Long Arm Quilting

You love to piece quilts. In fact, you might have 90 or sew pieced and ready to go! But the quilting -- well, that's the daunting part... Fear not! Set up an appointment with us for long arm of quilting! We'll soothe your quilting woes, and have your quilt to you in no time at all!

Embroidery

The wedding's tomorrow and you've been assigned the task of embroidering 150 napkins for the reception. Where do you go? What do you do? (get a Sharpie...) No... Call Sewing Arts Center! We do many custom orders of embroidery on site for folks. And if we can't do it, we'll be happy to provide you referrals. Give a call to 866-SEWINGARTS or email us to find out more.

Private Instruction

The FAQs, Nothing But the FAQs

Tell me a bit about your Instructors.

Yolanda Chambers. She brings years of sewing machine expertise and specializes in Sewing Machine Instruction. Private Machine Instruction with Yolanda is scheduled in one-hour increments.

Rebecca McClure. Rebececa is nationally acclaimed and is an instructor who specializes in all aspects of quilting. From basic rotary cutting skills through fine machine quilting, she is expert at assisting you to cover all of your quilting bases. Private Instruction with Rebecca McClure is scheduled in 1 hour increments.

Russell Scott provides expert assistance in all facets of sewing - from garment construction to quilting, from home dec to embroidery design. From garment sewing to patternmaking, from the weird & wild to the sublime, he can expertly assist you with any need you might have relative to sewing. Allot 2 hours for your first session. He is also the premier resource in Southern California relevant to all aspects of machine embroidery and digitizing.

More FAQs

What do you teach in private lessons? Almost anything goes! Garment sewing, patternmaking, home decor, quilting, embroidery, formal wear... the list goes on! The instructor will discuss your project with you before meeting in order to make your experience as productive as possible. There is an exception to the "almost" -- Sewing Arts Center, its extraordinary staff and its talented instructors recognize the time and effort that is represented in the finished work of all individuals, and are respectful of the intellectual property of those who develop, design, sew, manufacture and sell their products. Under no circumstance will an instructor at Sewing Arts Center teach you how to design, manufacture, sew or otherwise develop product that is copyrighted or trademarked, nor will the instructor teach you how to "knock off" designer goods.

I'm not sure which instructor will be best for my project. Can you help? Sure! The information provided about our instructors above gives just a cursory overview of their talent! Give a call to Sewing Arts Center and one of the staff will be quite happy to assist you in determining which instructor is right to facilitate the successful completion of your sewing project.

When may I schedule instruction? Private instruction is scheduled based upon instructor availability, and is scheduled during normal business hours. Call Sewing Arts Center at 310-450-4300 for availability!

How do I make an appointment? Call Sewing Arts Center at 310-450-4300. If your instructor is unavailable to speak with you, a member of the Sewing Arts Center staff will be happy to relay a message to the instructor on your behalf. The instructor or staff member will get back to you within 24 hours.

How much are lessons? Dependent upon the instructor and the instruction provided, private instruction is between $50 and $75 per hour. A non-refundable pre-payment equal to one hour of instruction is required at the time of enrollment. This deposit will be applied to your appointment for instruction. We take our responsibility to you for timely and professional instruction seriously. Please be respectful of the instructor's and other students' time. Regardless of what time you arrive for your scheduled appointment, private instruction commences at the appointed time, and is billed based upon the commencement of your scheduled appointment - not your late arrival. Should you need to reschedule, 24-hour notice is required. Without 24-hour notice, your deposit will be forfeited. No exceptions.

How long are the lessons? The initial appointment for Private Machine Instruction is billed at a minimum of one hour. The initial appointment for Private Sewing Instruction is billed at a minimum of two hours. Subsequent appointments are scheduled for one to three hours. In all instances, any time in addition to the minimums addressed above is billed in 15 minute increments.

What should I bring with me? You will need a basic sewing kit*, plus any additional items you may need to complete your project. You will also need access to a sewing machine. You are welcome to bring your own if you are conversant with it. (Machine Instruction is provided ONLY in Machine Instruction sessions.) Be certain it is cleaned, oiled and running smoothly, and that you bring all of it's accessories, including feet, bobbins, foot control and power cord, Alternately, you are welcome to utilize one of our classroom machines at a fee of $25 per session, for which your Instructor will provide basic tutoring.

* A basic sewing kit consists of the following: Gingher 8 Inch Dressmaking Shears; Gingher 4 Inch Embroidery Scissors or Equivalent for Trimming Threads; Paper Cutting Scissors; IBC Glass Head Pins; Clover Long Handle Seam Ripper; Collins 2 Inch x18 Inch Clear Ruler; Clover Triangle Tailor Chalk or Chaco Liner; Fiberglass Tape Measure; John James Hand Sewing Needles; Viking Class 7 Bobbin if Utilizing a Classroom Machine; Schmetz, Klasse or Inspira Sewing Machine Needles Appropriate to Fabric Type and Weight; Mettler Silk Finish Cotton Thread 50 Weight or Metrosene Polyester Thread 100 Weight.

Should you have any questions, at all, please don't hesitate to ask us! You will find our staff, our shop and our instruction exceptional, and are certain that you will have both an enjoyable experience and success in developing your creative sewing genius with us at Sewing Arts Center.

Sewing Machine Service

OUR TECHIES: Our Service Technician, Ted Lloyd, is an authorized, trained professional second to none in the sewing machine repair industry. We take great pride in the repair services provided by Ted, and truly appreciate the confidence you place in Sewing Arts Center and its stellar staff!

HOURS OF OPERATION: The Service Department is available for your questions and to check in repairs from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M. on Fridays. On most occasions, if you bring your machine in the day before, your machine will be ready for you the following afternoon. We understand how frustrating it can be for you to be without your sewing machine, and we will make every effort to return your machine to you as quickly as possible.

COST OF REPAIR COA SS (Clean, Oil, Adjust Straight Stitch) $69.50

COA NC (Clean, Oil, Adjust Non-Computerized) $89.50

COA C (Clean, Oil, Adjust Computerized) $99.50

COA CE (Clean, Oil, Adjust Computerized Embroidery) $129.50

COA OL (Clean, Oil, Adjust Overlock) $99.50

COA MJR (Clean, Oil, Adjust Major Overhaul) $149.50

Prices above reflect labor ONLY, and do not include parts, which are an additional charge. Please bear in mind that a cursory overview of your sewing machine by the sales clerk cannot determine whether additional fees and/or parts will be required, as it is not possible to determine externally to what extent damage internally may extend. Should additional service fees and/or parts be required for your sewing machine, you will be called prior to the performance of the service to confirm your consent. NO ADDITIONAL SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT! Should you choose not to have your machine serviced upon notification, your initial deposit will be returned.

WHAT IS A COA? COA is the sewing machine industry standard term for cleaning, oiling and adjusting a sewing machine. A normal COA includes the following: Clean internal mechanisms, lubricate all points internally, recalibrate and balance tensions, check and adjust motor belts, retime hook, retime feed, reset needle/hook relationship, reset feed height, reset feed stroke, check zigzag pendulum swing, service bobbin winder assembly, reset race clearances, inspect and polish needle plate and hook, check and balance forward and reverse feed, check buttonhole.

DEPOSIT: A deposit equal to the amount of the anticipated service fee is required at the intake of your sewing machine.

WARRANTY: All repairs are warranted for 30 days from the date of service. Though 99 of 100 sewing machines are repaired without incident, please be certain to sew with your sewing machine prior to the end of the warranty period, as no exceptions for reparations will be made beyond the initial 90-day warranty period.

Sewing Machine Rental

Why, yes, we do rent sewing machines. The cost is $35.00 daily, or $250.00 per week. We provide the BabyLock Maria. At the time of the rental, an inventory will be taken of the machine, its accessories and instruction manual, and an overview of its operation will be provided.

A deposit for the value of the machine, a copy of the renter’s valid California Identification and a copy of a valid credit card are required.

In some cases, the rental fee may be applied to the purchase of this or another sewing machine if purchase is made by end of the last day of the rental period.

One day rentals beginning on Saturday may be returned Monday by noon at no additional rental charge.

Please call 866-SEWINGARTS for additional information.

Special Events

Are you a member of a sewing or quilt guild? A Girl Scout leader? A Rotary Club member? A special events coordinator? And you're looking for a class tailored specifically to your needs? Sewing Arts Center can help! Give Sewing Arts a Call at 866-SEWINGARTS. We'll do whatever we can to line up something specifically tailored to your needs.

Special Orders

We know. You're all about immediate gratification. But sometimes, you can't find just what you're looking for when you're looking for it. Well, if we don't stock it and we can get it, we'll be happy to special order it for you! Hurry up and call us at 866-SEWINGARTS if you find yourself in a pickle!

List of Services