Portrait of a seamstress - spotlight on adult sewing instructor

Jessica Lloyd

Stress Free Sewing with Jess:  Tues 10-Noon & in October Fridays 10-noon & 12:30-2:30

When I was little sewing was part of everyday life.  I don’t remember my first project, but I do remember sitting on my mom’s lap “helping” her sew.  She taught all of the kids in my family to sew, but I loved it.

When I was about 6 I designed my first dress.  My sewing skills weren’t up to the task yet, so my mom made the dress for me.

In Junior High and High School I made a lot of my own clothing.
I took Advanced Sewing my senior year of High School.




I also made a lot of my own formal dance dresses. Many of which got borrowed by girlfriends.

 

While I was in High School I worked for Cloth World (now known as JoAnn’s).  I saved my money and bought myself my sewing machine just before I started my senior year.  It is a Bernina 1006.  I paid about $1,000 for it with all the accessories I bought to go with it.  One of my guy friends used to joke about how I should have used the money to buy a car and since I didn’t, he was going to hook it up to my roller skates to build me my own transportation.   

On a trip to my visit my Aunt, she showed me a Belle costume she had made for my cousin.  I had to have one!  This started a long line of costumes!  I LOVE making costumes!

  A yearly tradition, since I was little, is that Christmas Eve the kids get new PJs.  My mom made mine, I made them for my kids.

I have made curtains for my home, quilts, and redone the interior of my camping trailer.

I made the blouse, skirt and the bride’s veil (not the hat, just added the decorations) and skirt, for my best friend’s wedding.

I also made us coordinating laptop bags for our 17” laptops, which are impossible to find cute bags for anywhere but etsy.com.  Mine is red, she got blue.

I also made a matching camera strap.
  I put special pockets on it made just to fit the photographer’s spare batteries, memory cards, and lens cap.  (As I am also a photagrapher.)

  I love to sew, and I look forward to teaching you how to sew.