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Welcome to the Designers Plants and Coffee podcast, where we're sewing, sipping, and staying rooted.

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We're three creative women building handmade businesses and sharing real conversations about

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design, growth and what it really takes to make things that matter.

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So grab your coffee, pull up a project, and let's grow together.

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So today we're going to be talking about sewing lessons and growing confidence.

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Whether you are a new sew, a new learner, or you're sewing someone who's been in business for

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a minute, but you're learning new techniques.

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So let's start out with learning new techniques.

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I guess I'll start. It's exciting. Learning new techniques. Of.

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Of course, sometimes it's a little frustrating because, you know, you don't get it right the

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first time, but once you get it, it makes your workflow so much easier.

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So I always look for quicker ways to do things that I already know how to do.

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So like saying, for example, like a fly zipper.

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I just saw like a you.

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I think it was a short.

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Just somebody did it, like, in five seconds, you know, But I saw away.

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I was like, oh, that's a quicker way of doing it, you know?

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And then I geek out over press a feet because it makes your job so much easier.

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So I just did a tutorial, honestly, on my YouTube channel on cover Me Chic, and someone mentioned,

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you know, how easy it was because I used to use a roller foot and they didn't know about it.

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So they, you know, that gives me, like, I'm happy about, you know, sharing what I know, and

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it makes their job easier.

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But it's just like, that is my go to.

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I mean, I do every.

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If I can do everything like that, that's what I do.

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It's so funny because in my classes, we always joke about how much I love gadgets, and I'm always

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getting the latest gadget, and they're so excited when they find something.

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I'm like, oh, I'm going to buy one.

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As an educator, too, I also have to sometimes stop myself from doing shortcuts that I know that

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help me work because I want them to learn.

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You know, I want them to go through the trenches before they start adding these shortcuts.

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But every now and then, I'll slip a little shortcut in there.

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And my favorite one is teaching them how to put their pocket on the quarter inch so it'll go down inside their garment. They love that one.

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But we haven't really gotten into the feet.

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I did explain to them, like, what a walking foot was, what a Roller foot does, but they are

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not really working with, like, denim and the heavier fabric.

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But I don't know, over the summer they might get a rolled hem or something.

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It's really interesting because when you learn a quick technique, it's one thing, but when you're

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teaching someone, when you actually are a sewing educator, you realize just how much you know,

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but also you realize the excitement of them getting it and sharing that.

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It's like, yes, they got it, they got it.

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It's one thing to do a demonstration, but when your student actually comes over and they're ex.

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Ecstatic about they finally got that invisible zipper foot correct, it's really beneficial.

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It really helps and encourages us educators that we're making a difference with that.

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And I also realized the more times I teach it, the better I get at it.

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Because when I was teaching, let's say, the flat pattern, and I'm teaching them dark manipulations and having to re.

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Explain it over and over and over again, when I actually did it, I can literally hear myself.

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And it's one of the things of when you become an educator and you're having to actually do this,

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you learn it, you learn it so much more.

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So just to tag on to what you said, Tish is just like, when you teach it, you learn it better.

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You know what I'm saying?

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Because you have to explain it in such like a step by step, and you get better at it.

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So it's not just the student learning as you learning as well. So it's like.

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And you find quicker ways of doing it when you are teaching, you know, so you have to be very

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concise and very, you know, as simple as possible.

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Most people are visual learners, so.

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So even, even just as quick as my last class, I was telling them, you know, if the words don't

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make sense, look at the picture.

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And if the picture doesn't make sense, you know, think about it a little bit.

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Think about what the picture is looking like and what the words are telling you.

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Because they did tell me, you know, sometimes the words don't make sense.

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And I said, well, let me introduce you to this little thing on your sewing pattern called the glossary.

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The students that I have now weren't really taught on commercial patterns.

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And so they don't know that these things exist.

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I was like, it tells you what all of these notches and darts and grain lines that all of that is for.

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But since they didn't get their previous lesson through me, they didn't get it the way I teach it.

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So when you come to my advanced sewing class.

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I don't expect to have to teach you what a notch is.

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You know, you should have learned that in the class before mine.

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But, you know, once they get it.

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Once they get it, they get it because I told them that I.

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The way I explain it is I tell them, you are putting together a puzzle, and those notches are

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your puzzle pieces, and if they don't fit, your puzzle is not going to lay flat and be pretty,

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and you'll have wasted your time.

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So it's a 3D puzzle.

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It's a 3D puzzle. So, getting back to the sewing lessons, and since you're talking about the

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students, what's a heartwarming student story?

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I have so many, because I've done kids and adults.

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I think for me, one of the best stories I have is when one of my kids, you know what pants look

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like as a flat piece.

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And she was just so confused.

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She was probably about 8 or 9, and she just couldn't figure out how this piece, this giant piece

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of thing was going to make pants.

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And when she put the first leg together, she squealed. And I mean, screeched. Squealed.

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Because she was like, oh, my God, I can see it. I can see it.

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I'm going to have pants.

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I'm going to have pants.

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I want it, you know.

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And that, to you, is just like that heartwarming moment.

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And then for my adult, I had one of them send me an email, and she says, hey, I'm working on

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my project at home, and I'm a little bit nervous and blah, blah, blah.

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And I said, well, you know, here's what you do. Read the pattern.

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She came to class wearing her garment.

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She said, I finished it. I got my zipper. And she wears everything.

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So we try to complete a garment a week.

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And she comes in and whatever she made the previous week, she's gonna wear the class the next week. And it just.

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It just warms my heart that she's so excited about these things that she's made herself.

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And, you know, I like that. That aspect of it. Those are my two.

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I have a myriad of heartwarming stories, but those are two that first jump into mind.

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I think it's more personal. When I was.

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I did a teaching thing for my nieces and nephews.

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They were all I was at the time, all under the age of 10.

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You know, it's like, once they finished every.

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You know, everybody's like, oh, look.

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You know, is this like the pride that everybody has after they finish it?

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So it was just Like, I love when they finished everything.

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It's just like I did. This is.

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You know, and they take.

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They take ownership and they take pride, and they, you know, they want to share and they want to do more.

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You know, it's like, okay, what's next?

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I want to make clothes now.

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You know, I think we made a bag the first time.

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So I did promise them I was going to do something, so I have to hold my.

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My end of the bargain. But that was.

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That's the first thing that came to mind. Well, you know what? I did take my.

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My niece was really, really into it, and she came over and we made a skirt.

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I mean, she wore the skirt home, you know.

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Great. That's great. So my heartwarming SK story would be, I'll say, one that has to deal with notches.

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So I was teaching a product development class.

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Now, in the class, there are maybe juniors, some seniors, and I had brought in a factory owner to make their samples.

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It's like, hey, they're going to make your samples.

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Hope you and your tech packs and your patterns.

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You need to have a consultation, talk to her.

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We're going to pay her, and she's going to bring it back.

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So I told her, don't ask no questions.

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Follow the patterns they gave you in the tech bag.

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Some of it came back in pieces.

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Guess why it didn't have notches.

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She was like, I didn't know what it went to.

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I say, it's okay, because now they're going to learn why I keep saying notches.

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So that's for those students, for the.

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The sewing students, seeing them.

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Because it's one thing to see a student really struggle with sewing straight.

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And I have to tell them, don't look down at your sewing or at your hands because they're.

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They're like looking at the needle.

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I'm like, no, look at the edge of the fabric.

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Don't look at the needle because you're going to sew your finger.

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And one of them did, but her stitch was straight.

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I tell them it's battle scars. It's just battle scars.

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It's the art of war with your sewing machine, you know, can you call yourself a true sewist

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if you haven't sewn your finger at least one time?

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I've stuck myself. I haven't sewn my finger.

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I did. And it's weird. It doesn't hurt.

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So you take it out.

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When you take it out, you're like, wow, that really hurt. I forgot.

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See, that kind of stuff doesn't bother Me, but we won't go into further details about it. It doesn't bother me.

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I will say there's one thing about is it wasn't a sewing lesson, but it was tambor beading.

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And I took a class with my professor from grad and when I learned the technique, I was like,

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wait, this is like crochet.

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Oh my goodness. It's the same stitch.

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But how about adapting the teaching for kids versus adults?

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People really look at me funny when I say that I prefer teaching kids.

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And it is nothing against adults.

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The biggest different is difference is you get adults and sometimes they are set in a way they think they know more.

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I've sewn back in the year one and now I'm just refreshing so I can do it, so I can do it my

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way, you know, and that's the difference.

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But I think for me, the biggest thing I like about teaching kids is once you find out that there

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is a kid that you have that's really into it and you start to nurture them and watch them develop,

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you think about it, you can be like, oh my God, one day I'm going to be seeing that kid on a

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project Runway or something like that, and I'm like, oh my God, I taught that kid how to sew.

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They probably don't remember me, but I taught that kid how to sew.

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But I think the big biggest difference also is projects like I'm teaching kids, like basics. They making pajama pants.

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These adults are doing buttons and zippers and lining and you know, we're doing raggling sleeves on the. On a bomber jacket.

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And I'm introducing knits and stuff like that.

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And you don't really get that with kids a because, you know, you gotta, you gotta spend a half

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hour just getting them to settle.

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But it's funny because a lot of my adults are not as far as fearless as the kids either.

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The kids will cut into a piece of fabric.

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Them adults gotta come, can you look at it?

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Can you make sure I laid it out right? Oh my God.

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I didn't cut it at home because I was so nervous.

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I'm like, you're a grown up. Just cut it. Just cut it.

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I tell them all the time, use cheap fabric and cut it.

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If you're uncomfortable, buy muslin and cut it.

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You don't have to cut into your fabric. Just, just do it.

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Like, you waste so much time coming into class to cut something out.

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It's a waste of time.

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But I'm working on them.

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I'm kind of the Opposite.

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I enjoy doing teaching my nieces and nephews because, you know, it's like a relationship.

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And it's like, oh, auntie.

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But I prefer teaching adults because it's just like, okay, we know why we're here.

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You know, I don't have to settle you.

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If you don't want to learn, you can leave.

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I like efficiency, so everything that I do is, like, very efficient.

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And I've trained my mind to teach efficiently, you know, so it saves time.

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We don't have to fiddle with stuff.

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We don't have to, you know, second guess everything.

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So it's just like, you can be very direct with adults. They understand the assignment.

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I will tell you as a client, this is not your ministry.

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Perhaps maybe you should try knitting or something, because sewing is not your ministry.

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And I would rather do that.

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That I feel bad if I'm keep to keep taking your money.

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And I know that it's something you're not going to excel at.

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You know, we all have our strengths.

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If someone is not your strength, I will gently let you know.

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I've even told parents that this ain't for her.

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They also have to get over this myth that sewing is cheaper. Sewing is not cheaper.

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I mean, at a time it was because fabric was less expensive.

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With all the stuff that's going on now, it really isn't, you know, because sourcing the. The.

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The raw goods is not cheap at all, you know, and the time it takes to do it, it's not.

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But I mean, they will last longer.

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Your clothes will definitely last longer when you make.

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I teach high school and some. Most.

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Some high school students, but mostly college students that are actually in a program for fashion design.

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So they want to be there and they want to learn. Is it easy?

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No, because they are still kids, though technically, you know, the law says, oh, they're adults, but no, they're teens. They're kids.

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I'm able to begin to set them up on, hey, do it this way, because I'm doing the demonstration

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like that, and I've broken it up where I'm showing the demonstration.

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They have pieces of it. So they're learning.

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They're literally learning this the way that I'm teaching.

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They don't have any bad habits just yet, but I have also told them I have my degree.

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I'm trying to teach you how to get yours, so you might want to listen. Plus, I'm grading it.

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So on that note, we're going to end with, I'm Letitia from keeping you in stitches along with Zaheea from COVID.

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Me Chic and Naima from Fearless Threads.

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Thanks for hanging out with us on the Designers Plants and Coffee podcast.

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If you love this episode, please leave a review, share it with your creative friend, or tag us on Instagram.

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Until next time, keep dreaming big and growing slow.