Winter sewing season 2015-2016- camp time!

Dear friends,

Winter is coming, and that means "Sewing Season" (also known as the holiday season!) is beginning!  I'm excited to be embarking on some fun projects of my own, and also to plan lots of fun things to teach to the many kids I hope to see on their days off of school.  

I love to use these cold, windy no-school days for hosting sewing camps.  I have listed my available camp days, and the times are TBD and completely adaptable to your needs.  First and second graders are usually the youngest age that is best for sewing camp, and there is no upper age limit.  I can accommodate a small group of younger children if there is interest.  More FAQs can be found from reading my website below.

Read all about camps on this page of this blog!

Click here to see my Pinterest board for projects being considered for camps this winter: (some are for beginning, some are intermediate. projects are always geared and adapted based on ability and interest.)

Dates:

December 17 (half day camp, PM)

Dec 21-25 (winter break)

Dec 28-Jan 1 (winter break)

January 18 (MLK Day) 

January 18-22 (Yeshiva break)

January 28 (half day camp, PM)

Feb 15 (President's Day)

February 25 (half day camp, PM)

Please let me know if your family is looking for plans during any of these dates.  Usually we do a several hour or "half day" camp, both morning and afternoon options, but all of it is flexible at this point in my planning.  I can also consider a "counselor in training" if there is an older student who needs somewhere to be while Mom and Dad are at work, as they can do an age-appropriate camp in one half of the day, and help me guide younger students in the other session.  Groups of kids can sign up together.  

I hope we will have many happy campers learning to sew fun things this winter.  Be in touch!  

All the best,

Kate 

The sewing legacy in our family...

Friends often ask when and where I learned to sew.  I have three special stories about sewing to share with you to help explain my sewing background and what it means to me.

1.  My mother taught my siblings and me to sew when we were young, and allowed us to make things for fun.  Over the years, she made many costumes, fixed things, learned & used skills like smocking (see pic below) and weaving, and even helped a seamstress sew my wedding dress and my sisters' bridesmaids gowns.

A sweet memory I have from sewing as a kid was actually about a project my brother made- he used a combination of felt, fabric, poly-fluff, thread, and glue to create a "stuffed animal bed."  Need to find a picture of that...

The legacy I want to share is that my mom taught me to sew, and that's how I got my start in what I'm doing today, which is a small business, a great creative outlet, and a really fun and useful hobby.  This is all pretty special because my mom passed away in October, 2010, and one of the many treasures I have from her is the origin of my sewing work.

The three eldest Brophy kids wearing outfits that were "smocked" by our mom PLUS
we are sitting on Shaker furniture chairs for which she assembled, stained, and wove the cushions.  It would be hard to approach my mom in the number of creative and challenging things she tried in her lifetime!  

2.  If you've ever seen my sewing "studio," you've seen my large collection of fabric, my notions (techie word for sew-on gadgets like snaps and hooks-and-eyes) of all types, my 96 spools of thread, my baskets and baskets of ribbon- the list goes on, but I'll stop there at ribbons.  My ribbon collection is almost 100% hand-me-down from my husband's mother, of blessed memory.  She passed away almost 20 years ago and left behind a rich legacy of love to her family.  She also provided the Friedman kids with many wonderful craft supplies of all types.  As one of the "crafty" members of the extended family, I have been given access to some of this wonderful collection of creative materials.  Giant pompoms.  Boxes of seashells.  All kinds of Popsicle sticks.  And it goes on and on.  But the ribbons are the most special crafty inheritance, because I use them for something I'm especially passionate about:  my love of creating, fixing, and upcycling through sewing, and my small business, which is "family friendly" and has a family history behind it that means a lot to us.

3.  My great, great aunt Nettie Rosenthal was a dressmaker who sewed the inauguration ball gown for First Lady Mrs. Mamie Eisenhower.  What an honor.  The dress is on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.!  Here's a pic of us by it.  Guess I have some well-known sewing accomplishments in my family!

Even if you don't sew, share something you can do with your kids, and they'll have it for life!  And if sewing isn't your skill (yet), I can certainly help fill in there if you want.

What to Expect at Sewing Camp

Sewing camps are SO much fun!  Here's how it works:

-Your son/daughter will learn many new skills and use them to create their own unique projects.

-usually about 6:1 ratio or less of teacher to students

-I provide all supplies necessary except where noted

-I offer 10% off for you when a new friend you refer signs up for same camp session.

-Please provide 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule.

My daughter working on a hula hoop rug at camp

-Photo/privacy policy: I may  tag you on Facebook to show you a photo of your son/daughter sewing.  I may also share photos from camps on my website but I will not include names.  Please let me know if you do not want photos of your son/daughter shared in my personal network (this website and Facebook) or if you have any other specific privacy request.

Welcome to my new website!

I set up this website to share professional information with people who are interested in sewing lessons, sewing camps, repairs and alterations, high quality and affordable sensory products, and in general, the wide-open world of custom sewing work.

Please browse all the pages linked above!  I think even a novice will find that sewing is so intriguing.

Enjoy and please leave feedback if you want!  You may leave a comment or email me at kfriedman18 at gmail dot com.

Thanks for browsing and sharing my name and website- Stitching With Kate- with anyone you know who needs sewing repairs, lessons, camps, sensory products, or custom work.

As always, contact me by email at:
kfriedman18 at gmail dot com

Best wishes to you and I hope you will be in touch!