It’s the new year, so it’s time for some new sewing projects. Last year I entered 2011 with a very specific goal that I was going to learn how to sew. I enrolled in beginning classes at Judy’s Sewing Center in Capitola and for an entire year have taken classes almost every Tuesday night. In September, the center opened a garment construction class which is taught by local master dressmaker Dresden Erickson. Since its start in the fall, the class is continuing to thrive. It meets every Thursday from 6-9 and costs just $10 per class. There, Erickson provides expert knowledge to students on their individual garment projects. Under her eye, students learn everything from darts, tucks, setting in a sleeve, hemming a shirt, using facing to stabilize projects, how to make a gorgeous dress, a retro blouse, a tailored suit jacket, or the perfect pair of pants.
So far, I’ve made four button up shirts, averaging about one a month or so. I have just started my fifth shirt in the class, and I’m watching other students’ projects come to fruition, too. In a warm endorsement, I don’t believe you’ll get better skilled teachers in Santa Cruz County—Dresden, Judy, and the other instructors bring lifetimes of sewing experience and professional education to the classroom every week. While we don’t have a fashion design school in town, we do have Judy’s Sewing Center.
