i’m a busy lady you guys. i’m one of those people who likes needs to be busy (like, really busy) or else i get kind of lazy. if i only have a few things to do, i’ll procrastinate like crazy. but if i have tons to do, i will generally crush it. (and then i’m exhausted and complaining about being tired, and i know there must be some deep-seeded psychological issues that prevent me from ever sitting still and relaxing. but that’s not the point of this post.) besides all of my extra-curricular sewing, making and baking, i’ve got a couple of jobs too. once i left new york, my job options became kind of limited, but i’ve managed to piece together a bunch of little-ish things (and some not very little). one of these jobs – my favorite job – is to teach sewing classes.

a few weeks ago i taught another Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine course at my local fabric shop. i like teaching this class so much – i love helping someone learn to use what may initially be an intimidating piece of equipment, and feel confident that they can make something on their own. (one of my students emailed me about a week after class, telling me that she’d already made a pillowcase and altered some shirts, and felt like she could take over the world! how cool is that?!)

i owe a fair amount of my success teaching this class to abby glassenberg and her awesome ebook Get To Know Your Sewing Machine: A Teacher’s Guide. when the fine ladies at my local fabric shop were lining up teachers for classes, i jumped at the chance to teach the beginner level course because i knew this ebook was out there, and i know how thorough and informative abby’s writing is. this book did not disappoint. it literally has all the information you need to teach this class. as an experienced sewer with very little training (besides you, my internet friends! and a few books.) there is so much about my machine that i take for granted. after sewing for over 20 years, threading is second nature, but i didn’t know the names of most of the machine parts! abby’s book provides an outline for the class, and spells out each step in a way that your students will understand, while providing some great resources for you and your class. i’ve actually taken everything a bit further and started a pinterest board that i share with my students, chock full of links to helpful resources like youtube videos and beginner sewing tutorials.

and in the class we make this sweet little drawstring bag from the purl bee. i have over a dozen of these now, and i find that the tote bag i carry around with me is increasingly full of other, smaller bags. guess what’s in this one below? more bags.

if you’ve ever considered teaching a beginner sewing class, i highly recommend that you check out abby’s book. and if you find yourself in midcoast maine, itching to learn how to sew, send me an email!