The Last Business Post for Awhile (because we have a lot of sewing projects to share)

If you follow us on Instagram, you know that I went to Ventura this past weekend for the Craftcation Business + Makers conference. This event gathers together people who work in the craft industry, people who own craft based businesses, professional makers and people who would like to be professional makers. There are small business classes, panel discussions, round table talks, crafty workshops and of course the beach!

It was a much needed break to refuel and re-connect, and more than anything else I am SO grateful to be in the company of smart and savvy ladies and gents who are passionate about what they do. I shared a lot of my own experiences and learned a ton from others, and I even got to make something! One of the problems with owning a crafty business is that it tends to be more business and less craft, so making is always treasured. 

Cathy Callahan's Ombre Dye Workshop

Sew L.A.'s Quick Market Bag class

Another problem with being a small business owner is that there is no one to tell you what to do - every day you have to kind of make it up as you go along. If you have been with us from the beginning or if you have been in classes that I teach most likely you have gotten an earful about the state of modern small businesses and how weird and difficult it is to navigate the waters. 

The payoffs have always outweighed the perils however, and that's why we are still here! Every time a new sewer looks at me and says 'I can really do it!' or when two of my 9 year old after-school kids make AMAZING LINED COATS I know I would do it all over again. It's truly a blessing to be able to assist in unlocking creativity on a daily basis.

Sew L.A. is eight years old now, and we have been through a lot. Three different locations - doubling our space each time - fantastic people coming and going (most recently our beloved Haley relocated to Portland - sad face emoji!) - great parties & events - fabulous dresses and skirts and pants and pillows and totes and embroidery projects made - and I want to continue to teach until I fall down.

So with that aim in mind, we will be closing the retail portion of Sew L.A. at the end of April. Our classroom will still be located in the back part of our space (with a bit of a makeover) and our select inventory will be organized for only online sales. What does this change mean to you, our student and customer?

- You will be able to sign up for our wonderful classes on our website. We will be offering not only our own well-known sewing classes but workshops and seminars by local teachers and professional makers from across the country.

- You will be able to get all of your class supplies when you sign up (or at any time) in the form of a kit or individual items from our online shop.

- Once a month or so, we will have a pop-up shop (i.e. party) in the classroom where you can stop in and say hi, visit with us and visit the fabric (and also take some home with you if you like). 

- All of your questions regarding classes, policies, purchasing, zipper length and thread color will be answered in a timely manner via email.

- You will still have access to the best and newest fabric being released in our carefully curated online shop.

- You will have the opportunity to take a wide variety of creative classes besides sewing: fiber arts, woodworking, figure drawing, calligraphy, paper arts, bookbinding, basket weaving, soap making, candle making and crafty business management, to name a few.

- You will soon have many more Sew L.A. patterns to choose from as my time can now be spent creating and producing them rather than overseeing the shop. (This is the part I’m really excited about!)

‘But Shaerie’, you might say, ‘What is the reason for taking this step? Doesn’t the retail store make Sew L.A. a ton of money?’ The short answer to this question is that retail is not nearly as easy as it looks. And fabric is hands-down one of the worst inventories a shop can carry: it’s huge, heavy, expensive and slow moving. And then there’s the staffing, upkeep, taxes and merchandising costs to consider. 

Lastly, it takes TIME and that is what I have none of. With my 2 1/2 year old in daycare three days a week, I have about 15 hours a week to run the entire business. This is definitely something they don’t teach you in business school - how to navigate life changes and still run your business effectively. 

getting crafty with washi tape

So, to sum it up, in the cycle of a business it’s just as important to realize when to downsize as it is to know when to expand - and that’s what the idea is with this change. Downsizing to manageable while the baby is home, and ramping it back up again when he gets older. Oh, the visions I have for expanding again! 

April 25th will be the last day the shop is open - and of course there will be a big sale - then we’ll be closed for renovation from April 26 - May 1st. The classroom will reopen on May 2nd for classes! And throughout this next month we’ll be working on reconfiguring the website to reflect these changes. Meanwhile, feel free to email me at classes (at) sew-la (dot) com with any questions, comments or concerns. Now, let’s go make some great stuff! 

xoxoShaerie

P.S. - if you are a maker who would like to teach a workshop with us, let me know! If you've taught before we can get one going pretty quickly - and if you've never taught before but would like to we can help you develop your class. Everybody wins!

New Classes for Fall 2012!

We are so excited to announce our newest classes for the Fall semester! There's a little bit of branching out happening, so we have included a fantastic embroidery class along with our usual sewing fare.

First on the list is the Miz Mozelle Dress from Jamie Christina Patterns. I fell in love with the details - the bias trim, the keyhole neckline, the sweet collar - and then was impressed by how professional the pattern was. Nicely drafted with very clear instructions - just the thing for a new class. I'm super excited to teach people how to make their own bias tape in this class - it will open up a whole new world of trimming! The dress below is made from Nani Iro's Waltz in turquoise with lime cotton trim.  This intermediate class is scheduled for two dates: Fri. October 5th and Sat. December 1st. 

For The Kimono Kid, Rebecca will be teaching this adorable kimono style pajama top from an Oliver + S pattern! With all the super-cute Ed Emberly fabrics from Cloud9 in the shop, there's no lack of choice for the main fabric. This top will fit 6 – 12 months (chest: 19”) through size 8 (chest 26 ½”), and the class will teach you how to sew the band smoothly and how to navigate inset corners. The two-session class is offered twice this semester: Sun. October 21st and Mon. December 3rd.

Ed Emberley for Cloud9 Organic Fabrics

We are thrilled to welcome Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching fame to teach here at Sew L.A.! Jenny's fame has been spread far and wide as she takes the embroidery world by storm with her brilliant designs. She's teaching three intro classes this semester - with all the supplies you need included in the class fee - and in December we'll be offering a project class for everyone who has taken the intro class already. 

Intro to Embroidery is scheduled for Sat. October 13th, Weds. November 14th and Sat. December 1st. 

Jenny Hart

Devon will be teaching the Liberated Log Cabin quilt top class, which takes the traditional piecing method and skews it just enough to make it really interesting! You can pick a fabric to use as a central theme, then mix & match your other fabrics from there. The class will create a 40 x 54" quilt top, and is only offered once this time around, starting Sun. October 7th. It's open to anyone who has taken our Quilt Making Basics class or who has similar experience! 

Lastly, I'm introducing a new Sew L.A. pattern & class this semester, the One Day Wallet! It's a quick and easy project that allows you to utilize some of the gorgeous prints we currently have in stock. It's a second level beginner class (you only need one other beginner class before this one), and it's offered on Sat. October 6th, Sat. November 24th, and Weds. December 19th. 

Violet Blouse Sleeve Adaptation

Everyone knows how much we love the Violet Blouse pattern from Colette - such a comfortable but still put-together look! I myself have 4 of the short sleeve persuasion, so I thought it was about time to sew up the mid-length sleeve variation. 

The difference here is that I thought it would look GREAT with a band to finish the sleeve instead of elastic, and then I thought of doing a post to show you how! (This might have also been suggested by 3 or 4 Violet Blouse classes... in a row...) 

And of course I needed something to compliment my skirt made from 'Zebras & Giraffes':

So here we go! First, measure your arm just below the elbow. To that measurement, add up to 2" for ease - my measurement was 9 3/4" and I added enough extra to make 11 1/2". That measurement will be the length of your band.

Schoolhouse Tunic Makeover!

We all love the Schoolhouse Tunic from Sew Liberated. It's pretty easy to sew, it lends itself to many different types of fabric, Sew Liberated was one of the first indie pattern companies, and it's EASY TO ALTER! This tutorial is great if you have already taken our Schoolhouse Tunic class or if you are sewing at the intermediate level.

I personally need a little bit of shaping at the waist, even if it's a garment that I want to pull on over my head. So I added waist darts to my first try... and quickly realized that I wanted to close up the front so I didn't have to wear a camisole all the time.

Here's an EASY method for closing up the front of your Schoolhouse - you can add waist darts or not - if you do, make sure it still goes over your head easily by sewing a muslin first from your altered bodice pattern!

You'll need a pencil, your clear ruler and your pattern - just cut around the front bodice pieces and the placket to separate them, don't cut your size out yet. If you are working from a pattern that has already been cut, you may need to add a bit of tissue to the bottom edge if you are adding a waist dart.

Colette's Macaron Dress and a Quick Skirt Change

Dress post! I finished my Macaron dress just in time for my friend Jimm's wedding. As usual, I was handsewing practically in the car on the way to the ceremony... this seems to happen at every formal event I ever go to. I have had my eye on this dress ever since it was released by Colette - especially after seeing all the cute versions of it being made all over the country - and when Christine decided to do it as a class I thought I'd try it out.

The pattern features a top contrast yoke and a really cool sweetheart illusion neckline. It has little cap sleeves and a bit of a bubble skirt with pleats with secret pockets. The bubble part was the only thing I changed as I really don't need that shape on my body. It looks great on a lot of peeps though! I chose fancy fabrics since this is a more formal dress - Nani Iro's 'Fuccra Rakuen' in peach and a silk/cotton blend in espresso for the contrast:

Fall Quilt Market 2011, Part Two!

Here's Part Two of our Fall 2011 Quilt Market coverage, which took place in Houston this year - this post will feature Melody Miller, Nani Iro, Echino, Kokka and Kiyohara.  I'll be posting the final part next week, which will focus on some of our amazing American designers like Alexander Henry, Lizzy House and Marisa Haedike. Remember, we don't actually HAVE this fabric yet - except the ECHINO which is in the shop right now! - it will be arriving end of December / beginning of January.

On the second day of Quilt Market, I met up with some of our favorite Japanese companies. You'll recognize the designers because this is the fabric we all get so excited about that we can't stop talking! First stop is the new Melody Miller collection, Ruby Star Shining. She combines her vintage themed motifs with the most gorgeous colors for this group!

Naomi Ito from Nani Iro only has 4 fabrics this fall, but they are all beautiful. The pale blue and red florals are just the delicate designs we expect, with the dots adding a bit of playfulness. The silver dot fabric is a little sparkly!

We already have the newest Echino in the shop, but I thought I'd take a couple of "inspiration" pictures so you can see what it looks like made up.

These two following prints are the Quilt Market "bonus" prints - lighter weight linen/cotton that will be arriving at the end of the year:

Kokka has released a super-cute organic cotton collection with some very lovely colorways. 

Some mousies...

sheep and giraffes...

  and fun animal silhouette camouflage prints!

The ladies from Prints Charming in Australia have released their newest line with Kokka, called Daisy Chain.

I especially love this print in this colorway:

Last stop for the day was the Kiyohara booth, where I was quickly overwhelmed by the new Kayo Horaguchi collection. Her whimsical designs and fantastic color sense get me every time! They also had a line of patterns that we will be carrying - they are in Japanese but we certainly aren't going to let THAT stop us.

Cats! With little bowler hats!

Sloth carrying umbrella, of course.

Technicolor zebra and giraffe:

My favorite border print:

And that wraps it up for today! Join us in a few for the last post from this year's Market, along with a few profound thoughts.

Project-wise, I have a few tutorials coming up - replacing elastic with a band on a sleeve, how to close up the front of your Schoolhouse Tunic, and how to straighten out the skirt of your Macaron so it's not so bubbly. A Blouse Post is in the works as well!