Summer Fun
Special workshops, Summer Camp, and more!
Summer is nearly here! I’ve got the shop door propped open letting the warm late spring air in and listening to upbeat tunes. I love this time of year! Time to shake out the cobwebs and get outside and, in my case, plan for some super fun summer classes and workshops.
A rose painted wooden board on a metal gate spotted in Colorado a few days ago.
I can’t wait to share Patchwork’s summer offerings with you as we’ve got some great classes and workshops as well as some really exciting new offerings, including a multi month long series for textile nerds and plant lovers alike called Coaxing Summer onto Cloth and our first ever Summer Camp!
In this newsletter…
Summer Classes ✤ Teen Style Camp and Coaxing Summer onto Cloth ✤ In the Studio ✤ Recent Favorites from ‘The Web’ ✤ and of course the monthly Studio Playlist!
Summer Classes
Photos of upcoming classes L-R: A brown linen box top with a white neckband, a student’s patchwork tote in canvas with yellow and hot pink pineapples, an in progress pride flag on the cutting table.
This summer I’m delighted to offer more 1 day workshops, especially for folks who live a bit far away from the studio. We’re kicking things off in June with a one day Sew a Linen Box Top class on June 2nd. We got a ton of gorgeous linen donated this spring and I devised this class for folks of all skill levels to make an easy, breezy boxy top just using their measurements.
If you’re a total beginner, take our one day Learn to Sew: Patchwork Tote Bag class on Monday June 3rd or Friday August 16th? It covers all the basics of using a sewing machine and you’ll leave with a beautiful and useful tote bag.
June is also 🌈Pride Month and we’re hosting a Queer Craft Night on Thursday June 6th. Bring a craft (or come and learn something new-we’ll have supplies!) and meet some other creative LGBTQ+ folks!
Later in June I’m launching a new meeting time (Thursday evening) for our very popular Open Sewing Studio! This is our anything goes sewing class for all levels. Bring in the project of your choice and get support in a fun and social environment. We’ll be running it every 1st and 4th Thursday during the Summer as a pilot, starting June 27th
Photos of upcoming classes L-R: A white baseball cap with the patchwork logo on the front, a pair of muslin pants in the fitting process, an in progress striped tshirt.
Back by popular demand: For those with a little more sewing experience who want to level up their skills and try something new, check out Sew a Baseball Cap on Saturday June 29th. In this class, students will make a custom cap and even have the opportunity to add custom embroidery to the front.
Do you love to sew but struggle to get the right fit from the garments you make? Come to Make It Fit on Saturday July 6th, a 4 hour workshop where we’ll review selecting sizes, paper alterations, and making a muslin mockup to fine tune the fit of your dream garment. Bring in a new project or something you’ve made before and want to try again.
In August, you’ll have a chance to make the perfect late summer/early fall tee in Sew a T-Shirt starting August 13th. This is a great opportunity to try out sewing with knits and make a super wearable item!
Teen Style Camp!
Do you have a creative teen who loves fashion and wants to make their own clothes? Sign them up for Teen Style Camp, where they’ll get the opportunity to explore their unique style and express themselves. This week long summer camp is the perfect opportunity for your teen to explore the world of design, sewing, and embellishment with other fashion lovers 13-17. Campers will learn how to make mood boards, sketch garments, develop surface designs, modify patterns, and sew a finished garment. This class is suitable for all skill levels, no sewing experience necessary. Camp runs the week of July 22nd-26th from 10am to 3pm.
Coaxing Summer onto Cloth: A Four Part Natural Dye and Stitch Cohort
I’m so excited about this workshop I can’t even stand it! Maggie Ruth Haaland and I have organized an amazing seasonal course called Coaxing Summer onto Cloth focusing on how to preserve the beauty of summer blooms and plants on cloth, including eco printing, flower pounding and pressing, cyanotypes, and quilting! You won’t want to miss this magical workshop series starting on July 21st and running through October.
And of course…
If you’d like to get some one on one instruction and get help with a specific project, you can 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.
In the Studio
Here’s a few snaps of what’s been happening in at Patchwork lately:
Somebody left the most darling vintage Kenmore sewing machine on our doorstep. I haven’t tested it yet, but it appears to be in very good shape. We get sewing machine donations all the time! If you have a local organization that needs a sewing machine or are a student or teacher in need of one, we’ll pass one along to you free of charge. Just get in touch!
We held another super fun Cyanotype workshop last weekend and the results were stunning! Check out our Instagram to see some of the finished prints.
I’ve been teaching myself how to tool leather and it’s been so fun! I love learning a new skill and while this one felt pretty daunting at first, a few Youtube walk throughs and some practice pieces have me feeling confident to start a real project!
Our Learn to Quilt students finished up four stunning first quilts!
Recent Favorites from ‘The Web’
A close of of Sarina Angell’s Held Tight Vase Tee via sarinaangell.com, a Victorian glove screen printed in black and white on a white t-shirt holding a daffodil.
Do people even say that anymore? I want to bring it back. Chalk it up to 90’s nostalgia, perhaps. Here’s a little collection of some of my favorite projects I’ve stumbled upon recently while browsing the world wide web!
I absolutely love this Held Tight Vase Tee from Sarina Angell. I love a little fabric vessel moment (I used to make fabric wall vases) and this little Victorian looking hand is particularly clever.
As a gender non conforming person, and somebody who generally loves the way that fashion allows us to play with gender so fluidly, I’m always drawn to expressions of gender identity rendered in cloth! Nonbincrafts on Instagram recently shared a hand knit tank top they worked on while recovering from top surgery that mimics their chest scars. I love this kind of graphic and literal expression of their new chest!
Zero waste patterns are so cool. I love the amount of geometry and engineering that goes into it. I particularly like this zero waste cargo skirt by The Sew Sew. It has a very nice 90’s tech vibe and would look great in all sorts of fabrics.
I love a layering piece these days and I’ve been really into vests (I still love my Patchwork Vest so much!) and like the idea of whipping up vests using different craft techniques. This reversible crochet vest by Daylahanh on Instagram is such a cool combination of color and texture, perfect for elevating a simple outfit to something special.
This Month’s Studio Playlist
Here’s some toasty, groovy tunes to welcome in the summer… and the unseasonably warm weather today. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter! Feel free to share with a friend.