You know it’s love by the symptoms: a tingling sensation, sweaty palms, a desire that keeps you wanting more.

Of course for others, it’s more practi- cal: don’t be dependant, do it yourself. Whatever your reasons for wanting to knit, stitch, sew, quilt, bead, etc., it always helps when someone shows you how to get started.

So if you’re ready to unleash your inner Martha, here are a few places in and around the Fashion District that will help you along:

Sew Fast Sew Easy! 147 W. 35th Street, Suite 807 New York, NY 10001 212.268.4321 www.sewfastseweasy.com

Sew Fast Sew Easy covers the market for home sewers and provides some of the best sewing lessons in town, on-site, on-line, or on-video. They teach for both home sewing machines and sergers, and best of all, if you are looking to buy, you can test drive and get acquainted with any of the machines they sell! Through SFSE you can learn:

• How to use 7th Ave. sewing skills
• How to get your own custom fit
• How to buy the best fabric for
• your project
• How to identify different types of fabric
• How to cut properly
• Pattern and sewing terms
• Special pressing techniques
• How to mark and sew hems

But that’s not all. They also carry pat- terns packaged into easy to use sewing kits. We hear the instructions are great – a big plus for any of you just begin- ning. Then there are the Sew Fast Sew Easy books, the notions, the dress forms, the sewing baskets, and the machines. Ahhh...sewing machines. Not as common as you may think in the fashion district. But you can check them out in their showroom or through their website.

And p.s., it’s not just sewing. SFSE, origi- nators of the Stitch ‘n Bitch Café, also has lessons, patterns and supplies for knitting, crocheting, and making acces- sories. Check out www.sewfastseweasy. com for the full scope of skills they teach. Be all that you can be.

Fashion Institute of Technology
7th Avenue and 27th Street New York, NY 10001 212.217.7999, www.fitnyu.edu

Learn to knit at FIT? They’ll swear on a stack of Vogues that these courses are offered for “professional develop- ment”, but this looks to us like a good opportunity for a crafter or home sewer to sharpen their skills with some of the industry’s best.

Visit the FIT website and under non- credit classes check out the Wearable and Decorative Arts section for courses such as:

Bauble, Bangle, and Bead Stringing Beaded Jewelry Charm Bracelet Workshop
Creative Stitch Technique Beaded Jewelry Creations with Swarovski Crystals
Wire-Wrap Jewelry Workshop Collectible Jewelry
Beaded Wire Earrings Beaded Jewelry Studio
Hand-Made Costume Jewelry:
From Design to Creation Knitting for Pleasure
Knitting for Novices Beginners’ Machine Knitting
Machine Knitting II Advanced Machine Knitting: The Ribber
Advanced Machine Knitting Weekend Crochet for Pleasure
Learn to Sew Like a Pro Hand Sewing, Mending, and Alteration Essential
Floral Ribbon Trim for Accessories

HandbagDesigner101.com
www.handbagdesigner101.com
Telephone: 866-206-9067 x2342

Looking to hop on the handbag craze? Do you think you’ve got what it takes to create the bag to hold what you’ve got? Contact local fashion accessories ex- pert Emily Blumenthal (creator of trendy Yasmena handbags, among others) to set up affordable bag business con- sultations. You can start by checking out her website for the aficionados and start-ups, www.handbagdesigner101. com. It’s a great source for sources, trends, ideas, and events for all you baggies out there.