Fostering creativity from a young age will help children find their passions early on. By discovering what they are interested in early on in their lives will give them time to explore this area and develop the skills needed for it. The fashion industry is a difficult one to get into, especially as a designer. The glitz and glamour of the fashion industry you see on reality TV is very different for real life. Anyone in the industry can tell you fashion is a tough business. Exposing your kids to what it really entails can give help them make the right college career choice. If you child has an interest in fashion, here are some things they should know.

What Fashion sewing classes include

            A great place to get started is by learning the techniques needed to make your own designs. Whether this is sketching, sewing, or fabric draping, any fashion or sewing camp will teach you these skills. Sewing classes will give campers an introduction to everything they need to know about the skill. They will be taught both hand and machine sewing, how to thread a sewing machine, and the various kinds of stitches. This introduction will give campers the confidence to continue to use these techniques to help them pursue their interests.

Where you can find sewing classes

            It is easy to find these fashion oriented sewing classes wherever you are. During the summer months, many camps, both day camp and specialty camps, will offer instruction to their campers. Fabric stores also offer introductory classes through out the year.

Fashion Camp

After you’ve tried your hand at fashion classes, get a more in depth study at fashion camp. Camp will give you more time to explore fashion design in depth. Find a camp where your child can learn about inspirations, sketch a collection, learn about fabrics and tools of the trade, sew a collection, and put on a fashion show. Going to camp will also give them pieces for their college portfolios that will help them get into fashion school.

            The Handwork Studio is a kid’s needle arts, machine sewing, and fashion camp. During both the summer and school year, this camp offers Fashion and Machine Sewing and Fashion Boot Camp. Fashion and Machine Sewing is a great introduction to machine sewing for any camper. They will learn the basics of machine sewing, including how to set up the sewing machine and then how to piece together their own clothing. Fashion Boot Camp is a 3-week program that will teach campers how to put together their own collection through sketching, draping, sewing, and modeling. Both of these programs end their sessions with a fashion show. Campers are given the opportunity to show off what they have learned and their amazing designs.

Lizzy Gee

            Before she became the head designer of Tres Lizzy, Lizzy Gee was a camper and counselor at The Handwork Studio. While there, she learned “the process of design and basic sewing skills.” She had taken Fashion Boot Camp four times, allowing her to discover her dream of creating clothing line. Lizzy began taking classes at The Handwork Studio when she was eight years old. Of her time there, she said, “The teachers were all very encouraging and gave me confidence I otherwise may have struggled to attain since no one in my family sewed or pursued anything in the arts. The studio helped me prove fashion design wasn't just a hobby for me.” Since her time at The Handwork Studio, Lizzy has attended the Pratt Institute, has been featured in over twelve shows, and has been a participant in Philadelphia Fashion Week. Lizzy has also designed clothes for celebrities, such as Jared Leto, Grimes, and Kyle Monaghan. Lizzy’s time at The Handwork Studio taught her not only “the basis of fashion design but how to love the sewing process, which for most is the toughest.”

If you child has an interest in the fashion industry or just wants to create their own designs for fun, The Handwork Studio offers Fashion and Machine Sewing and Fashion Boot Camp, as well as their other programs, year round. Go to their website or call (610) 660-9600 to get more information or register.

The Handwork Studio employs creative and passionate people every year. These people are often artists, teachers, students, or anyone with an interest in helping children develop amazing handwork skills that kids will find useful in every aspect of their lives. Miss Caelie is a first year junior counselor but has been a part of The Handwork Studio family for many years.

            Before Miss Caelie was a counselor at The Handwork Studio, she had been a camper for many years. Like many of the campers we have at The Handwork Studio, when she started, she did not have previous experience with any of the techniques. She is now a junior counselor, teaching all new and old campers how to sew, knit, weave, and more. She loves the sense of community that is present at The Handwork Studio. Everyone is supportive of one another and all hold similar passions.

            At The Handwork Studio’s Narberth location, Miss Caelie assists the lead instructor, Miss Alyssa, at Handwork Day Camp. Handwork Day Camp is for children aged 5 to 12. At this program, campers get an introduction to hand and machine sewing, knitting, weaving, and wet felting. Miss Caelie’s favorite project at Handwork Day Camp is the stuffed owl. Campers cut out a stencil of an owl, stuff it, and hand sew it together. They also get to decorate their own project with needle felting. The introduction to these techniques will allow campers to successfully go onto The Handwork Studio’s other camps, including Fashion and Machine Sewing, Glamorize Your Doll, Sew Tech, and Fashion Boot Camp.

            When Miss Caelie is not at The Handwork Studio she loves acting and reading. Like the work done at The Handwork Studio, these two activities provide Miss Caelie with a creative and relaxing outlet. Miss Caelie is going to begin her sophomore year of college this fall where she is pursuing a degree in science. While she plans to get her PhD before settling into a career, she hopes to be a science teacher and thinks that her time working at The Handwork Studio will help her discover her teaching style and give her the confidence to continue on this career path. The campers at The Handwork Studio are very well supported by counselors, like Miss Caelie. They are constantly encouraging campers to challenge themselves and help them with whatever they need.
           If you are interested in The Handwork Studio as a place for your child to learn useful handwork skills from great counselors like Miss Caelie, head to our website to register.