82-Uncasler Farming,' Saturday, October 18.I9&7 1 r
Julie assists sewers with a project during one of her sessions.
Julie Wegelin
Se
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
READING (Berks Co.) —Julie
Wegelin’s Sewing Cellar is proof
that home sewing is not a dying art
nor is interest in home sewing
dwindling.
In a cellar beneath her Reading
urban home, Julie teaches sewing
lessons ranging from basic tailor
ing to bear making. She teaches 13
classes weekly.
She also designs patchwork clo
thing patterns that she sells pri
vately and in a few specialty shops.
Julie’s vibrant enthusiasm for
sewing shines through as she
offers help to those participating in
her sewing classes.
Julie began sewing Barbie doll
clothing at five years of age. By
fourth grade, she was sewing her
own clothing.
Her sewing expertise at such a
young age is all the more amazing
because Julie said that she had a
severe learning disability in read
ing and spelling.
She couldn’t read, but learned to
stitch together clothing by looking
at the illustrations on the pattern
sheet. When puzzled, she asked
her mother to read the instructions
aloud. Although her mother sewed
very little, she encouraged Julie to
sew and patiently read the pattern
instructions whenever needed.
“I sewed all the time,” Julie said
of her growing-up years in upstate
New York. The family moved to
Berks County when Julie was in
11th grade. By then, Julie had
completed all her graduation
requirements in subjects other than
English. To her delight, she was
allowed to take sewing classes five
Julie offers both open sewing classes where sewers
select a project of their choice and classes where everyone
works on the same project such as this creative vest.
periods a day during her junior and
senior years.
She overcame her learning disa
bility enough to make straight A’s
except in English through high
school and at Harcum Junior Col
lege, where she studied fashion
design.
At college she learned to take
ideas and put them into pattern
form. Most of her sewing efforts
were in tailoring and in bridal wear
for other people.
“Quilting didn’t interest me
back then. I thought it a bit silly to
cut fabric into small pieces and put
it together again,” Julie said.
Four years ago. Julie made a
OMESTEADOm
Opens
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patchwork quilt She loved it so
much that she came up with sever
al ideas for incorporating patch
work into clothing. Often she uses
checkerboard squares, diamonds,
and prairie points at the hems and
borders. The dress patterns range
in size from petite to 2x, but are
designed to fit loosely to eliminate
fitting problems..
Blue jean patchwork is popular
with her clientele. Julie designed a
vest and a “bam jacket” made out
of old jeans and formed into a
patchwork pattern using the strip
quilting method.
“Hie nice thing about people
taking my classes is that no two
Julie Wegelln designed and stitched the quilted dress
she Is wearing and the one on the left, which has been
selected to appear In a national quilt show in California.
projects ever look the same
because people add some of their
own ideas and they use diffeients
shades of jeans,” Julie said. “I
could never imagine all the possi
bilities myself.”
She sells several dress styles
under her pattern label. Two of
Julie’s sample dresses were
selected to appear in a national
quilt show in California.
Julie married in 1983, and the
couple now have five children
ranging in ages from 18 months to
14 years. Since Julie teaches so
many sewing classes, her husband
prepares the meals and the children
do much 'of the cleaning and
laundry.
Julie only began her business in
January. “I picked something that I
was good at and started a busi
ness,” she. said.
In the areas with which she
needed help to continue a success
ful business, she relied upon out
side help. She said that the Berks
County Penn State Cooperative
Extension office was helpful in
teaching her how to set up the busi
ness and in managing arid market
ing. Four times a year, Julie
publishes a 16-page newsletter
called “The Sewing Gazette,”
which carries up-to-date informa
tion on sewing equipment, new
items to make sewing easier, sew
ing hints, a list of workshops, and
other helpful information.
Julie is a bit amazed at the popu
larity of her courses, which now
demand 13 classes weekly. In
addition to teaching in the home,
she also teaches classes at several
sewing centers and fabric shops.
This bam Jacket is made
from different denim shades
of old Jeans and sewn on a
serger. Julie designed the
pattern, which can be pur
chased from her and made at
home or made during one of
her sewing classes.
In open sewing classes, each
person selects their own sewing
project. Julie limits class sizes to
six persons since she gives indivi
dual attention to each.
If you are interested in more
information about classes, new
original patchwork patterns
designed by Julie Wegelin, or
“The Sewing Gazette”, send for a
catalog; Julie Wegelin’s Sewing
Cellar, 945 N. Forth St., Reading,
PA 19601 or call (610) 376-3490.
E-mail:
jwsewingcellar@juno.com.
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