Happy May! It’s incredible that I’ve been away from you, my friends and students, for two whole months now. I wanted to send out this update to let you know what I’ve been up to, and make a few important announcements. Masks, Masks, and More Masks I’ve been busy the past two months in…
This past week I’ve been hard at work making masks to donate to my local hospital. Some of you have joined me, which was so exciting to see! You may have heard the new recommendation that all people wear masks when outside of their homes. As more and more of us are looking for homemade…
Attention all sewers! Our second week of being locked inside and we’re all going crazy, right? If you’re looking for something you can do for others during this time, I’d like to ask for you to join me in making masks for your local hospitals and other healthcare workers. The Multnomah County Health Department is…
To all students and parents, As I have watched this virus spread across the world and the closures of all kinds of events, I have wondered if I should cancel classes also. Containing this virus is important and I don’t want to be the one that helped it to spread.It is with heavy heart and…
Happy (almost) spring! What a great year it has been so far. I can’t believe that spring is almost here, with daffodils blooming and tulips already coming up. I love spring – how it is a rebirth of flowers and gardens. This time of year, there’s a lot of exciting things coming up at the…
This year I celebrated my 65th birthday, which means I have been sewing for about fifty-five years! As I look back on what first brought a passion for sewing, I believe it all began when my mom taught me to do hand embroidery and to crochet. My Grandmother Steele also taught me some on her…
Wondering what to give someone who loves creative gifts? Or someone who likes practical ones? Maybe you’re thinking of giving someone their first sewing machine, or you’d like to learn to alter your own clothes. Whoever is on your list this year, why not consider giving the gift of sewing? Now until Christmas, you can…
Based on your feedback, I’ve decided to extend Bring A Friend to Class Week through September 30th! I’d love to meet a friend of yours there! Anyone interested can drop in for one FREE class next week with no need for registration. They’ll even get their own project to take home! Just call me to…
It’s hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner! This summer was much anticipated all year as we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Jolene’s Sewing School in June. What a wonderful time that was. The party hasn’t ended yet – we’re still celebrating all year with a coupon code for new fall students! …
My love of sewing machines goes way back to when I was a little girl. It was the mid-1960’s, and I was using my Grandma Steele’s 1940’s Montgomery Ward machine (which I later received after her passing in 1993). I remember happily whirring away, altering, fixing and sewing clothes for my grandmother. It was…