ME+U Sewing

I’ve taken two, 2-​hour private sewing classes with Uakea so far, and it got me really excited to continue learning how to sew. I can now sew pouches and hem clothes. I got a sewing machine for my birthday, and I needed someone to show me how to use it. Uakea answered my many emails and even helped me pick out the sewing machine to get (a Brother model from Costco that is the same they use in class – since Costco has the best return policy if it ends up breaking). Classes are held only on Wednesdays and Fridays, since those are the days they have the classroom rented from Art Explorium.
I initially wanted to learn to sew, because I was so tired of paying $ 10 – 15 every time I wanted to get a dress or pair of pants hemmed. I’m 5’2″, so that really adds up over the course of a year. =/​Plus, it makes no sense to spend $ 20 on a bargain dress or pair of pants and spend another $ 10 just to hem it.
In my first class I learned how to hem clothes and set up my machine. In my second class I learned how to make small pouches with a snap button. I ended up leaving my second class with two pouches made! You can look at any of the sewing projects on her Pinterest page if you want to learn how to make something different/​specific. They provide all of the materials you need to make projects (it’s included in the price of the class). I should note that if you’re like me and kind of picky about fabrics, bring your own fabrics to class to work with. :)
Classes are in the Art Exporium (second floor) in Kaimuki. The parking lot is constantly busy, and a downside is that it is metered by the City & County, and the max you can pay is for 2 hours at a time (so you may have to slip out of a class to re-​pay your meter). To avoid the 2 hour time limit, I just park at the parking lot on 11^th Ave (Subway/​Happy Days/​Big City Diner/​Paul Mitchell the School).
I would love to take another private lesson or two and also want to eventually take
her Adult DIY 101 classes. :) I did shop around for other places offering sewing lessons (Chic Mode & Kuni Island Fabrics), but I really wanted more personalized attention since I’m just starting out. Overall, I’ve had a great experience so far and would definitely recommend taking classes here.

I took a couple of classes from Uakea. For the first class, I wanted to do something special with my little girl and we signed up for the Christmas Ornaments class. Not only was my daughter able to help, but she had fun, and was very proud of her creations. We still hang her pretty repurposed fabric wreath and garland in her room today. The second class was just for me and something I wanted to do for a long time. Although I am a experienced sewer, i was unfamiliar with knits, and Uakea was able to show me some simple tricks of the trade. I think her teaching background has something to do with it, but Uakea makes learning fun and easy. I look forward to my next class, learning and just hanging out.

A year ago my oldest daughter and I were fantasizing about learning to sew. I went out, bought a sewing machine, opened it and realized I had no idea where to even begin. I looked online for sewing classes, but couldn’t find anything reasonably priced that worked for my schedule. Frustrated, dust collected on my sewing machine box and time passed. During the holidays I started to look around again for sewing classes, thinking it would make a great birthday gift for my daughter. That’s when I stumbled upon Me + U. I knew right away that a private lesson for me and my daughter would be the right way to go, but their schedule was limited, and before I knew it March dates were up and the classes were filling up quickly. I e-​mailed Uakea, ended up chatting with her on the phone for a while and she found me a day that worked for both of our schedules.
The real magic started in the class, which, by the way, included time for Uakea to show me how to set up my sewing machine. Leaving with a finished project (a pouch) felt like a triumph and we couldn’t wait to go back. We squeezed one more lesson in and learned how to make lanyards AND felt bunnies — in ONE class… and this was only our second time sewing!
As I mentioned, the scheduling is a little tight, but if you (or a pair, or a group) are thinking about classes, THIS is the way to go. You will absolutely get amazing instructors, relevant and fun projects, and the confidence to become a sewer. We are huge fans of Me + U and we are hooked on sewing! We can’t wait to go back for another sewing adventure!

PROJECT RUNWAY, My daughter is on a mission and she wants to design dresses… Only problem is she’s still in kindergarten.
Short review:
My 6yr old made her own MAY DAY dress after 3 private sewing lessons from ME+U!
Location: Art Explorium upstairs studio in Kaimuki (faces the parking lot)
Days: Wednesdays and Fridays
Lessons: They have private, semi-​private, group do-​it-​yourself (DIY) classes, and open studio. I love the flexibility they offer; you can pay for one lesson at a time, and not have to commit to an 8-​week course. Our schedule is crazy and we can only manage to fit in one or two lessons in a month.
Instructors: Uakea and Kalei’i are both fantastically awesome women with extraordinary patience and kind caring voices that set you up for success each time.
Long review:
While most little girls want to be teachers, ballet dancers, or princesses, my daughter wants to be a dress designer. She’s been drawing dresses for years. When asked to draw a self portrait, her stick figure always had a dress on, even when she was in preschool. When she told me she wanted to start sewing her own dresses, I had no idea where to start. Most sewing schools start at 8 or 9yrs old, and I never learned to sew, so I’m no help.
Out of the blue, I got an email from Art Explorium a few months ago announcing that they were offering SEWING CLASSES from ME+U for kids 6yrs old and up! Yay! Except my daughter was 5. And the classes were only offered on Wednesdays and Fridays, when I work and she goes to school. I emailed them to see if there was any way it could work out on another day but our schedules wouldn’t work out, so I forgot about it.
In March, I got an email asking if we were interested in taking lessons during Spring Break. Why yes! I signed us BOTH up for private lessons. I don’t know who was more excited, me or my daughter. So this is how it went down…
1^st lesson — we learned the basics about how to operate a sewing machine and made a simple pouch. I like how we go home with a finished project. This is pretty neat, I thought. Next lesson we could make an apron! Well, my daughter decided she was going to make a skirt for her next lesson.
2^nd lesson — We picked out some cool fabric from Calico Cat down the street and learned how to sew a simple skirt with an elastic band. During our private 2hour lesson, we were BOTH able to sew our own matching skirts using just a straight stitch. After this lesson, I found a great online deal and bought a sewing machine.
3^rd lesson — We learned how to sew a stuffed animal. In this lesson we learned how to sew curvy lines by pivoting and how to hand stitch the underneath to close the stuffed animal. After this lesson 2 weeks ago, my daughter decided she was going to make her May Day dress.
With no time to take anymore lessons, I didn’t think this would be possible. However, the instructors at ME+U had taught us enough skills in the three lessons for us to pull this off. We bought a simple pattern and went to work. Because this sewing thing is my daughter’s idea (and not me forcing lessons on her like I do with other activities), she is motivated to complete her projects with amazing concentration and precision.
We still have a lot to learn. We are looking forward to our next lesson, and can’t wait for the summer series of DIY 101 classes because I think we are ready. I let my daughter sew her May Day dress by herself and I helped make the straps. The dress isn’t perfect; the hem wasn’t sewn on straight, and I couldn’t figure out how to finish the straps… but the dress is absolutely perfect FOR HER, and she is SO PROUD to be wearing a dress that she made all by herself. We couldn’t have done this without ME+U:

I have purchased Uakea’s baby blanket, burp pads, and futons for baby gifts. I love that you can custom the order by selecting the color and pattern, which makes each gift unique and special. I’m looking forward to signing up for a class!

I’m so glad that I discovered Me+U sewing lessons… Uakea and Kalei’i are the best! I signed my 9 year old daughter up for a private lesson, and she was immediately hooked on sewing. Uakea and Kalei’i are both so patient and encouraging, and they make their lessons fun! My daughter continues to take lessons as often as possible… she loves sewing with Me+U!

Uakea is awesome! She’s very patient (which sewing requires), and her style of teaching really helped me to understand what we were learning. She’s very open to your suggestions and even changed one of our projects to one that we wanted to do in our private lessons! I would recommend her classes if you’re just starting out with sewing! She’s a really great instructor and get passionate about her art! Thank you!