My very favorite class in the entire repertoire of everything I teach–ever–is my fit class. I taught it again a couple of months ago at Sew Modern in LA, and it’s such a thrill! It’s so much fun to explain and demonstrate how to make a muslin, with all the little tips and tricks that can be used to streamline the process of fitting and which can make it so easy. It’s so amazing to see how it opens everyone’s eyes and makes sewing for yourself so much less intimidating! But the reason I love to teach it so much is because it connects us to each other in such wonderful ways.
We don’t touch each other very often, do we? Even among dear friends, aside from a hug or kiss in greeting, we tend to maintain a respectable distance from each other. But in a fit class we’re taking measurement and adjusting fabric and demonstrating changes on each other, and that results in talking about ourselves and our bodies, which in turn creates a really unique bond. We make ourselves so vulnerable for a little while, and at the end of each class I feel energized and so grateful and connected to everyone who opened themselves up and shared that time together. We develop a connectedness that I rarely experience elsewhere, even among my closest friends. It’s a different kind of connectedness, and I feel so incredibly grateful and thankful to be able to share it each women I teach.
Makerie 2013: photo by Teryn
It’s such a wonderful feeling to watch a woman who has never been able to find clothing that fits her properly discover that her body is just fine, that clothing can actually fit and can make her look and feel amazing! I think that as women we’re so critical of ourselves, and when you learn how easy it really is to sew for yourself you also learn to accept your body and enjoy it. We don’t need to feel embarrassed about our shape or size. It’s just a simple matter of learning how to adjust a pattern to fit our own body, and once we’ve developed those few simple skills it opens up the world of sewing. But it also enables us to accept ourselves like we’ve never done before.
I’m pleased to say that I’ll be teaching my fit class for one of Anna Maria’s new Craft South weekends in July. Last time I was in Nashville Anna and I went out for dinner and had a wonderful time together. This time we’ll get a chance to teach together in a beautiful studio space, and she’ll be opening her home to everyone who attends. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Bluegrass music, drinks in the backyard, I mean…come on!
For the time being, this is the only fit class on my schedule this year. So I hope you can come. We’ll have the luxury of spending two days together, and my goal is to send everyone back home at the end of the weekend with a new-found confidence and enthusiasm about sewing for yourself. Fit isn’t that difficult, no matter what you’ve heard or been told.
Craft South will feature a different guest instructor each month: Amy Butler, Natalie Chanin, Heather Ross. So exciting! Enrollment opens on Monday, so if you’re interested you might want to get your ducks in a row over the weekend.
Who’s coming?