Sewing 101 in Portuguese

Sewing 101
I just love teaching and today was no exception. Except for the fact that I did the class half in English and half in Portuguese. Teaching sewing in Portuguese is new for me. I have been teaching a class in social media and selling on the internet in Portuguese, but sewing is a little different.
It was so much fun watching someone who didn't know how to thread a machine leave the sewing studio with a zippered wristlet. Today I taught a mother and daughter how to sew and this is what they made.

Pillows 101 September Class

Pillows 101

I decided to have a pillow class in September for the beginner sewer. First we will practice sewing straight and pivoting our fabric so we can have great corners. Then we will be cutting out the pillow and installing a zipper on the bottom. Once that is done we will sew all around and our pillow will be done. Pre registration is required, no walk-ins please.

http://www.mariasewsalot.com/Pages/Classes.aspx

September is National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month.  I'm going to start the very beginning of the month with sewing classes. I'm sew excited! Classes are going to start on the third so we can start of and get four full weeks. I have been pinning all kinds of boards on Pinterest of the fun things I want to do. The Sewing 101 are starting to fill up the specialty class I will be adding in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking we are going be sewing here 7 days a weeks and I just can't wait! National Sewing Month +Maria Sews A Lot is going to be a blast! Wait until you see the little crochet flowers I'm working on.http://www.mariasewsalot.com/Pages/Classes.aspx

September Sewing Classes

In September we will be starting all our sewing classes the first week so we can get a whole four weeks of sewing fun in. We will be keeping the Sewing 101 the same Monday's 10-12 Wednesday's 6:30-8:30 and Saturday's 9-11. That seemed to work out for most people. If it didn't work out for you send me and e-mail. The Know Your Sewing Machine I will continue doing as a private class, as I feel people get more out of it that way and they learn about their machine not somebody else's.

I will be adding a few more classes and put up a calendar so people can see what classes are what days. I will be adding a window treatment class, a pillow class, a flower making class, crochet class, knitting class. A start your own sewing business class and the class everyone has been asking me for is a social media class. Let's get everybody's Klout up. http://klout.com/home

If there are specific class someone is interested in taking please let me know.

It's going to be an exciting time at 262 Main St. this September. Hope everyone is ready?  I will be adding classes the month of August the the link below will be changing.

http://www.mariasewsalot.com/Pages/Classes.aspx

Embroidered beach totes

Lately I have come to really love my embroidery machine. I have been playing with the different fonts available and making beach totes for people. Here are some samples. Hope you like them.

July 4th Independence Day

Happy Independence Day, hope you fly your flags proud and are thankful for all you have. It's been a long week here and an even longer weekend. It's now time to merge all our different cultures into one great culture and head to the beach or have a barbecue, parade or baseball or how ever you choose to celebrate July 4th. After all how many countries really have a birthday?

My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!  ~Thomas Jefferson

Beach totes and backpacks

These are the new totes and backpacks I currently have. I just love the colors. They can be embroidered on which I just love to do. Enjoy

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/mariasewsalot

 

 

Sewing Inspiration for starting your business

Lately I have been having a lot of women calling or emailing me about starting their own sewing related business.  So I have decided that come September I will be having a class to help everyone get all their thoughts and ideas down. To help everyone form a timeline of when they want to start and what it is exactly they want to do.  There are so many talented people out there, there is no reason why you should let a little fear get in your way.
If you are one of the few that has driven by the studio and thought maybe I should stop, well you really should. It's a lot of fun, maybe this blog is for you to see.  I am also looking for a few talented sewing and crafting teachers for fall classes, if that is you call, email, text, Facebook or better yet stop by. You might like it.

Custom Sewing

                                                     Custom Sewing
Lately I have been getting a lot of calls from people that want custom items sewn.  I am really enjoying that.  It started with an apron then a knitting needle case, an embroidered hanky made out of someone's shirt.  Then back to an apron again, a pocketbook, a wine glass coaster, backpack and back to an apron.  The first apron was very design specific, the second one we worked on was a custom embroidery that I thought came out pretty good. It made me realize how much I really love making custom sewing items.  It made realize how lucky I am that I get to do what I love every day and people get so happy to receive the sewing items I make for them.  Hope you enjoy these pictures, check out my Facebook for more.

Display rack

King Richard's Faire Costume Class

Wristlet how to

Here is the wristlet information everyone really needs. I'm going to write it up like a recipe with pictures. I'm not putting any sizes because you can make it any size or shape you want. If you want to add any ribbon or anything else to your fabric sew it on your designer fabric first while it is still a single piece. If you have any questions message me.

Supplies
2 pieces of designer fabric (cut to your requirements)
2 pieces of lining fabric ( cut to your requirements)
Zipper (length of opening)

1. Place Designer or outside fabric on table facing up. Place zipper facing down on designer fabric. Place lining over zipper and designer fabric. Pin. Stitch
2. Put designer fabric right side up put completed piece over designer fabric and line up zipper. Place line over zipper, pin stitch.
3. Open up all 4 pieces and top stitch each top and bottom. Make sure you move the zipper foot to the other side if you need to.
4. Now here is the tricky part. Take both lining pieces together and both designer or outside pieces together. And pin them.
5. Match center seams and pin leave zipper open half way for easier turning and sewing. Pin all around except for about 2" on bottom of lining ( very important for turning later). If you are placing a wrist strap you would do that now. That would go about 1 1/2" from your zipper opening for safety. Now you can sew.
6. Turn inside out pull out corners and you have a wristlet or make-up bag. You just need to sew up the bottom of the lining. That is just a straight stitch and you're done.

Shiny Princess Room at Maria Sews A Lot

The Shiny Princess Room is a place where I think people are going to have a lot of fun. I can see birthday parties there, craft parties, parents having fun with their kids. This is the room where we are going to have mommy and me classes or Grammy and me or maybe just a special person and me. I see it as a place where there are no phones, no electronic games just some good old time fun. Sometimes we need a break from everything and need a happy place. I want the Shiny Princess room to be that place.
Whether you come to a party or to relax and paint a plate or a glass. It's up to you, maybe you just want to come and make matching bracelets for you and someone special or come alone and get a break from the kids.
Parties are only on the weekends during the we sew and it's pretty quiet.
Hope to see you soon,
Maria

50% off aprons @mariasewsalot

www.etsy.com/shop/mariasewsalot 

I decided to have a 50% off my aprons from today until December 31st, 2012 at the studio and on my Etsy shop. Take a look at the link above.Nikon Coolpix L810 16MP 26X Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera With 18-55mm IS II Lens - REBEL T3 (Google Affiliate Ad)Nikon Coolpix L810 16MP 26X Optical Zoom Black Digital Camera (Google Affiliate Ad)

Today I shipped an apron to Russia

It always amazes me when I ship something across the country how easy it is. I never thought it would be so easy to ship to Russia. All you do is fill out the customs form with your information, your customer's information, what you are shipping and the value and you can ship it. So easy, I don't know why more people aren't doing it. Don't get me wrong I still love shipping in the USA and I still get excited when I ship to a new state. It's just makes me feel great when someone in a country I have never been to likes something I created. I love being able to do what I love everyday.

Maria Sews A Lot in Portuguese

Yesterday I started a new class in Portuguese. I don't usually get requests about doing classes in other languages, but this time I did. It was a lot of fun. We set up her Etsy and Paypal accounts now she can add her doll clothes and any other items she wants. It was a little different. My Portuguese is Portuguese from Portugal with a little Boston accent thrown in and hers is Portuguese from Brazil, but we both speak sewing so it's all good. It makes me want to help other people set up their own shops so they can do what they love.

New sewing classes @mariasewsalot

I have decided to start FaceTime sewing classes. The reason I decided to do this is I know not everyone can make it to a sewing class at the studio. This way if someone needs to learn to use a machine or how to make a specific project they can from the comfort of their own home. Now people have suggested I do Skype, so I'm doing Skype classes too. There is no reason not to learn to sew now.
http://www.mariasewsalot.com/Pages/Classes.aspx

New leather cushions

This is the leather cushion I worked on last Friday. I was so focused paying close attention to detail. This is something new, something challenging I have never attempted before. I loved it. The piping was perfect, the zipper seemed to fit, the corners were great. The bottom was just lovely the top stitching I couldn't be more proud of. Then it was 2:00 time to leave to go pick up my daughter from college. I turn on the radio, I don't understand. What's going on? I call my friend, and say what's going on. She said didn't you get my email? No, I was so into my sewing, I missed everything. I hear shooting little kindergarteners from the radio. What, I start crying, I don't stop crying for two hours, as I listen to the radio. I can't stop listening. I pick up my daughter, we listen, we talk, we cry. I feel so blessed she is coming home this weekend, she's safe. Others are not so lucky. We get a message from my son he got a ride home, he's home safe. I drop her off a her friends school and know she'll be home tomorrow. I call my nephews they must be busy, they don't answer the phone, but they call me the next day because they know I need to talk to them. I call my sister in law to talk to the kids, she says "you don't want to talk to me". I say "no sorry I don't today". So glad I got to talk to them. Off I go to my next stop to pick up my son feed him, so lucky I get to spend time with both kids today. He's playing soccer our normal Friday night activity, that those poor little babies will not get a chance to do. I can't stop watching tv, I can't stop crying, I feel so sad for those poor parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and all those poor people that had so see those babies and teachers and tell those parents their babies were the ones gone. I always say do what you love and love what you do. While I was doing what I love, those poor teachers were doing what they love trying to teach and protect those babies.

Sewing door embroidered sign

This is the new sign I made today so people can tell where my new sewing studio is.  I embroidered on white vinyl and put grommets on top so I can hang with some ribbon from my door.  I just love the fall theme.  I'm going to try and do one for each season.  I wish I had put a different stabilizer on the back or maybe changed the needle, but now I know for next time.  I used my Brother Entrepreneur Pro 1000 this machine has embroidered through everything I put under it. Hope you like it.
Maria
Do what you love, love what you do
www.mariasewsalot.com

Sewing Crafting studio display window

Today I finally had a chance to get into my new Sewing and Crafting Studio.  I washed windows, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the cabinets, lots of fun things.  I did all this because I wanted to start moving some of my craft supplies in, but most important I wanted to put up my new sign I made myself up and some items on display.  I think it came out pretty cute myself.  I think I'm still going to hang items from the top of the windows, but I'm going to wait until the floors are done.  Can't wait for my classes to start.
Maria
Do what you love, love what you do
www.mariasewsalot.com