Our young fashion designers love the art of designing and sewing. They come from many walks of life, various types of schooling, and reside in four surrounding states; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. They have different interests, sports, and hobbies, but their main common interest they share is designing and sewing. Whether they spend the summer sewing with us at camp, or are dedicated all year long attending weekly sewing classes and workshops, each of them will show a minimum of a three-piece cohesive collection they have made for the fashion show.
Love to Sew Studio is a sewing and fashion design studio for kids ages 7-18, and adults. We guide and help children who dream of making their own clothes and seeing their looks come to life on the runway. We begin with teaching children the basics of the sewing machine, how to thread a machine, how to sew, pin, cut, and many different stitches. From that point students are free to sketch, get inspired, and begin designing and sewing their looks for the runway. As students continue to sew and gain new and more difficult sewing skills, their cohesive line begins to form using different techniques and fabrics they’ve learned about. Students may use commercial patterns, design their own patterns, or drape a look using a dress form.
For the everyday looks and competition looks in our fashion shows students are guided on the technique and skills of sewing. However, students have a large responsibility in putting together everything for the show. Students must come up with their own collection looks through either sketches they have drawn, or inspiration looking through magazines or on TV. Anything can inspire someone to create a dress or even a quilt. Some students have even been inspired for a whole collection just by the print of one piece of fabric, or while baking, or visiting a museum and seeing famous art work. Students are required to organize and supply a three piece cohesive collection, a collection title, a bio, coordinating music, supply models, and heading their final looks for the runway.
In commenting on the art of sewing, Judi Harris, director and owner noted,“Each year I am amazed of what these young students come up with in their designs. I am overwhelmed with pride and joy as I watch each student go from their idea on paper to seeing the final look on the runway. I believe everyone has some type of art ability found in their imagination, and who has a better imagination then a child. But to turn what they imagine and dream of into a reality on the runway still amazes me. I occasionally come down from my “cloud”, and remind myself that it was only less than 100 years ago, that the skills of sewing and making clothes was a required task and a necessity of girls this age”
