Oct 2, 9, 16
• Wednesday Morning Sewing, 9:30am-12:30pm, $270, September 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17
• Wednesday After School Sewing for ages 9+, 3:30am-5:30pm, $195, September 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17
• Wednesday Evening Sewing 7-10pm, $270,  September 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17
• Thursday Mid-Day Sewing, 11am-2pm, $270, September 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18
• Thursday After School Sewing for ages 9+, 3:30am-5:30pm, $195, September 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18
• Friday Morning Sewing, 9:30am-12:30pm, $270, September 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19
• Friday After School Sewing for ages 9+, 3:30am-5:30pm, $195, September 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19
• Saturday Morning Sewing for All (Ages 9-Adult), 9:30am-12:30pm, $270, September 8, 15, 29, Oct 6, 13, 20

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.

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.

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

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.

This past Saturday, November 20, 2010, Nashua Sew & Vac hosted a day with Sue Hausmann.  She has a show on PBS, called America Sews.  She was in town to share much of her expertise and inspire us in our creative endeavors.  It was a little heavy on machine embroidery hints, but there were a few gems she gave us, that I must pass on to you!  And, I couldn’t help but elaborate on related troubles and their solutions.

Bobbins, how to wind them without damaging them.

First, Jan Bickford, our serger/sewing teacher, has been educating us to wind plastic bobbins at a medium, rather than fast speed.  The friction on the thread, as it goes from spool, through the tension discs, to the bobbin, causes the thread to heat up.  Sue elaborated on this info by showing us that the heat can be high enough to actually warp and distort the bobbin!!!  She showed us one that was damaged in that manner.  I have wondered why some bobbins are like this when I go to wind them, and now I know!  Warping will cause the bobbin to feed thread unevenly and therefore your stitches will not be consistent.  (This doesn’t apply to metal bobbins.)  Another thing to be careful of, whether using metal or plastic bobbins, is that high speed winding can stretch the thread.  So, NO lead footing allowed!

Problems for which the Solutions involve the Take Up Lever

Many of you have had problems with your sewing machine, and whenever they happen, you’ll say, “What’s wrong with this @#%$&   thing!!!!     %#^@&$*%!”  Often, the machine gets shoved into the closet and collects dust.

Well, here are some hints for you.  First, whenever you wish to stop your line of stitching and pull the fabric away from the machine, you must put the Take Up Lever to its top position. (See the photo and drawing above.)   If your machine has a Needle Up/Down button, use that.  If it doesn’t , then turn the hand wheel, (on the right end of the machine,) top toward you, until the needle is at its highest position and just starting to move downward.  Or, until the Take Up Lever is at its highest point.  I say “top toward you” rather than clockwise or counter-clockwise, because if you are sitting to the right of the handwheel, it turns counterclockwise, and if you are seated to the left of the wheel, you would observe that direction as clockwise.  Since the machine is usually in front of you, I say “top toward you” to eliminate confusion.  Did that help?  Or, did I just muddle your thinking?

What having the Take Up Lever at the top will do for you, is eliminate 3-4 problems that commonly happen to beginners and even more seasoned sewists. (I have to tell you, that I don’t really like the term “sewist” but as I write “sewers” it looks more like “soo-ers” than “Soh-ers,” not an appealing thought!)

Please click on this link to the How Stuff Works website. It will take you to a page on how sewing machines form stitches.  There are 2 animated drawings showing first, how a chain stitch machine works, then, secondly, how our standard sewing machines work.  When you look at the second animation, note that the needle penetrates the fabric and a hook grabs the thread and brings it around the bobbin.  You can see that the needle exits the fabric before the needle thread completes its journey around the bobbin.  The needle thread is made long enough to wrap around the bobbin, by the Take Up Lever giving slack to the thread.  It “Takes Up” that slack, after the needle thread goes half way around the bobbin.  Most people look at the needle when they sew.  So, they think that as soon as the needle comes out of the fabric, that you can pull it away from the machine.  Unfortunately, the stitch is not complete, until the Take Up lever does its job and returns to its highest position.

What are the problems that occur when you try to stop before the stitch is fully formed?

Problem 1 You cannot pull the fabric away from the machine
Why?  The hook holding the needle thread has not released it  from its journey around the bobbin case.

Problem 2 When, with great effort, you do pull it away, you end up with 4 threads coming out rather than 2
Why?  Again with the needle thread being trapped below, you are pulling the bobbin thread, the needle thread and the 2 sides of the loop around the bobbin, up with your fabric.  You cut all 4 threads and then pull the end of one thread and it comes out of the machine’s throat plate (this is the metal plate that the needle passes through and where the feed dogs pop up.)

Problem 3 When you start sewing again, the thread comes out of the needle and you have to reinsert it into the eye of the needle!
Why?  You cut the thread and the Take Up Lever still has to travel up, before it goes down.  So, it pulls the needle thread out of the eye of the needle and you say, “$@%#^$%%!” and rethread it and continue.

Problem 4.  ALL of these problems can be eliminated, if you do one thing!!!!
When you stop sewing, make sure that the take up lever is in its highest position.  (Circled in red in the photo above, most will stick out of the machine at the top)  If it is not at the top, ALWAYS, turn the hand wheel on the machine, top toward you.  Now, this is counter-intuitive for us.  We bicycle, and walk and crank things in a “top away from you” motion.  But, the motor on your machine turns the handwheel, “top toward you.”  It you turn it the other way, you can jam the machine.

Problem 5 When you start sewing, the machine makes an AWFUL racket and makes a mess of thread underneath, and gets stuck in place.

A.   One of the most common reasons, is that you have forgotten to put down the presser foot.  When you lower the presser foot, you also engage the tension discs, which grab the thread and let it go in a well-timed rhythm.  If the presser foot is raised, the thread flows freely (it isn’t grabbed at all) and when the take up lever rises, it takes the thread from the spool (the path of least resistance) rather than from below the fabric.  Meaning, that the loop that is being wrapped around the bobbin, doesn’t get pulled back up through the fabric.  This will cause a pile up of thread loops underneath.  It’s a domino effect.  Like those classic comedy sketches where a line of people are moving forward, the first person stops and everyone bumps into the person in front of them.   If this does happen to you, don’t just put the presser foot down and try to continue sewing, you’ve made your mess and you have to clean it up before you can sew again,  You’ve plugged the drain and it must be unclogged.

Mickey Hudson likes to call this mess “bobbin vomit!”  Sometimes, it seems the most appropriate term for such a mess.
P.S. Another reason, that I overlooked for thread jams, is that whenever you start sewing, you must have the needle penetrate fabric.  The fabric holds the thread so that the loop comes back up from under the fabric.  If you have the needle go down before the fabric, the loop gets stuck underneath and the same bobbin vomit forms.  Yuck!  I do have an industrial machine that always leaves a small knot on the underside of the fabric, unless I hold both thread tales to the back, while stitching the first 2-3 stitches in the fabric.  If you are concerned about sewing all the way to the edge of the fabric, then start with a1/4″ of fabric behind the needle, go forward one stitch to establish the thread in the material, then backstitch/backtack/or reverse stitch to the edge and then go forward.  This secures the thread tales and keeps you from having a knotty mess underneath.

B. Another time that this happens, is if you are trying to sew past a thick seam in the fabric.  If the presser foot gets tipped high in the front, it cannot move forward.  The pressure on the foot is in the back, if the fabric changes from thin to thick, the foot gets stuck in place.  The way around this is to make the foot level.  You need to shim the back of the foot to be even with the front.  If you do that, there is no problem getting past a thick area of fabric.  You can buy tools designed for this called, “Hump Jumpers” or Jean-a-ma-jigs.  I own these tools, but can never find them when I need them.  So, I improvise.  I find a business or index card, folded to the same thickness as the fabric, works really well.  (for those of you who are more adventurous or lazy, who like danger, use a sewing machine needle case, but wear your safety glasses)

Hump Jumper inserted behind needle to level foot over a thick seam.

Jean a ma jig, inserted before seam, to level foot.

How to level or shim the presser foot:  as the presser foot encounters the increased height of the seam, stop the machine, put the needle down and insert shim behind the needle.  Lower the presser foot, continue sewing across the seam.  It will pop out from under the foot when no longer needed.

Leveling Presser Foot, also does general sewing.

Some machines have a shimming mechanism built into the standard presser foot.  Do you have a presser foot that has a spring-loaded, black button on the side near the back, like the picture above?  Have you ever wondered what the heck that is for?  Well, when you sew and encounter a thicker area, let the foot start traveling over the seam, stop, put the needle into the fabric.   Level the foot and push the button in on the side so that it engages with an indentation in the back “ankle” area of the presser foot connection.  Hold the button in while you lower the presser foot onto the fabric.  Then, let the button go. It will stay pushed in.  The foot will remain level as you sew across your seam.  The button will pop out of place when you have passed the thick area.  It is quite amazing!

Now, for those of you, who have had a problem with the thread coming out of the Take Up Lever, this is for you!  I have been trying to figure this out for a long time.  I don’t have this happen to me, but it happens to a lot of my students when they use one of my sewing machines, in particular, the Kenmore model 16231.  Sue Hausmann talked to us about this and I was so happy to learn this, that it was worth attending the 6 hour seminar, if only for this explanation.

This usually happens for people who have a sewing machine which can stop the needle in either the UP or Down position automatically.  (Though, just today (11/23/10,) I had a student, whose machine doesn’t have this feature, have this problem, so all of you should read this!)

Many times, you may find that that AWFUL sound happens when you start sewing a seam.  When you stop, there are big loops of thread down below and you may or may not be able to pull the fabric away from the machine.  This is caused by using the handwheel, rather than the UP/DOWN button, to move the needle/takeup lever to their UP positions.  Sometimes, your machine’s UP position may vary a little bit from what you expect.  If you turn the wheel  by hand, you may not put it right where the machine would and it forms some slack in the thread, that allows it to come out of the take up lever.  Since I love the needle up down button (you can have it stop in the fabric whenever you take your foot off the pedal, so it acts like a third hand, holding your fabric in place on the machine while you adjust it to continue sewing.)  You can also have it stop in the UP position every time you stop.  If it is in the Down mode, make sure that at the end of stitching your seam, that you push the UP button rather than turning the hand wheel.  The designers of the machine want you to use the button rather than the wheel.

Another task that is effected by not using the UP/DOWN button, is threading the machine using the automatic needle threader. Most new sewing machines come with a needle threader.  How it works, is that you push a lever down, as it is depressed, it rotates forward and puts a teeny, tiny hook, through the back of the eye of the needle.  You draw the thread around a guide and then up the front of the needle until it encounters the underside of that teeny, tiny hook (like a minuscule crochet hook.)  You let the thread in your right hand go, at the same time as you release the lever on the left.  Spring loading allows the hook to draw a thread loop through the eye of the needle.  You then pull that loop all the way through to finish threading the machine.  Most needle threaders look like the one above.  None of them work right, unless the machine is IN the pre-programmed UP position.  If you are not sure if the machine is in the right place, hit the needle UP/DOWN button, until it is.  If you do not do this, it will bend the hook so that this will not work in the future.  Many people do not know this.  Remember………If all else fails, read the instruction manual.   Or, come to a class and we will show you what to do! ]]> http://www.laurassewingschool.com/2010/11/23/common-troubles-with-sewing-machines/feed/ 0 http://www.laurassewingschool.com/2009/12/06/pictures-of-students-work/ http://www.laurassewingschool.com/2009/12/06/pictures-of-students-work/#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:55:34 +0000 Laura Wirkkala http://www.laurassewingschool.com/?p=340 The following pics are from 2009.  These are just a portion of what students have accomplished here in their classes.