Thread, fabric and community come together at a small studio on Fort Lowell Road, where a local sewing lab is stitching creativity into Tucson through hands-on workshops for beginners and seasoned makers alike.

Shauna Smith, owner of Needles and Knots Sewing Design Lab, teaches sewing in small-group settings and offers classes for a wide range of skill levels. From beginner to advanced workshops, Smith shares her professional expertise to help students build confidence and refine their sewing techniques.

Smith has been sewing since she was four years old and has been an instructor at Needles and Knots for the past three years, bringing decades of teaching experience to her classes.

“I had a liberal arts degree. I got an office manager job, human resources liaison. It was really fun, but the company closed down and I got a great severance package,” she said. “I opened up my first design studio called First Samples and that’s where I started teaching back in 2005. It’s been a roller coaster.”

After moving into her current location, Smith renamed the shop Needles and Knots, or NAK Sewing.

“Get the knack of it, needles and knots,” she said of the play on words.

She initially turned to teaching in response to the garment industry’s limited job market.

“I did do freelance work for many, many years, but it’s really stressful to do freelance work from a distance because you can’t really have that one-on-one communication,” she said. “So I decided to start teaching sewing and I really enjoy it.”

Today, courses at NAK vary from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the project. While some courses may require students to purchase materials, Smith provides sewing machines and other equipment for them to use at no cost.

Workshops include projects such as tote bags, shirts, pants, underwear and shoes. Smith also teaches courses on mending and upcycling and offers private lessons and consultations.

Visitors to Smith’s space in Lowell Plaza are also greeted by her three dogs and one cat, which Smith said help create a calm, relaxed atmosphere during classes.

Running NAK Sewing has been a learning experience for Smith.

“When I first started, I was not a good teacher and I had one student in the class. It was a hard trek to get to the point where I was a confident teacher and knew what to say,” she said. “How I was received was not good at first. And whenever I introduce a new class, sometimes it takes a while before I get it right. So it doesn’t always work out the first time, but I will say people have been very gracious to me.”

Over the years, Smith said she has learned several valuable lessons.

“You’ve got to stay flexible because the universe throws things at you,” she said. “And you have to figure out how to work them into the schedule, and oftentimes it teaches you to try different things.”

Tucson sewing efforts stitch community and sustainability

A growing movement of sewing efforts is reviving the lost art of stitching while fostering sustainability, creativity and community connection.

Tucson SpotlightEmma LaPointe

Katlyn Vargas is a University of Arizona student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at katlynvargas@arizona.edu.

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