Studio Renovation is Complete!

From the depths of my heart I want to thank everyone for their patience when waiting for new classes to start up again! I will be holding Studio Hours to assist with general instruction as well as specific projects you may have started and gotten stuck on.

Sara Says Sew Studio Shot4 — Here are the machines up and running!

New classes will be posted over on my Facebook page under “events.” That’s the fastest way to update my beloved customers and followers. An email list is coming soon!

Here are some new shots with all my notions and fabrics moved in:

Sara Says Sew Studio2 — A flexible work surface is a must when teaching both adults and children.

The beauty of this space is that it works with our family as well. We have many guests who come and stay with us, and we want them to feel as welcome as possible. There is a Murphy Bed built into the wall so this space easily converts into a guest room, just so long as whoever is staying isn’t afraid of pins and needles.

Sara Says Sew Studio 1 — Look at those machines just waiting for you to come and create something wonderful!

Thank you for stopping by! My next open Studio Hours will be Sunday, November 19th, 2017 from 1:00PM to 4:00 PM. Please contact me to sign up for studio time. I am also available during weekday hours by appointment. Feel free to contact me to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

What would you like to create today?

Back in Business!

I have a new class updated and posted on my Facebook page!

Who doesn’t like the comfort of pajama shorts? No one. That’s who.

I will be teaching a new class on Thursday, August 24th from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the new and improved Sara Says Sew studio! Cost of the class is $40 and all materials are included. Please contact me by text at 517-214-3517 or email sarasayssew@gmail.com if you’d like to register for the class!

PJ Shorts from Sara Says Sew 2017 — Pajama Shorts are some of my favorite things to make and my kids love to wear!

This class involves measuring, following a pattern, cutting and sewing. The skills learned in this course will carry over into other courses. Because of the skill needed, I’m asking only people with previous sewing experience sign up for this class. Even if it’s just one class!

These shorts can be altered for costumes, everyday wear and just plain fun!

Starwars PJ Shorts — Here are the Patton Cousins showing off their Star Wars matching PJ shorts!

Very Hungry Butterfly

March is Reading Costume Month Part 2

So Lincoln decided he wanted to portray Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar for Story Book dress up day. He originally wanted to do all 4 stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly. I told him to pick 2, his teacher might tolerate one costume change, but not 3. Of course he chose the Caterpillar and Butterfly. I had to think for a few days about how to accomplish the very colorful butterfly. I’ve already made monarch and dragon wings, so I used the same pattern and process. Although, this time I used clear/white organza for my base.

I simply serged the edge in green (because that’s what my machine was already threaded with and I was too lazy to change it) and made a plan.

Half way done.

It’s a little bit messy.

Proper planning is key.

Just need to outline the right side.

I used Lincoln’s hand writing worksheets from school to lay out where I wanted the colors to go. It’s not an exact match, but I think people will get the point. Then I colored for 3 hours, got really messy and attached finger loops and shoulder loops.

I’m really happy with how they turned out. And I think Lincoln loves them too!

Now I just need to finish his caterpillar costume! That will be on the next post. 🙂

March is Reading Costume Month

I can’t say no to a costume request!

It’s really no surprise if you’re reading this and know me, that I LOVE sewing. Like in the same way some people like chocolate or their dogs. I find it very relaxing and just the simple act of sitting down at my machine(s) calms me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I get frustrated and there are sometimes swear words involved, but the hum of my sewing machine is like music to my ears. Costumes are my favorite to make! The details and creativity involved spark my interest every time.

021 — I didn’t like the original sleeves, so I added some top stitching detail about 15 minutes before the bus came.

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

As anyone who has children in public elementary school probably knows, March is Reading Month in honor of the great Dr. Seuss. I have a love-hate relationship with Dr. Suess’s books in general having used them to teach Deaf children. There are so many nonsense words that are great for phonics based instruction, but really, what is a “ham-ikka-schnim-ika-schnam-ikka-schnopp?” There’s an entire website dedicated to all the nonsense words he uses. But I digress. Today was “dress like your favorite Dr. Seuss character” at school.

016 — Lincoln’s sleeves before I added the detail.

Ellie wanted to be the Lorax, Lincoln wanted to be a humming fish from the Lorax and Calvin wanted to be Jake (from the Neverland Pirates). We convinced him to be a Barbaloot Bear for the photos. Mostly I bribed him with marshmallows. He’s wearing his bear earmuffs and ate about 12 marshmallows while this picture was taken.

Both kids are wearing an orange t-shirt from JoAnn Fabrics. Ellie’s I didn’t alter at all, just added the faux fur to some sunglasses I removed the lenses from. Easy, cheap, done!

Lincoln’s shirt I cut the original sleeves off and then made some new ones from fleece, cut a “mermaid tail” shape, folded in half and top stitched to add some detail. You can’t really tell from the picture, but he has a back-fin that’s pretty cool. He couldn’t get his coat over the sleeves so he took the costume in his back pack.

The best part is that there are 4 or 5 more “dress up” type days left in the month for reading. I’ll post more pictures soon!

Everything on Hold

If you were looking to attend a class or schedule a social event, almost everything has been put on hold for Sara Says Sew! I’m still teaching 1:1 lessons, so sign up! We are redoing our basement to make it more functional for our family. This plan has been in the works since we bought the house almost 3 years ago.

We are moving walls, replacing and refinishing everything in our basement! And by we, I really mean Nightingale Co. They’ve been great to work with and we are pleased with how everything has gone so far! I can’t wait to show you more photos as the project progresses.

I’m so glad this is not in our main living space and I still have a functional kitchen and bathrooms upstairs!

I am teaching 1:1 sewing lessons if you’re looking to schedule with me, call or contact me via email, sarasayssew@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon!

Like… “Green Banana” Soft

When my husband, Josh, and I started on this endeavor of owning our own business we looked at all the angles we could go. Starting in-home and really small was our first instinct, moving on to world domination in about 5-7 years. Just kidding. Kinda. We decided to market to family and friends, do a “soft launch” with one or two classes a month.

And then I taught my first three classes and it hit me. I remember the moment so clearly; I was helping an 8 year old even out her stitches and finish a seam and I had this overwhelming sense of “I LOVE SEWING. AND TEACHING. AND NOW I’M TEACHING SEWING AND IT’S THE BEST THING EVER!!!” The biggest problem is that most of the general population that I’m marketing to is only available on the weekends. We are also a busy weekend family, and there’s the rub. Do I go full tilt and eat up every weekend teaching classes? Shoot for weekday mornings and hope for the best? We’ve decided to do a little bit of both.

My shirt from the Orange Conference back in the day. Still holds true!

So all that to say, I’m posting all of my January classes on my Sara Says Sew Facebook page! Check them out and sign up to sew!

I will also be hosting my first Studio Hours. It’s a drop-in, no registration required few hours in the morning. There is a fee of $15/ hr, you’re welcome to stay as little or as long as you’d like. If you’re stuck on a project, I’d love to help! Or if you just want to sew something, I have kits available to purchase on top of the hourly fee.

Come and try a class! Come and make something great or not, just try.

My stash of Funky Bundles, they are pieces of fabric used to make small projects or practice sewing.

P.S. After I took the picture of the bananas, they were still sitting on the table and my 4 year-old son was so excited about bananas he ate two.

From the First Stitch

Over Christmas break I hosted my first kid’s sewing class. It was a Cinch Sack class with FIVE girls ages 7-9. We had such a good time!

img_1749-jpg — Here’s Emilia having SO much fun!

I learned A LOT during that class. For example, five girls with zero sewing experience is too many for one me. Too many distractions, too few stations, too small seam allowances and too many broken sewing machines! By the end of the class I was down to one functional machine, my old trusty Kenmore I’ve had for at least 15 years. I’ve since gone back to try and fix a few of the new machines, but one for sure is going back, maybe more if they don’t cooperate.

img_1752-jpg — Emilia’s finished product! Yes, that’s a Storm Trooper.

I just love these little cinch sacks! They’re a breeze to sew, a great start to finish project for beginner sewists. I wish I had a picture of all the girls in their packs, but we went so far over time people were leaving when they got done.

I will be hosting this class again, so don’t feel sad if you missed out! Check back for updated classes and follow Sara Says Sew on Facebook!

Gift Certificates Available

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Are you looking for a unique Christmas or holiday gift this year? Shop local and give someone the gift of creativity! Contact me at sarasayssew@gmail.com or through my Facebook page to reserve your time slot.

Included in your lesson is a tutorial on how to use your machine, basic stitches and completing a simple project from start to finish. I can come to your home or you can come to my studio space, whichever is more convenient. The best age to start sewing is around 6 or 7, but there is no better time to start than now!

Please contact me directly to reserve your place, gift certificates are $50 each. The first 10 people to sign up for a sewing session will receive a card for a FREE Funky Bundle. Funky Bundles are coordinating fabrics that are less than a yard, but great for smaller sewing projects or to practice stitching.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Quick Christmas Gallery Wall

Do you have an ugly, blank wall you’d like to liven up and make festive? I made this gallery wall in about 30 minutes and it cost me less than $20. It’s in our basement stairwell, thus why it’s so dark.

Originally I was going to cut all the strings and tags off, but I like that you can see it’s a gift bag. I simply pulled the strings as tight as they’d go and secured them with painters tape on the inside.

Decide which bags you’d like where in your lay out; a good rule to follow is that odd items are more pleasing to the eye.

Start by taping the bag on the inside top flap and the bottom flap to the back of the bag.

Tape the bag together at the top to keep it from opening.

Then tape the back using 6,000 pieces of rolled painters tape. It’s important to change the direction of your tape as you’re laying the rolls down. I’ve found that about 1″ rolls work the best.

Be sure to alternate the direction of your tape as you go, it helps hold it secure without slipping out of the tape roll.

I like to start in the middle when making a gallery wall, so I hung the biggest bag first and worked off of that one toward the sides. Top to bottom. I just eyeballed these for levelness and distance.

Here’s what it looks like from the top of the stairs.

I’m really happy with how this turned out! You can use the bags for giving gifts when you’re all done or in a pinch! There are so many adorable bags out there, give it a try!

Start at the Very Begining

It’s official. Sara Says Sew is open for business! I’ve posted on Facebook about my first classes offered and more are sure to follow next week. I’m so happy for all the love and support in this endeavor. I even sold out my first class within 4 hours of posting it!

Sara Says Sew has been an idea we’ve been rolling around and developing and shaping over the past few years. I say “we” because without my husband, none of this would be possible. So here’s my shout out to my business and life partner, Josh Patton. Check back for more listings and classes as they become available.

Thanks for all the likes and shares of my Sara Says Sew page on Facebook, more from Instagram is coming too.