Emerging Designers Summer Sewing Camp:  An introduction to fashion sewing with basic clothing patterns, for students ages 13-19

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DATES ,TIMES, & LOCATION

Daily June 3 - June 7, 2024, 8am - 12 noon, with a final presentation from 12:30pm - 1:30pm on June 7, 2024

 

Camp will be located on the 2nd floor of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center located at 100 Cherokee Blvd, Chattanooga TN, 37405.

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DESCRIPTION

This is one week of morning sessions, immersed in sewing and creating stylish beginner wardrobe projects, with home sewing patterns.  Students learn and practice the best home sewing techniques to get great results for fashion and clothing projects using a standard home sewing machine.

 

Students will learn/ practice/ gain experience with:

The three main processes for clothing construction

Sewing  and Finishing Seams

Creating an automatic buttonholes

Sewing on buttons

Introduction to basic handbag hardware

Introduction to using home sewing patterns

And more…

 

FEES & MATERIALS:

Fee to participate is $300 per student and includes use of the machines, tools and most of the supplies needed to complete the scheduled projects.

 

Students don’t need a machine to attend the camp, but if they have one at home, they may wish to utilize that machine after camp hours each day to complete any steps that were not fully completed in class each day.

 

Machines and tools will be available to use in class each day.  Giving students a chance to try recommended tools of the trade before they buy for their own tool box and supply cache.  The provided machines and tools will remain with the studio at the conclusion of the camp

 

Most fabrics, and all of the patterns and notions, needed to complete the project will be provided for each student.  At the end of the camp students will be allowed to keep their patterns and any leftover fabrics as well as the project guides and notes for future practice and experience. 

 

**There is one project for which students will be requested to purchase their own fabric and thread, and that is so the students can have a chance to make design choices for that particular project.  The cost of those fabrics is not included in the camp fee.

 

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SKILL LEVEL:

Skill level of this class is for beginners but each student should have basic knowledge of how to thread and operate a standard home sewing machine, including:

 

How to turn it on

How to operate a foot pedal

How to thread the machine

How to wind a bobbin,

How to follow the seam allowance guide.

 

There will be a general overview of how to work the machines during the first day of camp but most time will be spent on jumping into sewing and getting used to using the machines to create finished sewing projects.

 

If a student does not yet have these fundamental skills they can attend the studio’s “Introduction to the Home Sewing Machine” class by appointment before the camp begins., where a detailed lesson on all these basic skills will be covered in detail.

 

PROJECT GOALS:

This is a  weeklong sewing immersion course for Young Adult, Beginner level sewists. The emphasis will be on learning and practicing standard sewing techniques with a home sewing machine to get successful results for 3 specially chosen fashion items.  A denim shirt jacket, a matching denim handbag bag w/ basic hardware,  and a reversible flared wrap skirt, the latter made in fabrics and colors of the students choice.

 

The course is being curated and presented so that the students can get the most sewing done during the class as possible and not be distracted by some of the common obstacles to sewing success.

 

The hope is that by attempting and completing each project the students will build their knowledge, experience, and confidence with a home sewing machine and enjoy the benefits that come from learning and improving on a new creative skill.

 

Though 3 projects would normally be ambitious for such a one week beginner’s camp, the projects have been chosen for their simplicity and style and the high likelihood that students will be able to finish each one in time for our Presentation Showcase on Friday afternoon by 12:30.

 

The showcase will invite parents and friends to a small lunch time presentation of our finished work and to acknowledge the growing skills of each participant.

 

The Camp will conclude at the end of the final presentation.

 

Note About Supplies:

Most supplies and all of the machines are being provided so that students can focus most of their time in class on sewing.  By eliminating many of the obstacles that get in the way of  enjoying a successful  sewing experience,  like missing tools, difficult fabric choices, or overly complicated patterns, the camp can provide the best disciplined sewing experience possible.  This will also aid the instructor in seamlessly leading a group of students because everyone will be working on the same projects,  with the same types of machines,  and fabrics; and therefore can more successfully  follow a uniform set of instructions.

 

Notes about Class Conduct:

Students are welcome to bring their phones to class to take pictures, and post their progress on social media accounts and such, but the instructor requests students refrain from taking calls and answering texts during class.  Students will be expected to moderate their own behavior in this regard.  Failure to pay attention during the demonstrations and instructions will result in poor experience for the student and poor outcomes for the sewing projects.  

 

If students feel their phones would be a distraction during class, they are encouraged to turn them off, or leave them at home altogether.

 

Foods and Drinks:

While there will be access to water and some light prepackaged snacks, the camp will not be providing food or drinks as a feature of the Camp services.  Students are therefore encouraged to bring their own light snacks and bottled drinks to class for refreshments as needed.  

 

However students will be discouraged from eating directly in the work space, as we want to avoid spills and stains on our sewing projects.  Instead students can take breaks as needed to step outside the classroom to enjoy their refreshments or use restroom facilities.

 

Conduct:

Besides learning how to sew, InKandycence is about building and growing the Sewing Community in Chattanooga and surrounding regions.  In class students will be sharing space, supplies, and even ideas.  Everyone attending is expected to observe the Golden Rule “ Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Failure to be respectful and courteous can be grounds for dismissal from the camp without any refund.  Please come prepared to exhibit the best possible behavior and language while in class.  Also be prepared to help one another if needed.  We will be working together as a team to make sure everyone learns and completes their projects.

 

Questions?

Contact the Studio at inkandycence@gmail.com