Denise Wild has been sewing since she was 13. She learned how to in Home Economics class in grade school. But she really fell in love with the art when a family friend gave her lessons one summer.
“I sewed a button-down shirt from start to finish that summer and was extremely proud and completely hooked!” says Wild via email from New York.
Today, she owns The Sewing Studio in Rosedale, Toronto. Started in 2004, the studio offers a variety of sewing classes—from Introductory Sewing to Patternmaking. And Wild is currently setting up another studio in Manhattan.
We caught up with her a bit ago to discuss her passion.
What made you start the sewing studio?
Because I love sewing and because I did so much of it, everyone around me knew that I sewed. I always dreamed of teaching sewing classes in my home, and figured I could run a studio in my basement when I was old and retired.
I started telling people my idea of teaching classes and found out that a lot of my friends were interested in learning. It was while I was working at Flare magazine that one of my friends said she and her friends would be my first students if I wanted to teach them. So I spent the summer putting together a formal, eight-week course outline (which is now our most popular class, Introductory Sewing), and I taught two groups of friends and co-workers how to sew in my downtown-Toronto apartment. And The Sewing Studio grew from there.
What kind of trends are you observing at the studio?
The majority of our students are between 25 and 35 years old. They're often professional women who want to do something different. They might have last used a machine in elementary school, or they might have never touched a machine before. They're looking to be creative, to learn a new skill, to have confidence on a sewing machine, and to meet new people in a fun environment.
We definitely teach a fair number of men to sew as well, however the biggest trend in students that we see coming into The Sewing Studio are kids and teens. They love fashion, they love exploring their creativity through design and construction, and they love finishing something that they started on their own. Kids and teens are so inspiring to me and my staff. They dive into each project with enthusiasm, they take risks, and they don't care if they screw up—they'll go with the flow and turn a mistake into part of the style. There's a lot we can learn from the free-spirited nature and the passion they bring to everything they do.
What do you think makes DIY projects so enjoyable?
DIY projects are great in that they take people away from their computers and the bustle of everyday life and they allow you to get creative and get hands-on. You save money when you DIY, plus you get something that's unique and that's exactly what you want. It's a great feeling to make something that not only fits you (or your home) perfectly, it's in the fabric and colour you want, and absolutely no one else on the planet can walk into a store and buy it.
If you’ve decided to start sewing, here are Wild’s tips for what you should keep in mind:
1. Take it slow and be patient. Sewing might seem very particular when you first start, but once you learn the basics, you can start having much more fun with it.
2. Take a class or learn from a friend. There are a lot of nifty things (like shortcuts!) that you can learn from someone that you might not pick up from a book.
3. Most importantly, have fun! Learning something new is such a rewarding experience. And you never know where it can lead.