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About a month ago, I wrote about a sewing teacher who had to take her sewing classes online when the pandemic made meeting in person too challenging. If you didn’t read the story, here’s the post: Ami Porter’s Stitch School for Kids.
This month, Ami sent me the first lesson pack from Stitch School for me to review. I wanted my seven-year-old son to try it out, but unfortunately, he is not interested in learning how to sew right now and I didn’t want to push it. I decided to go ahead and sew the projects in the first lesson pack myself so you can see what your kids would learn if you sign them up.
I think everyone should learn how to sew. It opens up a world of possibilities! Even young kids can learn how to sew. It is a wonderful skill and hobby. Ami’s Stitch School is a great way to introduce your kids to sewing and help them build their skills.
How Does Stitch School Work?
Stitch School offers online sewing classes for kids through a subscription box model — you receive a pattern, fabric, and everything you need each month. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know I’m a major fan of sewing subscription boxes because everything is curated for you. This makes sewing so much easier.
The monthly lesson packs from Stitch School are designed for kids who have never sewn anything before. In addition to sewing supplies, your child receives links to videos with step-by-step directions and tips from Ami.
I love that Ami also makes herself available for questions through email or Facebook chat. It’s one thing that differentiates Stitch School from other online sewing classes. You can even call Ami if you can’t figure out how to thread your sewing machine. She is there for her students and wants them to succeed.
After students have learned the basics, Ami tailors sewing lessons to each student’s abilities and goals, whether that is learning to sew clothes, creating a quilt, making a bag, or anything else. Stitch School is surprisingly affordable for the amount of attention each child receives.
If you don’t have a sewing machine or you don’t think your child is ready to use one, you can still sign your child up for Stitch School to learn beginner sewing techniques. Ami has a hand-sewing option that you can choose at checkout.
After your child completes a sewing project, you take a picture and email it to Ami. Your child then receives a certificate and can move on to the next sewing lesson.
The First Stitch School Lesson Pack
Stitch School is based in Swadlincote, UK. They can ship internationally, but keep in mind that it may take a while for the package to get to you if you live in the U.S. My lesson pack came in a cute panda envelope. 😊
Inside the first lesson pack, there is a handwritten note from Ami welcoming you to Stitch School. She also explains each of the sewing projects in the lesson and provides cutting templates.
Here’s a list of everything I received in the first lesson pack from Stitch School:
- 4 felt sheets in various colors
- 3 colors of embroidery thread
- A few fun buttons
- A set of sewing pins
- A set of hand-sewing needles
- Some needle threaders
- Polyester fill
- Cutting templates for two projects
- Links to video instructions
- Stitch test
The two sewing projects in the first lesson pack are a needlecase and a pincushion. The needlecase is sewn entirely by hand. The pincushion can be sewn by hand or on a sewing machine. I used a sewing machine. Here are some pics of what I created:
Both of these sewing projects are useful and perfect for a child. Felt is very beginner friendly.
Here’s a list of sewing skills your child will learn from Stitch School’s first lesson pack:
- Basic hand stitching, including the invisible stitch
- Pinning and cutting fabric with a template
- Clipping corners for turning
- Using polyester fill
- Sewing on a button
- Basics on how to use a sewing machine, such as threading, stitching, and locking stitches, as well as putting the presser foot down and guiding your fabric
Ami includes a “Stitch Test” in the first lesson pack. It is a piece of felt with lines drawn out so your child can practice sewing in a straight line and around curves and corners. I already know how to do all this, but I took the opportunity to try out some of the decorative stitches on my new sewing machine (Bernette b79).
Overall, I think Stitch School looks promising if your child wants to learn how to sew. I just wish my son was ready… The first projects were straightforward, and I think they’d be fun for a child. Stitch School has a small business feel because the videos are not filmed in a studio. You feel like you are just sitting in Ami’s class, working alongside her.
Stitch School is inexpensive, so why not give it a try? You can sign your child up HERE.
