The Sewing Basket

Arlington, Texas
The Sewing Basket is a small business that provides lessons in the fabric arts that include quilting, garment construction, crafts, and home decorating. Lou Ann Rudeseal is the owner and teacher. Her classes include weekly classes for children and teens, monthly classes for quilters, and specialty classes in quilting, garments, and crafts. She is has been certified as a Martha Pullen Bernina Licensed Teacher which has equipped her to teach heirloom sewing. She is a member of the American Sewing Guild and the Home Sewing Association.

Lou Ann has especially enjoyed teaching children and teens ages 8 to 18 in her weekly classes. They learn hand embroidery, cross-stitching, how to use a sewing machine safely, how to read a pattern, how to lay out a pattern, how to cut efficiently and neatly, and how to finish garments and craft items that will be useful and beautiful.

Projects include doll clothes, pillow cases, laundry bags, potholders, aprons, scrunchies, scarves, pillows, mini-quilts, and their very own clothes. They have learned how to applique, how to use fusible interfacing, how to overcast fabric raw edges to prevent fraying, and how to “press as you go” to insure accuracy and neatness. They have also learned how to make the most of the various types of presser feet for the sewing machines to achieve the best results.