Sewing for Kids Weekend with Rae and Karen!

I am a loyal reader of Made By Rae, and bought a copy of Sewing for Boys the week it came out.  So I am genuinely and personally thrilled to announce that March 23 & 24 Whipstitch is hosting these fine ladies for a Sewing for Kids Weekend!  Whoo-hoo!

I have read Rae’s blog for years–it was one of the first I read when I discovered the world of online sewing, and her kind and sisterly voice was such a welcoming one.  Rae does great tutorials (I’m especially fond of her Basic Newborn Pant and have given it as a shower gift a bunch of times), and sews for her two kids at an admirable pace–plus, her attention to detail and scientific precision mean you can always rely on her patterns and instructions (have you SEEN the Pierrot Tunic??).

I love her photos and her sense of humor, and that she’s always willing to venture into unfamiliar territory–like sewing with knit fabrics, in her recent Kniterviews Series (a must-read if you’re working with knit fabrics).  She even has a free pattern for a crazy-cute pair of handmade tights!

Karen Lepage is one half of the writing team who produced Sewing for Boys.  You may know her better as the lady behind One Girl Circus, or from the patterns she has designed for Patterns By Figgy’s.  Super talented, very funny, and with a clear vision of how to make clothes that kids love to wear and that moms love to put on them.  I was so excited to see her book come out, since there is still a giant lack of great stuff on the market today to sew for boys (despite the fact that boys are still 50% of the kids we make each year!).

Having these two ladies here in Atlanta is going to be a TON of fun, and we’ve been phone calling and emailing and tweeting back and forth nailing down all the details for you!

We’ll kick the weekend off with a Crafty Meet-Up at the shop.  Rae has done a number of these in Michigan, but the commute was way too long for me to get in on the fun–so now we’re doing one here!  Yippee!  Bring your own machine and project, and take over the shop on Friday, March 23 from 7 to 9:30 pm to join like-minded crafters for a pile of love and fun.  RSVP through EventBrite so we can plan to expect you–this event is sponsored by the Atlanta Modern Sewing Guild, and we’d love nothing more than to pack it out!

Saturday morning, join Rae and Karen for a FREE demonstration and Q & A.  They’re packing up samples and prepping ideas to share their Tips for Success when Making Handmade Clothing.  Making handmade clothes for your kids or yourself is so much fun, but you want to make sure that your work pays off! Karen and Rae will share tips on how to make sure those lovely handmade garments will fit, demonstrate easy (and quick) seam finishes to make those clothes last, and trouble shoot some common problems. They’ll talk about when it’s good to take risks and show examples with a bunch of garments they’ve made for their kids and themselves.  And it’s all FREE!  Be at the shop from 10:30 to 12 noon on Saturday, March 24 to get in on the fun.  Seating is limited!

Finally, to cap it all off, a fantastic workshop: making the Treasure Pocket Pants from Sewing for Boys!  These pants are great for boys AND girls, and are super, super cute.  Rae and Karen will provide the pattern and hold your hand as you work through this adorable addition to a child’s wardrobe, and workshoppers will leave the three-hour session with a completed pair of pants to take home!  Meet at the Whipstitch shop from 2-5 pm on Saturday, March 24 to get in on the fun!  See all the details and register for the workshop here.

Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!  Read more details on Rae’s blog.