Wayward City Farm
About
Old time skills inform modern living. I was reared by a Jamaican suffragette who raced bicycles in the 1900's before moving to Harlem in early 1929, in time for the artistic revolution that was the Harlem Renaissance. She survived the Great Depression and her family thrived!
Sewing, cooking and gardening were skills for empowerment for women because your self-sufficiency meant freedom for you, your husband, your children and your whole community. I carry the lessons forward into the 21st Century.
Let me share with you. It will be my pleassure!
I have sewn professional for college theater, for a nationally renown historic preservation organization, for an old time cobbler and for a manufacturer in the New York Garment Industry. (Yes, I sewed for a sweat shop!!) I have taught classes in Washington, DC.
Also, I have cooked professionally, as well. I have also installed gardens for Washington, DC and the state of Maaryland. I have taught classes for gardening contractors on sustainable landsacaping and other gardening topics. My day job is very different these days but these first skoills, gardening, sewing and cooking, are very close to my heart.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I focus on beginners in my work. The first step is to make them comfortable and to feel secure.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I was taught historic preservation of costumes and clothes at Smith College. I wa staught leather work in a cobbler shop in Martha's Vineyard, Ma. and I was taught hand sewing on the job at Roth Import Company in NYC.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I prefer to teach small classes of 5-10 people so individuals can learn from each other's successes. My prices are per person but I apply multi-person discounts.
How did you get started teaching?
I love teaching and have been tutoring and teaching since before high school.
What types of students have you worked with?
Anyone who can hold a needle and thread. I would love to teach a blind person sewing techniques. I prefer to teach children older than 10, teenagers and adults.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
The Maker's Faire is fun, as is the ACC's American Craft Fir in San Francisco. I have attended the one in Baltimore many times. Being a fiber artist, I love to see all the imaginative works that pop up in quilt shows and in art events like Artomatic and more.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Think about what you want out of the classes: do you want to know how to make items for your home? Clothes? Gifts? Do you want to be able to make repairs? Do you want to make something big, like a wedding dress or a corset? Are you hoping to be cosplayer? Are you an artist who wants ot add fabric or fiber craft to your work? Narrow your first project down and it will be easier to begin and to grow from there.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What type of space do you have to sew in at home? Do you have a place to practice?
What is your eye sight like, do you use glasses to read?
Do you have a deadline by which you hope to create a special project?