Productivity Parlour
for Artful Living

Life Skills Class

A two hour class on "Sewing Machine 101" where you learn how to use one of our machines, or bring in your own. We'll go over threading, changing out needles, stitches, feet and more. Included is a small project to use the skills you just learned!

If you own a machine we highly recommend bringing it in. Machines, while similar, are sometimes different in certain functions, and the point of this class is to get you going on your sewing adventures with your own machine. We'll help you understand how to operate it so you can get started on projects at home.

If you bring your own machine, bring everything you have that goes with it, including cords, manual, and bobbins. (If you don't know what a bobbin is, that is ok, usually your machine has one in it already, we'll figure it all out!)

Life Skills Class

This is a two hour class. Learn how to hem a garment, attach a button, and other very basic sewing skills to help adjust fit and length of clothing. Hand-sewing and machine skills will be used, bring a machine if you have one, it is always better to work with a machine that you own, as you get more familiar with all its functions!

Bring in any of your own items that need basic alterations, repairs, or otherwise. Leggings with a stretch, jeans, cargo pants, skirts, etc. can all be altered and hemmed for a better fit.

Learn basic sewing skills in a make & take project format. All materials included.

Different age/skill levels:

Children 7 -12 - Learn basic hand sewing skills, tracing patterns, etc. using felt and colorful yarns and thread.

Children/youth 12-17 - Learn basic pattern and sewing machine skills using felt OR fabrics, depending on the projects.

Projects include items such as superhero emblems, capes, pin cushions, aprons, pillow cases, pencil cases, draw-string bags, and more.

What's this item about? What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...

This is a recurring monthly event. Every last Sunday of the month will be a community repair cafe where you can bring items in to work on, or use a machine. Get advice and assistance on how to repair your clothes and costumes!

This event is by donation. (We also take donations of thread, etc.!) Our goal is to foster community and build sewing life skills for everyone. Give a little, give a lot, come repair a hole in your shirt or hem your jeans with other folks who need a mending day and need assistance/motivation.

Life Skills Class

​

Create a small clutch purse in this class that helps build sewing confidence. Skills involved include project planning, basic patterning for an accessory, zipper insertion, and using a sewing machine.

All materials provided.

Life Skills Class

​

This is NOT your Grandmother's embroidery!

Are you in love with hand-crafts but are you also a non-conformist? Why learn how to embroider or cross-stitch using classic patterns, when you can create something uniquely you? Come stitch using your favorite swear words, naughty phrases, or innappropriate innuendos.

Materials provided: Small hoop, Fabric, cotton floss, and needle. Scissors and tools to transfer patterns provided.

Life Skills Class

Do you buy jeans only to have the thighs or knees rip apart, making them useless for day-to-day wear? There are so many ways to use the rest of those pants! Crocheted rugs, Bags, Aprons, Spats, fingerless gloves, and even neck corsets are all possibilities for versatile and strong denim! Come create clothing for your dystopic future, today!

Life Skills Class

​

An easy sewing class to help build fundamentals, such as analyzing a pattern, measuring, cutting, pinning, sewing, and hemming.

Do you have your own sewing machine but aren't very familiar with it? Bring it to class and create a useful item to wear with it! Don't have your own machine? No problem, we have several in the parlour you can use.

Aprons can be made in a variety of ways and styles, by adding pieces like lace/trim, applique, bias edgings in contrasting colors, ribbon, or using a fabric that is undeniably "you." We will give you the basics and show you how you can customize your finished product in a variety of ways!

Class materials provided: Fabrics in a variety of colors and thread. (If you want to bring in fabric of your own make sure you wash and dry it before you come to pre-shrink it! If you don't wash fabric before you cut and sew it, you can't wash the finished item, it can cause warping and shrinkage in horrifying ways!)

Life Skills Class

Take the next step in learning to sew by understanding how to use a pattern.
Learn how to decipher a pattern, adjust for desired measurements, layout, cut and sew an item.

Sewing with friends make it double the fun.

Life Skills Class

Learn sewing skills while creating basic tools that every sewing enthusiast needs! Create a classic Victorian-inspired Tomato pincushion and an essential thread-catcher that can be placed under your sewing machine to catch stray threads while you sew! (Especially good for those of you who have sergers!)

Fabric, thread, and stuffing for your pin cushion will be provided. Feel free to bring your own sewing machine if you have one, or use one of our machines. If you bring your own fabric make sure it is washed and dried before the class to help with fabric shrinkage and color-fastness.

Life Skills Class

​

Do you have a pile of old T-shirts you never wear? Event shirts, funny shirts, or commemorative shirts that you hate to throw out but you don't know what to do with them? Come learn some fun and creative ways to re-purpose those shirts with us at the parlour! Re-usable bags, wrap skirts, pajama pants, pillow covers, memory blankets, Home deco (pennants, flags, curtains), and more!

We'll have a couple shirts here to play with, bring a couple of your own if you would like to leave with a finished project using your own memories! Sewing machines, scissors, and thread are all available to use, some projects can be no-sew.

Life Skills Class

Create a vest that it totally you! From fit to fabric, create the essential item that King Charles II deemed a required piece of clothing hundreds of years ago.

Vests can be created in a variety of styles and fabrics to suit the wearer. You will learn how to pattern a vest specifically to your measurements, how pockets and linings are accomplished, and how proper finishing can create a much more sophisticated looking article of clothing.

Bring your own sewing machine if you have one, to help build your sewing skills with your own tools, OR use one of the machines here at the parlour.

We will have a small variety of fabrics, thread, and buttons available, OR you can bring your own fabric. Make sure if you do this to wash your fabrics before you come. Questions on fabrics you should buy? Feel free to ask us!.

Historic Crafts Skills

​

Interested in historical crafts? Are you a medieval re-enactor with a later period Norse/Viking persona? Come learn to make a simple pointed linen cap!

Machine sewn on the hidden seams and then hand-finished, This simple head-covering is appropriate for 950 CE and onward female Norse re-enactors. Class will go over appropriate embroidery embellishments as well to use for finishing your item if you wish.

Materials included! Linen fabric and cotton thread for one cap will be provided. You can bring your own sewing machine if you own one, or use the machines in the parlour.

Historic Crafts Class

If you know how to knit, but you haven't tackled lace, come in and learn the mechanics of basic lace work!

Bring in your own needles or borrow a pair of ours, we'll be creating basic lace "Samplers" and blocking them on pieces of cardboard so you can take them home! You need to know how to cast-on, knit, purl, and bind-off to get the most out of this class.

Life Skills Class

​

Learn basic crochet and create a re-usable coffee cozie you can carry with you to use with coffee cups from all your fave local shops!

Materials included: Worsted Weight yarn in washable acrylic in various colors.

Tools: Crochet hooks and scissors

Historic Crafts Class

The patterns may not be traditional, but these embroidery skills haven't changed much in the last thousand years. Embellishing clothes and accessories will NEVER truly go out of style. Come learn basic embroidery stitches that can be used to embellish EVERYTHING.

You will create a small sampler that uses several different types of stitches. We will go over transferring your designs, 3-4 basic stitches, proper thread prep and so much more to make your embroidery journey more successful!

Materials provided: hoop, thread, fabric, needles, patterns.

Historic Crafts Class

Learn about the medieval art of smocking! Occasionally seeing resurgence over the years, smocking can be a sweet edition to a child's outfit or an elegant way to manipulate fabric for gowns and costumes. (Seen on costumes such as the Man in Black in the Princess Bride and in Star Wars, Game of Thrones, etc.)

We will go over creating a grid, hand-pleating, the benefits of investing in a pleating machine, embroidering on pleats, and creating honeycomb stitches or other open patterns.

Materials included: A small pleated muslin sampler, embroidery thread, muslin fabric to create the honeycomb stitch.

Tools provided.

Cosplay/Costume Class

​

Create a duct-tape body double to help you create better fitting clothing and costumes! Materials provided include Duct tape, Stuffing, and cardboard to finish off bottom, arms, and neck openings.

Wear a fitted tank-top or shirt and bring a crew-neck t-shirt that can be cut up that fits you well. (not too tight and not too baggy!)

Life Skills Class

​

Worn by military personnel, individuals identifying their political allegiances, or to identify as part of a group or movement, cockades are fun and simple items that can be made by anyone in any color you choose!

Come learn to make a basic ribbon cockade! Materials included: Ribbon (a variety of colors and widths will be provided to choose from), a center button or pin (also in a variety of styles), thread, and the tools to create them such as needle, pins, and scissors.