The staff of J&O is happy to announce that we are now offering basic sewing lessons. Located at our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey we are offering one-on-one classes where you can learn about this craft from our experts. For a flat rate of $60, you can become acquainted with all of the ins and outs of sewing:
We also offer classes on how to make no-sew tie blankets that are great for kids.
Summer is the time when communities come together most. Everyone is out on their porches and in parks; there is less hustle and bustle to get from door to door without a wicked winter wind blowing; time seems to slow down just enough to be able to do all that catching up with your neighbors that you have been meaning to do during the colder months.
One of the main excuses we have for not making our own clothing or home fashions is the lack of knowledge of how to sew. The second excuse is the time it would take to even do so. Luckily with access to the world wide web and the availabilty of almost every how to video, downloadable tutorial, and quick reference/resource guides, learning how to sew just got 100x easier. The best part is that once you learn how to sew, there are several quick and easy projects that take hardly any time to complete, some in less than an hour! That’s right! In less time than it takes you to pick out an outfit for that hot date or catch up on the latest episode of your favorite sitcom, you can complete any of a number of cool felt crafts, novelty cotton fashion accesories or home accent pieces made from upholstery fabric or decorative fabric ,and still have time to exhale. From satin pillows and vintage novelty aprons, to funky nylon bags and denim pants, sewing it all together is quicker than you think once you know how.
Each day one of the members of our J&O Family has the inviting yet sometimes arduous responsibility of posting our ‘Sewing Tip of the Day ‘ for our fabulous facebook fans and twitter followers to view, comment on, and discuss. And while we enjoy being able to supply those little tid bits of info, every once and awhile we find ourselves seeking the same guidance and assistance from our community of seamstresses, tailors, designers, artisans, crafters and self-taught elders.
Whether you lost your virginity 5 years ago or 50, every woman (and maybe some men) remembers their first. In the creative world of sewing, that recollection is no different. Whether an expert or a novice, everyone started somewhere and everyone remembers their first…..project that is. Was their first all they expected it to be? Maybe. Did they give intimate blow by blow details of it all? Depends on how good or how bad it was. If they knew then what they knew now, would they have done things differently? In the case of bad……YES!!!
In one of my previous J&O Fabric Store blogs I shared with you how my mothers black and grey metal Singer was both intimidating and yet compelling as well; drawing me to it as my mother showed me how to become not only more self-sufficient, but a good caretaker for the family I would one day create. With a thick rubber belt that now reminds me of the timing belt on my car, an adjustment knob that was about the size of a saucer, and weighing in at what seemed to be comparative to the weight of a small child, that old Singer was one sturdy machine. And though time would erase the exact date of her departure, my memories would create a blueprint for succeeding sewing machines to measure up to. They had to be dependable, strong, and low maintenance. But just like many other oldie but goodies that modern technology has replaced, the machines of my day would fall short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I sure can appreciate the portability and extra tricks my plastic Kenmore can perform, but nothing beats my mama’s black and grey Singer. Even after all these years, I still keep an industrial Singer on hand just in case my 58-stitch-built-in-needle-threader-machine fails me. Funny thing though, is that it seems I’m not the only one. After my co-worker posed her own inquiry to our fabulous facebook fans asking the question, “What do you miss most about the older sewing machines?”, the overall response seemed to speak for itself. So in ode to the Old, take a moment to check out some of our people pole views.
When I was learning how to sew, I would buy the easiest patterns from McCalls or Simplicity. You know, the 12 outfits in one patterns. I was young, on a budget, and couldn’t see myself spending a bunch of money on a bunch of different patterns when I could get one or two to make three or four. I would unfold the neatly packaged beige colored tissue paper and carefully pin to my fabric with the hopes of not accidentally ripping important instructions or seam indicators. Once done with, I would struggle to reinsert my fragile blueprints back into their respective envelopes, now seemingly three sizes too small, for use another day. Twenty years and many tattered patterns later, I discovered a much easier and more preserving way to store them that has them looking as good as new, use after use. My trick, transferring the flimsy tissue weight patterns along with necessary blueprints onto heavyweight craft paper, grabbing a few plastic pant hangers, and hanging them up in my storage closet for reuse. Now wrinkle and rip free, I pin without caution to my beautiful dress fabrics as if the patterns were as new as the material they were laying on.
Every once and awhile we come across a blog other than our own that speaks to the ideas and topics we as seamstresses and craftsmen(women) have interest in. Whether it’s a new technique, sewing gadget or application, or the latest trend in fabrics and textile goods, if it has to do with our livlihood, we want to know!
It would be just the other day that I would stumble across this blog as I was searching for ideas to expound on for our own Facebook sewing tip of the day. For both novices and experts alike, this simple breakdown of four basic stitches has its way of coming in handy long after our first needle has been thread many years ago.
I remember when I first started to sew, there were many a project that didn’t quite make it past the cutting room floor. There were corduroy pants that looked like they were designed for one legged men that weighed at least 300 lbs, linen blouses with collars of uneven proportions ( now quite fashionable), and the inevitable ‘wrong side out’ pillowcase that I just knew I had gotten right the first time.
Trouble sewing knits and stretch fabric? Fret no more. Here are a three simple tips for hemming your cotton jersey tees and comfy yoga pants without all the waves!
