Our Teachers

Emily
My love of sewing began at 11 years of age. My first official sewing project was a pair of sky blue shorts. I remember wandering through the fabric store eying all of the fabric trying to settle on the perfect fabric and can still remember the shade and print of the fabric I chose. I've been hooked on sewing ever since and consider myself a 'fabric junky'. When I enter a fabric store I can see the millions of possibilities.

During my college years I took every sewing class offered and truly enjoyed my children's sewing class the most. I enjoy sewing for my 5 kids, especially my 2 girls. I've been known to have multiple projects going on at one time and every now and then I'll keep one of those projects for myself.

I really love teaching at The Sewing Academy. It gives me the opportunity to utilize one of my talents and have fun at the same time. It has been a pleasure watching our students take a project from beginning to end. The students often have a good laugh at me, as I tend to go on and on about how I think ironing is the best part of the process, as it makes our projects look professional. The iron is my best sewing friend!

My heart belongs to Idaho, where I am originally from. I have a degree in elementary education, but if given the choice to do it all over again that degree would be of a more creative/design nature. My children range in age from 15 to 5. I have been married for 19 years to a man who supports my many hobbies and doesn't mind stepping on a few pins here and there. Well, he does mind, he just loves me enough not to poke me back.

 

Malinda 

One of my first memories of sewing projects was for my 3rd grade school program. The theme was music and dancing around the world. My sister and I both had the opportunity to learn a Mexican dance and my mother decided we needed full skirts. I remember my mom having me hold fishing line in one corner of a large room in our house while she was in the opposite corner with fishing line basted into yards of material and gathering and gathering and gathering to make a full Mexican skirt to dance in. She also made us flannel nightgowns to perform in a pioneer roadshow.

One of my sisters sewed her wedding dress and her bridesmaids' dresses, along with my very own special flower girl dress. I also watched another sister sew her three girls new Easter dresses every year. Their talents were great and I had no small amount of admiration for them, but never dreamed I would be able to follow in their footsteps until I took a Home Economics class my freshman year of high school and found after becoming intimately acquainted with a seam ripper, I was able to make clothes for myself that actually looked stylish. My first solo project was a peach and white polka-dot, collared, button down blouse with shorts that matched. Imagine my surprise and yes, a little pride, when one of my friends asked me where I had bought my outfit!

My mom gave me my own sewing machine for my 16th birthday and I now have three girls and two sons of my own that are the happy recipients of homemade quillows, pajamas and zip up hoodies made using the very same sewing machine. I enjoy being able to make something with my own hands and giving it to someone I love.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my small talent with young children and hope they will be able to look back on their years of learning to sew with the same fondness I do.