Category: Beginning Sewing

Classes, Anyone?


Well, maybe little kid undies aren’t quite what you are looking for in a class but I made these for my two year old grandsons and they are still wearing the same pair and they just turned five! Time to upsize 🙂 These were made in Art Gallery fabric from Treadle.

The undies class will be offered in November at Treadle. The goal is to learn skills for sewing knits whether with the serger or sewing machine. We also offer a knit pj’s class in December with the same goals in mind. At Treadle we also have a Fit Studio offering for four weeks in October and our usual Basic Sergery and Beyond class. We have one offering of Kids’ After School Sewing so call soon to get a spot. We are at Treadle most Tuesdays.

You can see our Treadle classes on this website under Classes or go to Treadle’s website and call them to register-651-698-9690.

At Joann we have the usual Learn to Sew series offered by Joann.com. A steady group of sewists meets on Thursday afternoons for Sew Social and we’ve added Sew Studio on Monday nights for those who want to sew in the evening. Serger Mastery is offered by Material Girls-we’ll take you wherever you are in your skills-threading, rolled hem, coverstitch or construction. This class meets this Thursday morning and will be offered each month. We offer Kids’ After School Sewing on Thursday afternoons.

Joann also has some seasonal classes-sewing with denim, velvet, faux fur and mending, which we will be teaching.

We are at Joann most Mondays and Thursdays. You can register for Material Girls classes on this website or Joann classes at Joann.com.

Happy Sewing!!

PS-in case you can’t wait to make the undies, they are Children’s Undies by thatdarnkat.com available from youcanmakethis.com easy to download and pattern pieces are on one page-hardly any taping 🙂

Holiday Break Sewing for Kids

Even though we’d love to spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s with your kids, we’ll be spending them with ours 🙂
But there are classes offered at Treadle Yard Goods that week if you’d like.
OR if you have Monday or Wednesday of next week off (Minneapolis and Bloomington to name a few school districts) we are offering classes at Joann Yorktown:

Monday, 1-4 pm and Wednesday, 10-1

Students can dream up their own projects or finish something they may have started or we will have a few ideas of our own. Cost is $35 for a three hour class.

You can sign up online at Joann’s. The class is called Kids’ Pillowcase just because it worked for their system. Or email us and you can pay on the day of the class.

Happy Holidays!!

January Fashion Sewing Club begins Saturday

Happy 2016! Are you a resolution maker? Any of them pertaining to sewing? It’s always in the back of my mind but who is brave enough to say them outloud?

Anyway, Fashion Sewing Club 2016 begins tomorrow (Saturday, January 9)! Please notice that we have discontinued the Thursday morning meeting at Hancock Southtown for the winter. We apologize if that messes up your schedule, please let us know. If there’s a critical mass, we can start it up but the migration of the snowbirds leaves us with empty chairs.

January Fashion Sewing Club meetings-

Saturday, January 9, 10:30 am, Treadle Yard Goods
Tuesday, January 12, 10:30 am, Treadle Yard Goods
Thursday, January 14, 6:30 pm only, Hancock Fabrics, Southtown

The website is current with the new class offerings at Hancock and Treadle. We have had quite a few inquiries about sewing for school age kids. If after school isn’t an option we can always schedule something on a day there is no school so contact us if you are interested.

Here’s the January calendar. Hope to see many of you this month-stay warm this weekend! Click on Classes above for more info and registration.

Classes:

Treadle Yard Goods: To register call: 651-698-9690

Before You Buy a Serger: Saturday, January 9, 1:00-2:30
Kids’ After School Sewing: Tues., Jan. 12, 19, 26, Feb. 2, 4:00-5:30
Basic Serger and Beyond: Tuesdays, January 12, 19 and 23, 6:00-8:00

Hancock Fabrics, Southtown, Bloomington, First Sewing
*Please register in advance with Material Girls on our website or call us at 952-201-3863

Sewing Studio: Thursdays, January 7, 14, 21, and 28, 1:00-4:00
Tuesdays, Jan. 19, 26, 12:00-3:00
Sewing for Homeschoolers: Tuesday, January 19, 10-11:30 am
Kids’ After School Sewing: Thurs., Jan. 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 4:30-6:00
Beginning Sewing or Serging: Thursdays, January 14, 21 and 28, 6-8 pm

What Are Your Kids Doing This Summer?

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Let the games begin! Three girls, three skirts, one pillowcase dress and a brand new sewing machine! We’re having fun at Hancock this week. More classes scheduled throughout the summer-

June 22 & 24, 10:30-3 pm, Chanhassen Vacuum Center
June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 3-5 pm, Treadle Yard Goods
July 15, 16, 17, 10-12 pm, Hancock Southtown
July 28, 29, 30, 10-12 pm, Chanhassen Vacuum Center
July 28, August 4, 11, 3-5 pm, Treadle Yard Goods
Young Designer Targeted at teen sewists, beginning to advanced or younger sewists with experience that want to go further in garment sewing.
August 5, 12, 19, 10-1 pm, Hancock Southtown
Sewing for Parents Who Want Their Kids to Sew We know you don’t need a new hobby but would like to be supportive of your budding sewist. What you need to know about how a sewing machine works and what your child “needs” to purchase along the way.
June 24, 6:30-7:30 pm, Southtown Hancock
Click on Classes in the bar above for more details and registration.
Need a Sewing Machine?
First Sewing (inside Hancock Southtown) is offering a great basic machine in conjunction with our summer classes.
It’s an Elna with everything you need to get started. There are more Sew Green machines but Bruce has a few of the Sew Zebras so they will go on a first come, first serve basis. Let us know which one you’d like. These machines are good for beginners of any age so we’ll offer them to the beginning adults also.
Material Girls strongly advises you to purchase machines from dealers as opposed to big box stores or Amazon/eBay. Private dealers will help you out with your machine, guarantee their work and most will allow trade-ins should you want to upgrade to a fancier machine.
Material Girls receives no commission on machines-we just want to see happy sewists!

New Summer Classes-Kids Too!

Looking to pick up a new hobby, learn a new skill or just sew a fun dress this summer? Need a new beginner machine? (Scroll down). We have a great line up of classes to offer you at Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul, Hancock Southtown in Bloomington or Chanhassen Vacuum Center.

I’m going to highlight kids’ classes first because I’ve kept them waiting 😦

Summer Sewing-“Play” with your sewing machine and a variety of fabrics to create whatever you have in mind. Students will learn the how and why of constructing with various types of cloth and techniques to help them create on their own. Basic patterns for bags, stuffed animals, and garments will be available as jumping off points. Students are welcome to take several sessions as the projects are limited only by their imaginations. Beginner to advanced-always two teachers/small classes.

June 15, 16, 17, 1-4 pm, Hancock Southtown
June 22 & 24, 10:30-3 pm, Chanhassen Vacuum Center
June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 3-5 pm, Treadle Yard Goods
July 15, 16, 17, 10-12 pm, Hancock Southtown
July 28, 29, 30, 10-12 pm, Chanhassen Vacuum Center
July 28, August 4, 11, 3-5 pm, Treadle Yard Goods

Young Designer Targeted at teen sewists, beginning to advanced or younger sewists with experience that want to go further in garment sewing.
August 5, 12, 19, 10-1 pm, Hancock Southtown

Sewing for Parents Who Want Their Kids to Sew We know you don’t need a new hobby but would like to be supportive of your budding sewist. What you need to know about how a sewing machine works and what your child “needs” to purchase along the way.
June 24, 6:30-7:30 pm, Southtown Hancock

Click on Classes in the bar above for more details and registration.

Need a Sewing Machine?

First Sewing (inside Hancock Southtown) is offering a great basic machine in conjunction with our summer classes.
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It’s an Elna with everything you need to get started. There are more Sew Green machines but Bruce has a few of the Sew Zebras so they will go on a first come, first serve basis. Let us know which one you’d like. These machines are good for beginners of any age so we’ll offer them to the beginning adults also.
Material Girls strongly advises you to purchase machines from dealers as opposed to big box stores or Amazon/eBay. Private dealers will help you out with your machine, guarantee their work and most will allow trade-ins should you want to upgrade to a fancier machine.
Material Girls receives no commission on machines-we just want to see happy sewists!

New this summer is Serger Workshop. We have so many graduates of our Basic Sergery and Beyond (also being offered this summer at Treadle and Hancock Southtown) and are hoping that you are all making good use of you new tool but in case you need some ideas or handholding for either woven or knit projects, check out this class.

Fabric + Pattern=HELP!(Southtown) or Match Made in Heaven (Treadle)get further along the continuum of solving the persistent riddle of what fabric looks good in what pattern. Beginners to advanced-it’s always a tough question-we have lots of experience!

Design and Sew(Treadle) Translate what you like in RTW into your garment using available patterns (not always a straight line). Learn to see the basic elements of a garment/pattern and add the designer touches that make them unique.

Our Hancock Beginning Sewing class will divide into a Garment or Home Dec/Crafty path after basic machine knowledge is gained. Seasonal Sewing looks a lot like our Knit Wardrobe class of the past. Our topics for summer are tee shirt dresses/maxi skirts, linen pants/tankinis that cover and shirt dresses. Sewing Studio continues to meet Thursday afternoons from 1-4, the greatest deal for guided sewing around!

If you don’t see what you are looking for, we do private lessons.

Have a great summer-we hope sewing is part of it-with or without us!

February Fashion Sewing Club Begins Tomorrow

My apologies to anyone who received multiple emails or none at all. I will get it fixed.

In the mean time-here’s the content of the email some of you did or didn’t receive 🙂 Hope to see you at Club!

Dear Sewists,
Saturday morning at Treadle will start off the meetings for February. Hope to see you.

We have some fun classes this month-serger club will be making McCall’s 6844 cardigan which was voted by Pattern Reviewers as a Top Ten from 2013. You’ve seen three versions of this cardi at Club past meetings. Click here to see them again and come join us.

We’ve also started a Bag of the Month which can be made at any of our Sewing and Serging classes at Hancock or Chan. We will have the bags at the Club meetings or you can see them by scrolling down to the previous post.

And because we have been having lots of interest from the younger set, we are starting an After School Sewing class at both Treadle and Hancock, if you know anyone that would be interested.

February Fashion Sewing Club Dates

Saturday, February 8, 10:30 at Treadle Yard Goods

Tuesday, February 11, 10:30 at Treadle Yard Goods

Thursday, February 13, 10:30 or 6:30 at First Sewing, Bloomington Hancock Fabrics

Classes

Treadle Yard Goods: 651-698-9690,www.treadleyardgoods.com

Sew It Fits Presentation, Saturday, February 8, 2:00-4:30

Basic Sergery and Beyond, Tuesday, February 11, 2:00-4:00 (part 1)

Tuesday, February 18, 2:00-4:00 (part 2)

Tuesday, February 25, 2:00-4:00 (part 3)

Kids After School Sewing Club, Tuesday, February 11 and 25, 4:30-6:00

Duct Tape Double, Saturday, February 15, 10:00-4:00

Cover/Chain, Tuesday, February 18, 6:00-8:00

First Sewing, Bloomington Hancock Fabrics, 952-884-1938

*Please register with Material Girls website or call us at 952-201-3863

Sewing and Serging with the Material Girls

Monday, February 10, 10:00-12:00, 2:00-4:00, 6:00-8:00

Thursday, February 13, 2:00-4:00

Monday, February 17, 10:00-12:00, 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00

Thursday, February 20, 1:30-3:30

After School Sewing Club, Monday, February 10, 4:30-6:00

Monday, February 17, 4:30-6:00

Serger Club (Sweater Knit Cardi), Thursday, February 20, 10:30-12:30

Chanhassen Vacuum Center: 952-938-7838, http://www.chanvac.com

Junior Project Runway, Saturday, February 22, 10:30-1:30

Sewing and Serging with the Material Girls, Thursday, February 27, 1:00-3:00

Kids After School Sewing, Thursday, February 27, 4:30-6:00

Kristin and Debbie

Material Girls
http://www.materialgirlsewing.com
952-201-3863

School’s Out, Sewing’s In

Wanted to share some of the fun we’ve been having with summer classes–

Mom and daughter team at Eagle Creek Sophia Trench Coat class

Our first summer sewing class for budding sewists was Jr. Project Runway-see end of post for more classes for girls and boys.
Maxi’s, maxi’s…


…and more maxi’s

Pretty lace trim

Serger Club Cami

Another version of the camp and flat locking

Summer Sewing for Kids

Beginners-for those new to sewing
Projects will be the same for all sessions of Beginners

Dates, Times, Locations for Beginners
Tuesday-Friday, July 30-August 2, 10:30-12:30
Make It Sew, Chanhassen
Tuesday, August 20 and Wednesday, August 21, 10:30-2:30
Bloomington Hancock Fabrics

Advanced Beginners-for those who have sewn but not worked much with patterns
Projects are different for all classes so students may take 1, 2 or 3 sessions

Dates, Times, Locations for Advanced Beginners
Monday through Thursday, June 24-27, 2:00-4:00 OR
Friday, July 30-August 2, 2:00-4:00
Make It Sew, Chanhassen: call 952-767-0701 to register
Tuesday, August 20 and Wednesday, August 21, 10:30-2:30
Bloomington Hancock Fabrics

Junior Project Runway-for those ready to tackle a project of their own choosing
with guidance from instructors

Dates, Times, Locations for Junior Project Runway
-Thursday, July 18, 1:30-4:30
-Tuesday, August 27, 1:30-4:30
Make It Sew, Chanhassen

For questions or more info:
http://www.materialgirlsewing.com
Call: 952-201-3863
Email: materialgirlsewing@gmail.com

To register for classes:
Make It Sew-952-767-0701
Bloomington Hancock Fabrics: call 952-201-3863
or register online at materialgirlsewing.com

Check out the listings under “Classes” above and come join us!

April Fashion Sewing Club and Classes

Opposites attract.

Debbie and I taught sewing to two groups of girls during their spring breaks these past two weeks. Wonderful girls, budding skills and lots of fun. At one point, Debbie looked over and noticed our personal collections of embroidery flosses that we had brought along for teaching hand sewing. She pointed out how much they reflected our personalities and I laughed till I had tears running down my face. Maybe it was the fact that it was also Debbie’s birthday or the last day of our classes, who knows-but it made us both laugh for a long time. Debbie and I truly enjoy each other’s company and we bring different strengths (and quirks) to the partnership. Is it obvious to you whose floss is whose?

Since we are getting so much rain, maybe it’s a good time to do some sewing before the good weather gets here. We have quite a few classes on the schedule for April. We are also teaching sewing and serger classes at Hancock in Southtown beginning this month. We will offer the classes through First Sewing which is the sewing machine store that took over the Bernina space but you will also be able to sign up on our website (give me a day or two to get the changes made). Since there are two of us to teach and we want to ensure enough students in each class, we are offering two classes in the same time slot. We also want to clarify that Sewing With a Pattern is a guided sewing time open to all levels so if you are an experienced sewist stuck on an certain technique or have never used a pattern, that would be your class to be repeated as often as necessary.

Hope you can join us for Fashion Sewing Club or a class!

April Fashion Sewing Club Dates:
Tuesday, April 9, 10:30 @Treadle Yard Goods
Thursday, April 11, 10:30 or 6:30 @ Make It Sew
Saturday, April 13, 10:30 @ Treadle Yard Goods

April Classes:
Streamlined Blouse, Tuesday, April 9 and 16, 2:00-4:00 @ TYG
Basic Serger, Tuesday, April 9, 6:00-8:00 @ MIS
Knit Skirts, Thursday, April 11, 2:00-4:00 @MIS
Beyond Basic Sergery, Saturday, April 13, 2:00-4:00 @TYG
*New at Hancock, Monday, April 15:
Learn To Sew 10:00-12:00
Basic Serger 10:00-12:00
Beyond Basic Serger, 2-4:30
Sewing With a Pattern 2-4:30
Learn to Sew 6-8
Basic Serger 6-8
Designer Tee, April 16, 10:00-1:00, @ TYG
Serger Club (napkins), Thursday, April 18, 10:30-12:00 and 6:00-8:00 @ MIS
Sew With A Pattern, Thursday, April 18, 2:00-4:30 @ MIS
Beyond Basic Serger, Wednesday, April 24, 10:30-1:00 @TYG
Eternal Sergery, (Knit Skirt) Wednesday, April 24, 2:00-4:30 @ TYG
Crash Course/Learn to Sew, Thursday, April 24, 10:30-1:00 and 6:00-8:30 @ MIS
Advanced Serger, Thursday, April 25, 2:00-4:30 @ MIS
Basic Serger, Saturday, April 27, 10:30-12:30 @ MIS
Project Runway Kids, Saturday, April 27,1:00-4:00, @ MIS
Duct Tape Double, Monday, April 29, 10:00-4:00 @ TYG

Spring Break Sewing Camp