Under the watchful eye of Cathy Andrews, sewing students start off with the most simple of tasks.
First they learn to pin a seam, how to thread the needle on the sewing machine, and then sew a straight line.
Next they sew a square that is turned into their first finished work — a sewing bag.
But from those small beginnings can come great things, including older girls who use their skills to sew their own prom dresses.
"They start out very basic," she said of the program, dubbed the Waverley Sewing Den. "But as they progress over the years, they finish — even the little ones do a simple one — a dress at the end of each school year."
Andrews has been teaching the finer points of sewing to children from ages six to 17 in her Waverley home for 20 years. Earlier this month, she hosted the season-ending fashion show with the girls modelling their finished dresses.
"I just do it right out in my yard. (Parents and friends) bring their lawn chairs and we set up tables with cake and ice cream. It’s always a big success," she said.
The kids, mostly girls, although it’s open to anyone, attend the two-hour sewing sessions after school or in the evenings, from September to June.
Andrews, who learned to sew before she was married and has upgraded her skills over the years, said she started the program when looking for an in-home business to run while her daughter was young.
"I liked being able to stay home . . . and then just continued on with it," she said. "I love it. They keep me young."
Since then, Andrews has taught an average 30 to 40 kids a year how to sew. Kids are with her for varying lengths of time, but some keep going all through their school years.
Andrews said she often bumps into former sewing students.
She said it can be a challenge to teach children of varying ages and skill levels in the same sessions, but she said the older girls are good at helping out.
Every year most of the older students choose to make their own prom dresses, which can be an interesting experience for the young sewers.
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