. My Sewing Room
. Sewing in Corona
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- About the Instructor
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- Murphy's Sewing Laws
Under Construction.
Sewing Instructor, Carol Van Druten, has been sewing for over 50 years and has been successful in all the sewing areas she's pursued. When she was nine, she found a needle and thread and some fabric remnants, so she made a dirndle skirt for her Teddy bear, complete with a waist band (that was wider on one side that the other), straps, hooks and eyes, buttons, and handmade button holes (that didn't match!). Oh, and little britches, too. From there she went on to making pajamas, then most of her high school clothes, her prom dresses, coats, suits for the professional part of her life and eventually her wedding dress and maternity clothes! She has fond memories of shopping at Cloth World, Leah's Fabrics in Orange, Fabric King in Corona, Hancock Fabrics, House of Fabrics, Home Silk Shop in Garden Grove, Carriage Trade Fabrics in Tustin, The Yardage Shop in Fullerton, T.G. & Y, Newberry's, Woolworths, Kresge's, Sprouse Ritz, and when JC Penny's, Sears, May Company, Robinson's, The Broadway, Montgomery Wards, Gemco, Fedco, Kmart, White Front (in Garden Grove), and Mervyns all had fabric departments! While working in the aerospace world, an opportunity arose for her to teach sewing classes at the House of Fabrics at La Sierra and Magnolia, in Riverside. Carol taught all levels in all areas of sewing there, from 1990 until 1997, when the store and chain closed. Concurrently while teaching at House of Fabrics, she created wedding and bridesmaid dresses as a professional seamstress, and worked shortly for a wedding dress shop doing alterations. Sewing for others was set aside when her third daughter was born. She has sewn for her three daughters as babies, toddlers and young girls holiday dresses, everyday wear and Halloween costumes, of course. Carol has won awards for making fabric-crafted and sewn banners for the sports teams her girls have been on over the years, too. And sewing awards for her daughters' baptism dresses and smocking at regional fairs. She did have the privilege of making all her daughters' prom dresses. She has a wonderful husband, Jay, who's phenomenally tolerant of Carol's quirkyness and stuff. Carol has done a variety of things over the years . . . as she's still not quite sure what she wants to be when she grows up, but sewing teacher is definitely on the top of her list. She was a substitute teacher in the Corona Norco School District for three years, so she's fingerprinted. She's done auto registration work for local car lots, she's been PTA president at her girls' elementary school, and worked for a local CPA for four years. She also currently sells Gold Canyon candles. Carol also enjoys scrapbooking, when she has time, and all kinds of fabric and papercrafts. Oh, and she's also particularly fond of coffee! Her youngest daughter was involved with CAT, Christian Arts Theatre in Corona for eight years, and Carol has had the honor of being part of the costume committee for 29 shows. She's proud of her Willy Wonka contribution of Violet and Mrs. Beauregard's dress costumes in 2011, as well as, the 3-D, huge blueberry costume she created for Violet after she chewed the forbidden gum! Carol created the 6' long, 3-D, moveable, cast-member-operated, crocodile for Peter Pan. She created the costume for the evil Jafar, in the 2009 Summer Festival production of Aladdin, complete with winged shoulders, cape, and tall feathered turban. Carol completed Annie's dress, as well as, three orphan dresses for Annie Warbucks, for CAT's November 2009 production. She completed work on two Civil War uniforms for the CAT Community Theatre production in December 2009, Star of Wonder. In March 2010, it was announced by the Inland Theatre League that Carol was nominated for excellence in costumes, as a co-costumer for Star of Wonder. In Fall 2010, Carol made her daughter's Milk Maid dress for Oliver!, in which her daughter glowed in the spotlight of her first solo! Carol calls herself, "McGyver with a needle and a hot glue gun." In summer of 2014 and Winter 2017, Carol was the head Costumer for two CAT shows, Cheaper by the Dozen, and reprise of Willy Wonka, respectively. Willy was a dapper dude in his purple velvet coat! Sew Much More fabric store was supportive to CAT, for costume fabric, for the Aladdin show in August 2009, so the connection was made between Carol and the new fabric store in Corona. She loves to teach and Sew Much More needed a sewing teacher - a perfect fit! After six fun-filled years teaching sewing at Sew Much More, sadly, the store closed . . . . . . . so Carol excitedly opened her own sewing studio just down the street! . . . . . . MY SEWING ROOM! Stop by and visit the mini-fabric shop and sewing studio. Since moving, it's been fun ever since. The organizing and decorating is still evolving. But hey, creativity never stops! . . . Sew what's next? . . . still teaching kids and adults - in Corona, and the surrounding areas, the wonderful art of sewing and joy of creativity! . . . and in her future . . . three wedding dresses!!