Classes started Saturday, January 6th. It reached 72 degrees that day! It was a lot of fun teaching in the new space. The sun was shining and we had the door open. People stop by to check us out. Fresh flowers, homebaked banana bread, and some sewing, (oops), made it a great day!

Many students come knowing nothing or remembering little from that Home Ec experience in Middle School. Don’t worry, this is a great place for you to begin. You will be taught from square #1. No pressure to keep up with others, and plenty of encouragement.

The atmosphere at Laura’s Sewing School is positive and reinforcing. If one way works for another student, but understanding eludes you, we will try another way. There are many ways to accomplish the same result, the question is to find the one that works for you. The best way to learn is by doing and by repetition. Be patient, use the 4 foot rule and you will be fine. (The 4 foot rule is if you cannot see the problem from 4 feet away, it’s not a problem.)

We learn the most from mistakes, but we are not anxious to make any. Most mistakes in sewing can be undone. If everything goes perfectly in class, you won’t know how to troubleshoot when you are home, sewing on your own. So, making a mistake during class is to your advantage. You can be shown why the mistake happened and how to fix it and avoid making it in the future.

So, relax, have a cup of coffee, or tea, grab something to eat, take a break and get back at it. We are all here to learn something new, make new friends, find a new outlet for our creativity and have a good time. That’s my goal, I hope you will want to share in it.

“I have taken classes with Laura since I first began sewing in September 2002, progressing from patchwork bags to hobbled shades to jean jackets. Whenever my sewing friends (and industry professionals) compliment me on my good sewing habits, I’m quick to credit Laura. With her endless patience, vast storehouse of knowledge, and unfailing encouragement, Laura has inspired me to create professional-looking home dec items and fashionable garments. There’s nothing she can’t help a student figure out!

Generous with her time and expertise, Laura is someone who really knows how to teach sewing. Whether you’re a novice or a sewist with some experience, lessons with Laura can teach you the basics or allow you to brush up on your sewing skills. Taking classes with Laura has given me the confidence to undertake increasingly challenging sewing projects, and her semi-private lessons have afforded me the opportunity to learn from other students’ experiences. But most important, lessons with Laura have introduced me to one of the best sewing professionals in the Boston area.”

To register for any classes or send inquiries about our school, please fill out the registration form at the bottom of any of the pages on this website. You may pay via Paypal below, by check or by phone using a credit card. You are always welcome to come visit and pay in person, too. Paypal accepts Mastercard and Visa. Please fill out the registration form in addition to the information on Paypal. The pay buttons are not connected to a particular class, and we need the information on our registration form to make sure we save a space for you in the right class.

In person, you may use Discover and AMEX in addition to MC & Visa. Make checks payable to Laura’s Sewing School and send them 205A Broadway, Arlington, MA 02474.

The new rates take effect August 15th. If you register for Fall classes prior to that date, you will pay the current price. After that date, the new rates are in effect. The rates are posted with the list of classes. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

I enjoy Laura’s classes so much! I had sworn off all new classes because, even if the class description promised it, I NEVER finished the class project and was overwhelmed with the unfinished projects. Laura’s flexibility and wide-range of experience and skill has made it possible for me to tackle projects I had gotten stalled on and get the satisfaction of finishing them!

Laura is a phenomenal teacher! She is an extraordinarily talented and versatile artist. And boy - does she know how to teach! After taking classes with many other teachers, I know the hard way, that finding a good teacher is a rare event. Those who can DO, CANNOT always teach - but Laura CAN.

Her own grasp of the subject matter always amazes me. ………..

She never makes me feel bad for having to have something repeated, in fact, she understands that such repetition is often necessary for true learning to occur. I appreciate so much the way that Laura explains WHY we need to do specific steps - it helps me understand the task at hand and remember the technique for the future.

Laura is generously/genuinely appreciative of the work that her students do. I end up feeling encouraged and inspired and accomplished at each step along the way as well as at the end!

Laura sets you up with the basics of machine sewing so that you can navigate your way on practically any machine. As a result, you skip the typical headaches most first-time sewers encounter. You learn to approach sewing from a logical perspective, you never learn “how” something is done without understanding the “why.” Laura’s teaching style ensures this.

You also benefit from her many years of experience by adopting an invaluable list of tested and tried tools and resources (catalogues, local stores and web sites) that she provides you from the very first day of class. What a relief it is to know exactly what to buy and what to avoid when getting started.

What is also remarkable about her classes is that they are small and students work individually at their own pace on their own projects. You get individual attention and independence simultaneously - a great combination when learning sewing. You need that extra attention to guide you through the beginning or through more challenging parts. But, it’s the balance of independence that allows you to build confidence, work on you own - with the comfort of knowing the she is there ot help you when you need it.

Above all, Laura’s generous spirit will keep you learning tons about sewing and home decoration, as she is always eager to share her knowledge and experience. She provides a warm, inviting environment at her studio in Arlington. All in all, you leave with a very personal, friendly exposure to sewing.

Vicki has a certificate from the School of Fashion Design, on Newbury St, in Boston. I met her many years ago, when I needed someone to help me sew my products. She has an amazing talent with fabric. And, she has the ability to think creatively about overcoming a sew challenge.

Most of her freelance sewing is in the bridal arena. She has custom-made many bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses. She knows how to fit clothing and has a far-reaching knowledge of sewing techniques.

Vicki is a good friend, support and wonderful teacher. If you take her class, you will come away with a wealth of knowledge. We hope to see you on Tuesday morning in January.

Komra is my sister. We grew up in Wisconsin and when I moved to Massachusetts, she was living in California. Now, she lives in Watertown. When she and her husband decided to move here 2 years ago, I found a place for her to live. The landlord the mother of one of my sewing students, Kim Swift. After being so far from close family, it has been great to have Komra only 10 minutes from me.

Komra has always been a talented artist. She has a deep love of horses and other animals. She could draw whatever she wanted when she was young. We would be coloring with crayons in a book. I would be trying to color within the lines and she would be shading and mixing colors. And, she is only 2 years older than me.

Komra went to college for art and left to do a coop program with a veterinarian. She found her way into the graphic arts field, working with weekly publications and print media. Over the years, she found her way into web design. She is a rare talent since she can not only design the visuals of a site, but build it herself. She is on contract with Budget/Avis and other successful companies around the US.

Komra has been pursuing her interest in Fine Art prints with her photographic mandalas. I will ask her to put links to her site here, so that you can view her work.

I am lucky to be able to have her talents available. Many of my students come to me through the web and the Wirkkala Designs web site. Now, we have this site dedicated to sewing and crafts. Don’t you think it is gorgeous? We were going for an Arts & Crafts/William Morris look. She found the fonts for the window lettering and logo, plus the borders and backgrounds. She makes everything easy, that would be nearly impossible for me to do. I am grateful for her gifts.

It has been a little while since I have posted. We worked very hard in the last 2 weeks and Christmas was in the middle of it.

My sister, the talented web designer who built my 2 sites, and I took a day trip to IKEA last week. It was the perfect time to go. Hardly anyone was there and I had all the help I needed from the kitchen and office designers. We ended up with 3 carts and they all fit in my sister’s Honda Element. They man who packed it did an amazing job fitting it all in.

The traffic back to Arlington was a breeze. When we got to the shop, we started unpacking the vehicle and it seemed a daunting task. I spied 2 strapping young men walking buy and offered to pay them to help us. They unloaded everything in a matter of 15 minutes and offered their services in the future. It was a great topper to a busy day.

Just this week, Donna found a fellow who assembles “anything in a box.” His name is Paul Dennehy. He and his son showed up Wednesday morning and by 6 pm, everything was built and installed. They were pleasant and hardworking. Since the doors and drawer fronts are being shipped, Paul will be returning to install those for me, too. I will post his phone number for anyone who is interested in using his services. His price was reasonable and relieved me of a large chunk of work.

That same day, I had 2 electricians by, and 4 old friends of mine showed up to do whatever needed to be done. I likened it to a Marx Brothers movie. Have you ever seen “Night at the Opera?” There is a scene where Groucho Marx’s character is shown to his stateroom, which is barely bigger than his bed. While he is there, every service imaginable comes into his room, from the maids to room service to a manicurist to the engineering crew. It felt that busy for me that day. But, it also felt like everything is working well and that I have a huge amount of support for all these changes going on in my life right now.

Yesterday, Tricia O’Neill, came to do the window lettering on the shop. It looks wonderful. The 2 large panes of glass say, “Laura’s Sewing School & More + website address.” The doors has a list of areas of interest taught. Let me know what you think. I do have some pictures. I will be learning later this week how to load them onto this site. It will make it all more interesting to look at.