Hello!!!
I am incredibly excited to announce the launch of my new sewing workshops. I am also very excited that I have managed to grasp the opportunity to launch them during Adult Learners Week. It is always lovely to gain a new skill and learn something new.
I am absolutely thrilled (and still somewhat surprised) that the three trial dates I have booked in are pretty much fully booked and fills me with not only confidence that people would want to come along to meet with me and learn the basics of sewing but I am also incredibly nervous in case it falls to pieces!!!
Sewing has become incredibly fashionable again in the last couple of years and is a wonderful skill to have.
I say that the dates I have booked in are to trial the workshops just so I can see how they go, work out exactly how long the sessions need to be, get some feedback and gain some insight into what people new to sewing want and like.
The first one will take place on Saturday 18th May 2013 at Port Talbot Library, followed by a workshop on Tuesday 21st May 2013 at Neath College and the final trial workshop will be held in Pontardawe Library on Wednesday 22nd May 2013.
If the three trial dates work well then I will hopefully be running sewing workshops which are aimed at complete beginners on a regular basis in various venues. I am looking at setting up regular clubs in local villages and towns (something maybe once a fortnight or once a month).
I am so passionate about sewing and having built my little business into something which I so dearly love that it would be amazing to teach others who have never even picked up a needle before to complete a project and to be proud of what they have managed to achieve in such a short space of time.
This is why my workshops are all going to be project based. You will come along to a session lasting 1.5 - 2 hours long and by the end of the session you will have made something to take away. All workshops to begin with are going to be based around hand sewing. I would love to introduce machine sewing at some point but that will be well in the future.
SO - do you want to know what we will be doing next week???
WE WILL BE MAKING...
FAT FREE CAKES :-)
They will be very much like these, and they can be decorations (simply strung with ribbon) or turned into keyrings - the choice will be yours. Also, if we have time we will be embroidering each one with the word CAKE (unless you would prefer it to say something else - like your name for example) just so you can learn that extra skill too.
This is the outline I have: -
1. Tea/Coffee/Cake at the start (hopefully - I am in the process of confirming this with the venues) to get us all settled, with some introductions where I will explain who I am, what I do and you get the opportunity to tell me what if any sewing experience you have. The little knowledge you have the better so I can really make you feel like you have achieved something wonderful by the end of the session!!
2. We will then have a quick chat about what we will make, what materials we will use, the different kinds of materials you can buy, where to buy them. You will each be given your own supplies to use for the session including various size scissors, fabrics, wool felt, as many buttons as you wish to use, lots of embroidery thread, set of needles and a few other bits and bobs.
3. We will then tackle the basics of sewing. You will learn how to sew two pieces of fabric together. You will learn running stitch, back stitch, how to sew buttons on, we will embroider some lettering amongst other things.
4. We will finish off the session having made a fabulous product and you can ask me any questions you wish about sewing, my business, anything craft related etc.
5. Before you leave you will get the opportunity to purchase craft supplies if you wish to continue your new skills at home - fabrics, wool felt, buttons, ribbon etc. You are under no obligation to look at or purchase anything whatsoever, but the option is there if you fancy it. You can always simply take my business card with you so should you change your mind when you get home you can contact me and purchase online instead.
6. Finally, each person who attends the three trial sessions next week will be entered into a competition to win a fantastic craft pack to get your new skill underway in return for filling out a short feedback questionnaire. Again, you are under no obligation to complete the questionnaire but if you can that would be incredibly helpful to me and you could be the lucky winner of some lovely goodies.
AND THAT IS IT!
I really cannot wait to meet you all and get started.
I am keeping everything crossed that this is the start of a new big adventure for me. The skill of sewing needs to be kept alive and the more people I can teach the basics of, the happier I will be.
