Description

July's Beginners Sewing Machine Workshop is How to Make A fidget Blanket for Dementia/Alzheimer’s Patients at East Surrey Hospital. For some dementia sufferers, one of the later symptoms is an almost constant need to touch and fiddle with things, which is where fidget blankets can help. Fidget Blanket have pockets, zips, buttons and other bits, and can keep their hands busy for hours. They can be large to lay across their lap or as small as needed. Making a fidget blankets is also a great way for you to learn new or practice existing sewing skills such as sewing pockets, zips, buttonholes and binding a quilt.

This is a great way to sew for a local charity. I will donate all fidget blankets that we make to East Surrey Hospital and donate course fees, minus hall hire costs, to either the hospital ward or relevant Dementia charity.

Who is this class for?

This class is for complete beginners and improvers alike. As we make something different each month many people attend the workshops regularly. I run these monthly 3 hour workshops every second Saturday of the month, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I've also created an event for the morning session.

What will we cover?

All new attendees will spend the first hour or so going over sewing machine basics and I've detailed worksheets that we follow during the first session and people work at their own pace. You will cover:

• How to Set Up Your Sewing Machine
• How to Thread Your Sewing Machine
• Practising Your Sewing Stitches

After working through this, the learner will then move onto making the finished item of the month. If you have come to a workshop before you can skip the Sewing Machine Basics and make a fidget blanket straight away.

My background is teaching (I specialised with teaching adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities when doing my PGCE and taught in FE Colleges for 10 years) so I'm very used to running workshops with learners at different levels and stages. I limit the sessions to 6-8 people to ensure that I'm not spread too thinly.

What to bring

• Your own sewing machine. Please ensure your sewing machine is fully operational before the workshop and that you have the instruction manual. Refunds are not available if you can't take part due to your sewing machine not working.
• Buttons, zips, shoelaces, rickrack, lace, beads, pockets from jeans and jackets, ties, mittens, socks, jingle bells ribbons, front of a shirt with buttons, fly part of a pair of jeans, buckles etc anything that you can think of!
• Zipper and buttonhole feet for your machine if you have them
• Sewing kit - tape measure, fabric scissors, pins, matching thread, spare sewing machine needles and empty bobbins
• Mug - I'll bring tea, coffee, sugar and milk. Please bring own decaffeinated or herbal teas
• Spare extension lead - if you have one as I only have 4 so an extra 1 or 2 is useful
• Please bring what you can and I will be donating fabrics, wadding, clothing, zips and other notions for us to use on the day.

Venue:

After the arson attack at Strawson Hall, I've hired a lovely temporary venue: The 1st/2nd Horley Scout Hut by the Gas Works on the Gatwick Metro Centre on the Balcombe Road between the rail bridge and the Kings Head. You turn left at the metal fencing and it's right down the end next to the gas tower. Here is a link to a map:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Gatwick+Metro+...,+Balcombe+Rd,+Horley,+Surrey+RH6+9GA/@51.1762917,-0.1576213,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x4875f07431084665:0x9dea81ba37fc2193

Cancellation Policy

• Please note that I am unable to refund fees if you cancel your booking.
• If you cancel no later than 7 days before the course I will transfer your payment onto another one of my sessions of your choice.
• If you cancel after 7 days before the course date, there will be no transfer and no alternative course offered.
• I reserve the right to cancel courses if circumstances dictate, including insufficient enrolment, tutor illness or weather related circumstances. In this instance, I will offer you a choice of a place on an alternative course, or provide a full refund.

If you have any questions, please contact me, Gemma Payne at paynegemma@googlemail.com