Author: Teresa

Quilts, good books and dogs. Plus a cup of tea. Life is good.

Overthinking = Stuck

June 23, 2017

This has been the first week since school let out that I’ve actually had daytime hours to quilt and sew.  It also means I am able to catch up on my Audible and podcast playlists. Today, I listened to “How to Be Here” by Rob Bell.  I’ll be listening again and probably again to really digest what all he has to say.

I have a tendency to overthink. I am always planning ahead, worried about what’s next when instead I need to be present in the moment.  I am one who sees the big picture. Until I can work out the details of the big picture for myself, I have a tendency to procrastinate.  I mean to the point I avoid that subject, issue or project. For sewing, it can mean my entire creative process shuts down.  Do you avoid your sewing room because you think (a) you don’t now what all 19 steps are in the process, (b) the project requires you to do something you’ve never done before or (c) you are worried that the final outcome will be a disaster or hideous?

Mr. Bell’s solution to getting unstuck is to concentrate on that one thing you need to do right now. Don’t worry about the next step (or project for that matter).  Don’t get sidetracked. Don’t worry about the laundry. Don’t worry about responding to the text message from your friend.

Just get busy.

Do what you know needs to be done now to move the project forward or complete the task.  It will eventually come together. As for failure, it’s a key part of the learning process.  I learned how to put in an invisible zipper this spring. I learned how to add boning to a bodice of a prom dress. I dusted off garment sewing skills that were long forgotten to help out a high school senior with her prom dress. It was a true learning experience. The end result was GORGEOUS and my co-worker’s daughter was ecstatic.

Overthink and clutter are the two main culprits that stifle my creative process.

Guess what I’ll be working on (in addition to sewing) for the rest of summer break and beyond?

Running a Kid’s Sewing Club (or are you crazy?)

June 13, 2017

*Yes, I am crazy!  That’s a prerequisite for working with kids!*

One of the highlights of my day job is my weekly maker club.  Some schools refer to it as Genius Hour or Learning Clubs.  Our clubs meet most Fridays and last about an hour.  I host 3 different groups of kids during the school year.

Stitchy Stallion stats:

Leaders:  2 adults, sometimes 3

Grades:  Limited to 4th & 5th only

Members:  Max of 12 students per club cycle – 1 adult : 4 students works well.

Machines:  Six total – a mix of newer mechanical Janome, Singer and Brother machines. As with technology, a 1:1 ratio would be ideal, but we make it work by buddying up with 2 students per machine. 

Funding:  School/PTA is unable to provide funding for clubs (No surprise here as I work in a really high poverty area  – 98% free & reduced lunch). My club started with a sewing machine and supplies provided by a Donorschoose.org campaign.  Everything else has been donated by local businesses, friends, coworkers, or paid for by me.

Projects:  Plan for two projects during each 6-8 week club cycle.  A small project (potholder or felt stuffie) + 1 larger project (pillowcase, applique pillow) worked well. I always keep fabric scraps out for them to practice machine stitching.  If one of the group leaders must be out, we have a craft activity as backup (Clover pom pom makers and pom pom critters were a HUGE hit).   Hand embroidery is an activity that will be added to next year’s activity line-up.  For alternate activities that are free:  have students measure/sort fabric & inventory club supplies, watch a video clip (how thread/fabric is made by Cotton + Steel are GREAT videos), design fabric (by hand or using school software), search Pinterest or other preselected sites for projects that interest them.  Of course, if your school will allow you to charge a small supply fee, you can do even more projects.

Club Schedule:  Sign in, snack (every other time), quick overview and get to work. Stop 10 minutes early to clean up.

Supply Storage:  My club meets in the library.  I have a locked cabinet and a set of shelves in the storage room for my club supplies.  Sad to say, but stuff has a habit of disappearing at my school.  Scissors, pom pom makers and machines are all locked up in the cabinet or my office.  If I did not have a space to store sewing machines, we would be limited to mostly hand sewing projects.  When the day comes that I run this as an after school club, I will invest in a folding flat cart to transport machines and supplies.  (I plan to have 4 of the same kind of sewing machine – computerized with a speed controller). I will also have more time for set-up and take-down (which I do not have now).  

What makes it work for us:  Pre-cut all projects ahead of time.  Designate two helpers who can come 10 minutes early to help set out sewing machines and tools prior to club. I’ve also found snack-time to be a good way to give me an extra 10 minutes if I need it. Select projects based on student input and the supplies you already have on hand.  My sewing friends have been exceedingly generous with de-stashing their unwanted fabric and sewing supplies in my direction.

What’s in it for me?  Right now, I am able to use my maker club as an idea incubator/testing ground for potential projects to offer in Saturday Kid’s Club at the quilt shop or summer sewing camps.  I also get to view sewing through a newbie’s eyes on a regular basis.  Those of us who’ve been sewing for a long time tend to forget what it’s like to be in their shoes.

How can I use this experience to grow my crafty biz?  While visiting my niece in Boston, I wandered into a crafty maker space called Gather Here. I LOVED the concept. This gave me the idea to offer a mobile craft/stitch lab that catered to after-school and homeschool groups. The existing day job makes it a bit of a challenge at the moment, but one day I can see myself offering after-school clubs at local elementary schools or in RV parks as we toodle around the USA.

Helpful resource for those considering starting a club:

Running a Sewing Club from the Utah State University Extension Service (4-H)

Also check out my Pinterest pages for kid’s sewing projects (here and here) and be sure to review the wealth of information on my Virtual Sewing Classroom website.