The Students Want to Learn

One of the young women who came to the Beginning Sewing class yesterday drove from a town an hour and a half away. Almost all of my students are telling me that they have been wanting to learn to sew but couldn’t find any classes locally. I have some thoughts about that. Why didn’t Joann Fabrics have a corporate policy of offering beginning sewing classes in their stores? That is almost a no-brainer to me. If you want customers—and an ongoing revenue stream—sometimes you have to create them.

[Joanns had a whole host of problems that went way beyond offering classes, but we’ve been over that before.]

These students aren’t looking to quilt stores for instruction. Most of them either assume quilt stores are only for quilters or they are afraid to go in looking uninformed. I make a point of telling my students that even teachers were beginners once. Heck, I didn’t spring forth as an accomplished church pianist. (If only.)

Several of my students are also asking for knitting classes, so I may have to add some of those at some point. And maybe more canning classes next summer. The desire to learn those skills is there.

The husband asked me how I like teaching Home Ec. Ha ha.

Speaking of Home Ec, I need some aprons. Some of mine are wearing out, and aprons are one of those things that I am loath to buy because I can make them. I am a bit particular about my aprons, though, and I am quickly reaching that place where it may make more sense to buy some than to make them. T-shirts are the same way. If I can buy basic Gildan T-shirts at Michaels for less than it would cost me to make them (in both time and money), I am probably going to buy the T-shirts.

I could justify this by buying apron blanks and practicing some machine embroidery on them. 🧐

Salsa production is not going to happen this week. I am aiming for next week. I’m going to clean and organize this morning and do some sewing this afternoon. I also bought myself a new tool and I’d like to try it out today. Stay tuned for photos.