Well my happy stitchers, I never thought in a million years that my regular classes would stop and that I would be hosting online sewing workshops & courses for you all. Yet, here we are 14 weeks into lockdown and I've learnt a whole new skill set and I've don't think I have ever spent so much time in my sewing room.
what a shock it was when lockdown started and classes had to be cancelled. For me, coping with lockdown meant keeping busy which subsequently meant madly sewing. I also wanted to be able to offer others not only to opportunity to still enjoy sewing classes but also connecting with others, just as they would do in class. So, the ZOOM Sew-Alongs began.....
Every Friday at 10am I have been joined by so many lovely people who just want to come and share an hour or sometimes two, sewing with me and making something lovely. I've hosted 12 Sew-Alongs so far and, as I write this, I have another two planned. I'm told it has kept people sane...it kept me sane to. I enjoy the connecting with others as much as the sewing.
The Sew-Alongs have also given me the opportunity to think about how I might be able to offer LIVE classes online until we can safely meet in person again. some of you who follow my Facebook page may have seen the wrap skirts which four lovely ladies made with me when I ran a trial LIVE online sewing course. It works surprising well! Yes, I have to do a LOT of pre-lesson prep, we all have to make the same thing and we are not physically together but, it does mean I can really plan each project and session to embed lots of skills & techniques into the courses and I believe offer a real learning experience for participants. I plan to host two courses every month with a maximum of just four participants on each course. Over the next three month the course on offer include skills such as pattern matching, buttonholes, putting in sleeves, working with stretch fabrics.
In August I will be hosting a four week course to make New Look 6658 with the focus on accurate plackets and buttonholes.
I will also be making this floaty number which is a great one for beginners as it has a grown-on sleeve but allows us to focus on seaming, top-stitching and accuracy.
September is ALL ABOUT STRETCH. Many of you will know that my working with stretch masterclasses of very popular. So many of clothes are now made from stretch fabrics, it great to be able to master some of the skills needed to work with jersey & knitted fabrics and make your own. I'm offering two different options; one is aimed at beginners, for those who have not worked with stretch fabrics before and the other is a gorgeous swing tunic I just couldn't resist which is a little more advanced but, definite (I think) worth the challenge.
If you would like to join any of my online courses, full details and booking are available at www.bit.ly/sewwithnellybea. The freebie Sew-Along details are all under the events section on my Nelly Bea Facebook page. In the meantime....
Happy stitching
Joan x
Sew with Nelly Bea
Sew, laugh, learn, create