Instructors

On this page, you will find featured teachers (for formal, in-depth or retreat courses) listed first, and below them, you will find more teachers by region. For more information, ask by clicking here.

Sharon Butler(New York City- Manhattan)
An active member of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), Sharon is a passionate professional who teaches beginners and advanced sewers, with an emphasis on fitting. She is available for private and group lessons.
Contact Sharon


JSM Tailoring Tools & Teaching (Michigan and elsewhere)
Joyce Simons Murphy (JSM) has degrees in apparel design and education plus 20 years experience running a tailors shop, altering clothes, constructing garments and selling men's made-to-measure suits.
As owner of JSM Tailors, Joyce saw a need for new tools to make tailoring easier. In response to this need, Joyce developed the JSM Hourly Rate Calculator; the Pricing Alterations Made Easier system; JSM Pant 1, a pants pattern with classic styling; The Pants Folio and an entire system for fitting pants.
Joyce is a charter member of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), and a member of the American Sewing Guild (ASG).
Contact Joyce


Barbara Deckert(Maryland)
As an active, charter member of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), she has served on its executive board as VP of Public Relations.
She is the author of two books, Sewing for Plus Sizes: Design, Fit and Construction for Ample Apparel (Taunton: 1999) and Sewing 911: Practical and Creative Rescues for Sewing Emergencies (Taunton, 2001. She has also written dozens of articles on sewing and fashion for such national magazines as Sew News, Threads, Butterick Home Catalogue, BBW Magazine, and The Wedding Pages. She has been interviewed for a variety of national magazines and newspapers as an expert on sewing and custom clothing, including Women's Wear Daily and Real Simple Magazine.
She has appeared as a guest on the television programs America Sews on PBS and Sew Much More on HGTV.
Contact Barbara

Susan Khalje (Maryland and elsewhere)
An exceptional teacher, Susan established the Couture Sewing School in 1993, and teaches couture sewing techniques throughout the country. A charter member of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), she has served as its national chairperson. She has contributed to Sew News and Vogue Patterns Magazine, and writes frequently for THREADS Magazine. Her books include Bridal Couture: Fine Sewing Techniques for Wedding Gowns and Evening Wear (Krause) and Linen and Cotton: Classic Sewing Techniques for Great Results (Taunton). She also writes a weekly sewing column, Sew Much More, and is one of the contributors to the newly-published The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do. She also hosts the television show "Sew Much More".
Contact Susan


Fred Bloebaum (California and New Mexico)
Fred Bloebaum ( a woman with a man's nickname) is a highly-regarded sewing instructor from the San Francisco area. She is a regular instructor at The Sewing Workshop and other local sewing schools. She has served on the faculties of several colleges, teaching fashion and sewing-related courses. Fred specializes in fashion-conscious sewing classes focusing on designer techniques, tailoring, figure flattery, and sewing with a variety of unique fabrics.

Fred teaches workshops at conferences, sewing guilds, and fabric stores nationwide. Currently a contributing editor to Threads Magazine, she has also been a featured designer in the Threads Designer Challenge, and a guest on the television show, "Sew Much More" on the DIY network. Fred is a member of the San Francisco chapter of PACC (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), the Independent Pattern Company Alliance, and several other textile arts and fashion organizations. She designs and markets her own line of patterns, "Clothing Designs by La Fred." This line currently contains 15 patterns, with more to come. They feature elegant, classic clothing with contemporary lines, flattering a wide range of ages and figures, and are simple to construct.

Her most recent adventure is called "Sew... Santa Fe", a series of retreats and workshops in her lovely home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also maintains a studio in her primary residence in Oakland, California.
Contact Fred


Linda Stewart (Virginia and elsewhere)
Award winning designer Linda Stewart has over 24 years of sewing experience, specializing in bridal, formalwear and alterations. She was chosen as both 2006 & 2007 Bernina Fashion Show Designer. Linda is a Member of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals Appalachian Chapter, the American Sewing Guild, and Fashion Group International. She currently serves on the Executive Board of Sewing and Design Professionals as the director of their certification program. She teaches classes to train professional Alterations Specialists and has published her first book on CD. Visit her website for information on scheduled classes, her book or to contact her for custom wedding gown design. She has studied with Susan Khalje at both the Couture Bridal Sewing School and the Couture Sewing School, in Baltimore, MD. In 2003 Linda studied "The Moulage" with world renowned San Francisco/New York designer, Kenneth D. King. In 2006, Linda attended Sandra Erickson's Vionnet draping class in San Francisco.
Linda has been a member of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals") since 1993, and currently serves on that organization's National Executive Board as the first director of the PACC Certificate Program. She is also a member of the American Sewing Guild, and the Greater Asheville Area Chapter of PACC.
Contact Linda

Cindy Chock(New York)
Theatrical Wardrobe Union Local 764 IATSE, Professional Association of Custom Clothiers (Empire State founding member and New Jersey member - recently renamed "The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals"), Home Sewing Association TSI, Palmer Pletch CSI, Unique Patterns CUE and scan tech, Sewing Educators Alliance Member. 35 years as a theatrical costumer on Broadway, television and film. Currently, the key costumer for the New York City Opera. Taught at Parsons School of Design for 6 years. Teach privately and small groups. Designed and developed patterns for Simplicity, McCall's and Butterick Pattern Companies.
Contact Cindy

Susan Andriks(New Hampshire)
In 1990, Susan established The Fabricsmith, a successful custom dressmaking business specializing in bridal gowns and special occasion dresses. In 2000, her book, Bridal Gowns, How to Make the Wedding Dress of Your Dreams, was published by Palmer & Pletsch). She has written numerous articles for Threads Magazine (the Taunton Press). Susan also appeared in a in a 3 part bridal series with Nancy Zieman on "Sewing With Nancy" (PBS television).
Wanting to share her love of sewing and design and realizing the need for quality sewing instruction, Susan began teaching classes in 1998. She established the New Hampshire Academy of Sewing in 2006.
Contact Susan

Gill Arnold (Scotland)
An obsessive love of sewing has driven her career through a wide range of sewing related experiences. She comes from a family of sewers and from a very early age was encouraged to be creative. Her love of embroidery and needlework led her to pursue a career in teaching, after which, she attended a specialist needlework and home economics teacher training College in Liverpool. She always enjoyed "hands on work" and gained experience working with an expert team of fitting and alteration seamstresses at an exclusive dress shop the summer she finished at Liverpool. See her website for far more information on her unique dressmaking school.
Contact Gill