Stitch Adventures

Online Sewing Classes

I've been working hard, trying to finalize my online sewing classes for beginners.  Right before we went on a one-week roadtrip two weeks ago, I finished the first five week course, which I'm offering for free on my website.  Free online sewing classes for beginners.

Now I'm working on the 2nd project for beginners, and a workbook so that new sewers can make samples of techniques they will use in future projects.  Then I'll do a third, fourth and fifth module.  That's going to keep me busy for quite awhile!

I'm surprised at how difficult it is to write directions.  I've been sewing since elementary school, and don't usually follow directions because I can just make things.  (Sort of like driving a car - once you know how, you just drive, you don't think of how you're going to drive).  So now, writing simple directions for someone who is just learning to sew is a real challenge for me. 

I want to make sure new sewers will love sewing as much as I do - I don't want people to get frustrated and give up on learning how to sew.  So I need to break things down and try to show, write and tell how to do every step. 

I'm learning how to take clear pictures, make videos, do audio overlay's, and pull it all together so other people can look at what I've done, and then do it themselves.  I know my videos are not perfect, and I'm certainly not an expert at making things look professional. 

But I do like to share my passion - sewing - with whomever wants to learn. Time to get the info out, then work on the perfection later. 

Dreams - deferred

When I left my full time job a few years back, I had a business plan in hand.  I was taking a big step – to start working for myself.  My dream and written plan was to have a retail store selling fabric, with sewing classes taught by me.

I promised myself I would only have to teach for a little while, since that wasn’t really part of my dream – and when I could, I would hire other teachers. 

I got my studio, filled it with bolts of fabrics and notions, and was pleased when the sewing students starting showing up.  It was fun to teach beginners, and get them enthusiastic about sewing.  Like this picture my daughter made for my Christmas present - she's passionate about her art!

But the business part of me was disappointed – because I wasn’t selling any fabric.  I soon came to the conclusion that the studio just didn’t look like a retail establishment where you came to buy fabric.  It looked like a studio where you came to learn to sew.  I was in a beautiful location, among artists and art activities, but I didn’t look like a store.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized – most of my profits were going right to the building owner for my monthly lease, not to buying new supplies.

So I began teaching out of my home studio instead, and shifted my focus to selling products online, which was definitely not my dream.  Kind of lonely and hands off.  I still  think it would be wonderful to have a retail store.  But I also know that sinking all my savings into retail is not a smart thing to do. 

Last weekend I met a wonderful woman who owned a fabric store several decades ago in my community.  She made a comment about how she loved it, but lost a lot of money, even though the store was quite successful until a big chain store with fabric and yarn  moved in next door to hers.

Now that she has retired from her current job, she has decided to teach sewing and quilting– her favorite part of owning a fabric store.  And she’s passionate about it!  She’s doing all the things that I thought of doing (but didn’t) – setting up classes at a nearby sewing machine dealer, at a quilt store, and sewing camps in her home studio.  She’s living her dream, and I know she will be successful!

Now, I have to get back to mine. What would really be fun is trying to set up a place where people could take classes – of all kinds.  Stitch Adventures is the name of the new dream.  A wonderful place in town where people can relax and eat and learn to sew, knit, crochet, quilt, and maybe even do printing, dyeing, spinning and weaving.  I can set up the classes, hire the teachers, do the advertising, and coordinate all aspects of this wonderful new “school”.  Just putting this in writing will get me going.  Let me know what you think – suggestions would be most welcome!