A Sewing School Designed for Kids

Well, it seems that sewing is gradually disappearing with every passing generation and our world is becoming a more disposable society. No matter how much I love fashion, the industry is not playing nice with mother nature. We have an excess of everything and the push to buy new each season is nearly inevitable because of poor quality items needing to be replaced… But where do the old garments go? Ideally, we re-purpose and recycle what we can but a lot goes to the landfill. This includes garments which are often abandoned because they need repair or has gone out of style.

I grew up in a home where my mom sewed many of our special clothes. Dresses made with love. Of course, this included matching outfits with my older sister… which would later get passed down to me. It appeared that I had the same clothes for years even though I was actually wearing the clone in a larger size. My mother was a talented seamstress that could whip up something wonderful in a day. We were very proud of the garments she made for us. Her work introduced me to the idea that you could create something straight from your imagination.

I started to learn from her and began sewing. At first, I was excited and quite content to just make doll clothes. After a while, I began to make dolls inspired by the Cabbage Patch Kids. I gave them as birthday gifts to my friends. By the time I was 8 or 9, I was making clothes and accessories for myself. I was the only kid my age that knew how to sew. My friends’ parents and especially grandmothers loved me. They were always impressed with my creations. Once I was in high school, I started making prom and bridesmaid dresses. Eventually, I studied to become a Fashion Designer.

I have always been a very artistic person with a need to create. I was either painting, drawing fashion illustrations or sewing up something uniquely mine. However, it was sewing that truly provided something special for me as a kid. It allowed me to be creative, to enter a zen state whenever I was having a bad day or just bored. It also helped me intellectually by developing my reading and comprehension, math and logical thinking and most of all my confidence. Even as an adult working in the fashion industry, I excelled above my peers because I had nearly 15 more years of experience than others in my position.

Now as a mother, I realize just how much learning how to sew at a young age really helped me to develop into the person I am today and how much I have benefited from it. I want to share my passion and knowledge of sewing with kids and offer them a positive life skill that will hopefully do the same for them.

For that reason, I created SewKids! – to help kids to express their creativity through sewing. I aim to empower kids and encourage a sewing revival. I am on a mission to create a new generation of slow fashion enthusiasts who are mindfulness of the planet.