Sew Crafty Continues to Be So Neat

I finally made time to catch up with Sarah Gabbart of Sew Crafty fame. We talked back in May, while Sew Crafty was at the White Oak location, and I wanted to follow-up and see how things were going at the new location street on 321-B W. 19th Street (the old location of Tansu).

Wow! The new space is beautiful--airy, colorful, and fun. The front of the shop showcases many retail items available for sale: appealing fabrics, helpful books, patterns, kits for folks who want a convenient way to do a project, basic supplies like seam rippers, yarns (primarily vegan), scrapbooking supplies, and embellishments. Although the main focus of Sew Crafty is still the classes, the retail options are certainly substantial enough to inspire a bit of crafting, and there are definitely enough things to "help people in a pinch," says Sarah.

There were enough fabrics, patterns, and fabrics to satiate my crafting habit, and they even had my favorite applique mainstay--Steam A Seam--which I wasn't even able to find at Wal-Mart (after I realized the Jo Ann's on north I-45 closed down).

In the back, there was a knitting class going on. The new space is large enough to accommodate four classes simultaneously. Upstairs, there are two separate areas for sewing classes, which include a wall of sewing machines, a wall of irons and ironing boards, and large tables for laying out one's work. As someone who has taken sewing classes in the past, I was super-excited about the prospect of not having to wait in line for an iron! Plus, the upstairs space has natural light streaming in from a full wall of windows, so the atmosphere is very welcoming.

Due to the larger space, Sew Crafty is able to offer more classes and expanded options. They also continue to offer private parties (for birthdays, girls' night out, baby showers, etc.) and private classes.

They also have drop-in crafting. For $3-$5 per project, you can stop by and make an entire project from start to finish. Sarah got the idea from her own frustrations with crafting. She would get excited about doing a project and then have to purchase all the separate items that she would "maybe use one." As a result, she jokes that she has "a million different hole punches." Drop-in crafting means you don't have to buy separate supplies or an entire package of something. Sew Crafty supplies everything you need. When I stopped by this weekend, the drop-in craft option was making little pie brooches in honor of National Pie Week.

Sarah and her staff continue to be full of positive energy, and I thoroughly enjoyed my hour in the place. I'll also be participating in their "Crafting a Year" contest. In an attempt to inspire more crafting, they are holding a monthly contest that will culminate in a grand finale. To participate, you:

1. Send a photo of one new project each month to Alanna at alanna@sewcraftyhouston.com
   
2. Photos must be submitted by the fifth of each month. Ex. February 5 is the deadline for January submissions.
3. All submissions must be your own projects. (No pictures of Grandma’s quilt or Aunt Betty’s knit scarf).
4. Each month the submission with the most Facebook comments or “likes” wins! In December one grand prize winner will be announced and receive a $150 Sew Crafty gift card and a gift bag full of crafty goodies.

Note: You don’t have to be on Facebook to win - we will upload the photos and folks can vote on Facebook or on the blog with their comments!