St. Anne Sewing Club
Open Sewing Classes
Our sewing class this year is open to everyone who would like to learn. Classes will be held on Saturdays from 11:00-12:30, and our first class will be Saturday, July 27/2024. Sign up is not necessary, however if you will be requesting to borrow any of the required tools, you will need to reach out to Gwendolyn prior to the class date in order to ensure that the requested equipment will be available for your use. Each class will require you to bring specific tools and/or equipment for each of the topics. Please review the curriculum and required equipment for each of our classes below.
Class 1 (July 27/2024): Planning Your Project
Required Materials:
Pattern
Measuring Tape
Regular Scissors (e.g. for paper or crafting)
Notebook and Pencil
Class 1 will focus on planning your first project. We will cover the basics of different materials, their uses, and how to select the appropriate fabric for your project. We will also learn how to take our measurements and select the appropriate size. We will learn how to read a pattern envelope and make our shopping lists for what each participant will need to complete their project, including a discussion of the required materials for your next class. Lastly, we will begin cutting out our pattern in preparation for the next class.
Class 2 (August 3/2024): Starting Your Project
Required Materials:
Pattern Envelope with Cut Pattern Pieces Inside
Measuring Tape
Fabric Scissors (NOT craft scissors – must be purchased from a fabric supplier)
Dressmaking/Tailoring Pins
Fabric
Pattern Transfer Materials (i.e.. chalk or transfer paper and roller)
Class 2 will focus on preparing our materials to sew with. We will discuss pattern markings, how to read them and what they mean. We will learn about fabric concepts such as nap, bias and salvage, and how they impact our project decisions. We will pin our patterns to our fabric and begin cutting our fabric in preparation to sew.
Class 3 (August 10/2024): Critical Sewing Skills
Required Materials:
Pattern Envelope with Sewing Instructions Inside
Fully Cut Fabric Pieces
Thread Matching your Fabric
Fabric Scissors
Dressmaking/Tailoring Pins
Sewing Machine
Class 3 will focus on the critical sewing skills that you will need to complete your project. We will read our pattern instructions together and begin to assemble our projects. We will learn important sewing concepts related to piece pinning, seams, hems and other skills. Most patterns require the use of an iron, but you will not be required to bring an iron with you. There will be an ironing station set up for use by participants.
Classes 4 & 5 (August 17 & 24/2024): Open Sewing
Required Materials:
Pattern Envelope with Sewing Instructions Inside
Fully Cut Fabric Pieces
Thread Matching your Fabric
Fabric Scissors
Dressmaking/Tailoring Pins
Sewing Machine
Notions as required by your pattern
Classes 4 and 5 will be open sewing sessions for participants to continue working on their pattern with the presence of our instructor to answer your questions and assist you in progressing in your project. These classes will not have any theoretical or presentation component, it will exclusively be focused on sewing.
Class 6 (August 31/2024): Alterations and Finishing Your Project
Required Materials:
Pattern Envelope with Sewing Instructions Inside
Fully Cut Fabric Pieces
Thread Matching your Fabric
Fabric Scissors
Dressmaking/Tailoring Pins
Sewing Machine
Notions as required by your pattern
Our final class will focus on finishing your project. We will discuss alterations for fit and hand stitching. We will attempt to finish our projects during this class, but ensure that everyone has the skills and knowledge to finish their projects if they have not yet completed it.
Choosing Your Project
For your first class, you will be required to select and purchase a sewing pattern for the project that you wish to complete. For the first class you will only require your pattern and we will discuss everything else you will need for your project as part of the class. Most pattern makers (e.g. Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls) will have a selection of patterns labeled as “easy”, “beginner”, “learn to sew” or similar. For your first project it is recommended that you select a pattern with one of these labels. Patterns are widely available online and in stores where sewing materials are sold, such as Fabricland and Len’s Mills. Some suggested patterns are available on the St. Anne’s Sewing Club website to help you choose a pattern that you will be interested in sewing, but that is also realistic to finish as a project during our course.
Volunteer Seamstresses
The St. Anne sewing club is responsible for the costumes worn by St. Vitus Catholic School of Dance in their year end performance. We welcome all parishioners from St. Mary’s Church in Linwood and all parents, grandparents and dancers from St. Vitus Catholic School of dance to participate. No sewing experience is necessary, we will hold complimentary introductory sewing classes for anyone who is interested in participating before we begin costume preparations.
This group of talented ladies will make up our formal costume review committee to provide, receive and review feedback on costumes, participate together in fabric field trips to select fabric and sewing patterns for our dance classes, pin and cut fabric pieces and, of course, sew costumes.
If you are, or someone you know is interested in participating as a seamstress, please reach out to the school by phone or email, or speak to Gwendolyn after mass on Sunday.
Participation and Transportation
Transportation for ladies who are interested in sewing but who are unable to drive themselves can be arranged. Currently we have three carpool seats remaining for seamstresses who would like to participate and who require assistance in traveling to fabric stores and/or the church for our community sewing events. If you will require transportation for sewing events and have not already requested it, please reach out as soon as possible so we can arrange your seating. If you are a seamstress who is able to provide additional seats, please also reach out with your driving and seating limits.
If possible, seamstresses are asked to bring their own sewing machine to group events. Currently, we have only one extra sewing machine to be used by our seamstresses. If you have an extra sewing machine you are comfortable lending to the St. Anne Sewing Club, please let Gwendolyn, or any of our seamstresses know.
Costume Preparation Process
October:
Costume design proposals are sent home with students mid-October and shared online in the dancer portal for parent review
Reviews to be submitted to either the dance instructor or St. Anne’s Sewing Club within 4 weeks
Sewing club to receive and address feedback, as needed
Sewing club meet day to be determined for the year at first review costume review session
November:
Costume design feedback cycle concludes mid-November
Sewing classes and practice held for interested seamstresses (We will be sewing veils, lace will be provided to participants in a variety of liturgical colours, or you may choose to bring your own)
Pattern review for costume designs selected and purchased
Fabric store field trips begin after pattern review and costume review are completed
December:
Costume measurements taken for students
Fabric store field trips conclude within the first two weeks of December
January:
Cutting and sewing begins
February:
Sewing continues
March:
Sewing continues
April:
Dancers try on costumes
Alterations begin
Sewing concludes
May:
Alterations conclude
Picture day last week of May
June:
End of Year Performance
Who is St. Anne?
According to apocryphal literature, St. Anne was the mother of Mary, and the grandmother of Jesus Christ. St. Anne was responsible for modeling a life of faith, humility, purity and love to Our Lady, and preparing her in both body and mind to become the Mother of God. Her feast day is December 8.
St. Anne’s relics were originally housed in Constantinople, but were moved to various places until 1506, when Pope Julius II declared that the relics would be housed in Duren, Germany.
St. Anne is the patroness of seamstresses, as well as of lace makers, housewives, women in labour, grandmothers and the poor. Her colours are red and green, and she is typically shown wearing muted variants of one or both of these colours.