Hi friends!
I haven't sent out a newsletter in a while. This summer has been both incredibly full and wonderful and also incredibly challenging. I kicked off May with a trip to Barcelona which was equal parts rejuvenating and exhausting. A lot of the summer was also spent helping to care for a sick family member. I marched in my first Pride parade with my girlfriend (and made an incredible shirt [IG link] to match) and simultaneously lamented the numerous legislative attacks on my queer and trans community.
I just wrapped up a short trip to the Finger Lakes for a little reset and to soak up the last bits of summer. I have some exciting classes and events planned for Patchwork this Fall that I can't wait to share, the first of which are listed below!
Laffland, a ride at Sylvan Beach amusement park in New York. This park feels basically unchanged since the 60’s and is an absolute delight. The façade of this ride is complete with a giant colorful letters, weird cartoon clowns, and the moniker, ‘world’s craziest ride’.
I hope you’ve been delighting in any summertime adventures you’re having as well. The downside of so much travel is not having much time for some crucial summer sewing projects (looking at you, suit jacket, stripped t-shirt and black jeans 👀)
In this newsletter…
Pricing Updates ✤ September & October Classes ✤ Fashion Inclusivity Link Roundup ✤ Color Analysis Grids ✤ A Playlist for: Beach
Pricing Updates
If you’ve signed up for recent classes or taken a private lesson, you may have noticed our sliding scale price format. For those unfamiliar with this concept, I thought I’d take a moment to break down the price structure.
Sliding scale pricing is used by many businesses and individuals to help make their offerings more accessible. The idea is to offer a price range: folks who have limited income can still access the service at a lower price and folks who can afford to pay more can do so to help offset the lower price.
Patchwork offers three price tiers:
Accessible Price
This is the lowest price and is offered to folks who are not able to afford the class at the higher price, need to save money, who have limited income, or are paying off debt/student loans. It is not a discounted or sale price.
Standard Price
This is the actual price of the class. If you’re unsure which option to pick, it’s this one.
‘Pay It Forward’ Price
As the title suggests, this price tier is for folks who may have more flexible income and would like to help cover the costs of other folks and help support the space financially in general.
Whatever price feels comfortable to pay is the right one for you, no questions asked. We also offer scholarships to folks for whom the lower price point is still out of reach. Please send us an email to learn about scholarships. There is typically one scholarship space available per class.
If you have any questions about pricing, feel free to get in touch!
September & October Classes
Classes for September and October are live! We’ve got some great longer form classes and super fun workshops.
Make Your Own Jeans - $175
5 Thursdays at 7pm - 9pm // Starts September 7th
Create the perfect pair of jeans! Learn professional techniques while adding unique touches that will make your jeans stand out. With our step-by-step guidance, sewing jeans doesn't need to be intimidating. We’ll have a great selection of designer denim to choose from, as well as jeans specific notions like topstitching thread and rivets! Use any jeans pattern or meet with Taylor beforehand to custom fit a pattern or make your favorite fitting pattern into jeans.
Cyanotypes On Fabric - $65
Sunday 10-1pm // October 1st
Come learn a traditional photographic process and make prints on fabric using sunlight! In this workshop, we’ll start by discussing the process of preparing fabric for cyanotype printing. Then, students will have the opportunity to practice printing on small swatches before creating one large fabric print on a pre-treated fat quarter of fabric (18”x22”).
Make a Quilt - $160
4 Tuesdays at 7pm - 9pm // Starts October 3rd
Learn the all the skills to make a simple baby quilt. We'll discuss a few common quilt blocks and how to sew them, combining the layers, quilting, and binding. This class is suitable for all levels, though you'll need to know how to use a sewing machine. Take our Learn To Sew: Throw Pillow or a 1 hr private lesson and you'll be all set with the skills you need to take this class.
Sunday Sew: Alterations
Sunday 1-5pm // October 22nd
The first in a series we’re calling Sunday Sew: and afternoon alterations workshop. Come take an afternoon and learn how to fit and fix your clothes! Hem those pants! Let out that dress! Restyle an old favorite! This relaxed afternoon workshop is a great way to spend a Sunday.
If you’re a newbie and interested in learning the basics, check out our monthly Learn To Sew: Throw Pillow Workshop or sign up for a private lesson! You can also learn how to use your Serger in Serger Skills or work on a project of your own choosing in Open Sewing Studio.
Fashion Inclusivity in the News
A dress designed by Claire McCardell, a groundbreaking American designer who will be featured in the MET’s upcoming exhibition Women Dressing Women. The dress is made from turquoise and white striped fabric that is pleated at the neckline. It is cinched with a mustard yellow belt.
This recent NYT article about the rise and fall of plus size fashion offerings makes a great case for learning to sew. (Somebody reposted on Reddit if you can’t access the NYT.)
I also really appreciate this Instagram reel from Blackwomenstitch that points out the racism involved in collecting the data that forms the basis of modern day womenswear sizing standards. She’s writing a book and I can’t wait to read it.
Read about BBC Channel 4’s new reality offering Unique Boutique, a show that focuses on creating bespoke clothes for folks with disabilities.
The next exhibition coming to the MET’s costume institute is Women Dressing Women. It will be interesting to see if the MET can deliver on this exhibition’s promises, to showcase the work of designers who are often forgotten or neglected by the industry, the history, and the museum.
Color Analysis Grids
A color analysis from a rose colored vase: a grid with a selection of rose, white, blue, yellow, yellow green, pink and blue squares. Below, a list of each color and how many squares they fill out of 100.
I recently stumbled upon the work of Emily Noyes Vanderpoel and her color analysis diagrams and fell in love. Wouldn’t they be amazing made up as quits? Vanderpoel wrote about and studied color extensively and shared her philosophy of the power of color. The Public Domain Review includes a selection of her color analysis and a little background on her work.
This Month’s Studio Playlist
Click here to listen on Spotify (or use the embedded player below!)
Here’s a little variety of sandy tunes, perfect for if you describe your job as, ‘Beach.’
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter! Feel free to share with a friend.
Uhm, this Playlist. *heart*