i first took a class from Christine at the fabulous Urban Craft Center (see my review), her Intro to Sewing class. in just three hours, she ran us through all the basics of the machine, tools, terminology, and techniques. at the end, i had a throw pillow and a refreshed love for sewing!
i was so happy with her straightforward, friendly teaching style, i signed up right away for another class with her at UCC; the reversible wraparound skirt. again, i had a great time, successfully made an adorable skirt, and then went home and promptly cranked out three more as gifts, showing that yeah! i did learn plenty after all! (and i should mention -- Christine kindly mailed me an extra pattern in another size when i told her what i was doing.)
so imagine my happiness when my dear husband managed to arrange TWO private lessons with her as my Christmas present! seriously, it is one of the best prezzies ever. we figured out dates that would work for us, and went for it. she came to my house, and in each 5-hour session, she took me through making a complete garment, from fabric cutting to completed piece. you have no idea how empowered i feel now with my ancient workhorse inherited-from-mom sewing machine!
what makes Christine a 5+ star teacher is several things. first, she's patient AND has a sense of humour - she never makes you feel silly or bumbling; she simply demonstrates or explains again. next, she's great at walking that fine line between doing too little and doing too much. she'll do enough to get you started, but you never feel she's taken over the project, and she won't do so little that she lets you make mistakes unnecessarily, or let you get frustrated. her explanations are simple and clear; she's good at putting concepts into words, and has a knack for dropping sewing tips and techniques on you exactly when you need them. but most importantly -- and this is because i come from a family of teachers & am one myself -- she LOVES to teach and you can feel it. you can see her genuinely share your excitement when you understand something or execute a step in the process well. it's amazingly motivating.
whether you're a beginner or advanced, you will definitely learn from Christine -- and enjoy every minute! do a private lesson if you can, or check her website for her class schedule at UCC or Sew L.A. you will not regret it! read more