Make sewing school bind community – gilbertsunnews.com

Make Sewing School offers instruction for children and adults, men and women, beginners and experienced sewers.

The Gilbert-based business is helping to fill a gap that is much more prevalent today than in the past.

Elementary, junior high, and high schools rarely offer children’s sewing courses these days, and adults don’t have many opportunities to learn or improve their skills.

Make Sewing Schools owner Jona Giammalva believes the benefits of learning to sew speak for themselves.

“It’s valuable for everyone,” she said. “Every one of us wears clothes. There is tremendous value in being able to alter your clothes for yourself or create things that are personalized for you. “

Learning to sew allows people to do more than save money on hemming pants or buying bags and backpacks from thrift stores. It helps them connect with their creative inner selves.

“There’s joy in learning something new,” Giamalva said. “We want to equip people with the skills to create whatever their imaginations want. Everyone has their own vision of what they would do if they could sew. “

Adult Sewing School students can enroll in courses taught on a single day (often a Saturday) or over several days. Kindergarten classes can be as short as a day or as long as an entire semester.

The school also offers classes that focus on a single project, such as creating a quilt. There is a course for almost everyone, including those without any sewing experience.

“Make Sewing School is a place for people to come who have never touched a sewing machine,” Giamalva said. “Within a class, they can work and work so they can sew on their own.”

Giammalva is the hands-on owner who teaches some of the courses. In the spring semester, she and fellow instructor Barbara Trapp will be joined by a clothing specialist.

For those interested in sewing at home, the school has a storefront that offers high-quality products, including sewing machines and designer cotton fabrics not found at big-box retailers.

Make Sewing School makes sewing fun. It is available for sewing parties, private events, and Girl Scout and Boy Scout special events. And whether through classes or events, those who come to the school leave with a sense of accomplishment and a unique product that they made with their own hands.

“People feel proud of themselves when they come in and learn something new and leave with something they’ve created with their new skill,” Giamalva said.