Bits of Thread is is home to several wonderful teachers. Read a little about them below!
 Allison Lince-Bentley, Bits of Thread Founder Instructor |
Allison Lince-Bentley is the founder and owner of the Bits of Thread Sewing Studio. She has been sewing since she was seven years old, but her life as a sewing instructor began a few years ago when she started teaching sewing and fashion design programs for youth in community centers around DC. She was instantly hooked by the sense of delight and empowerment my students felt once they saw what they could do with a sewing machine and some patience.Here are some of the ways and places she has worked in the sewing world:
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 Valerie Williams, Intro to Sewing, Beginner Step Two, and Handbags Instructor |
Valerie Williams is a designer and sewer who creates handcrafted fabric handbags and fashion accessories for her one woman shop, Holland Cox. Valerie comes from a long line of accomplished seamstresses, and first learned to sew at age nine. About fifteen years later, she started up again as as a way to relieve stress, and fell in love with sewing all over again. Holland Cox was born a few years later, first as a way to pay for her ever-growing fabric stash, and then as her full-time job. |
 Allison Yood, Instructor: Kids Classes |
Allison Yood studied Painting and Drawing with a certification to teach at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. While there, she volunteered with Build a Bridge, an art education program that runs classes for children out of homeless shelters in the Philadelphia area. She finished her degree by doing her student teaching in the art room of the William Kelley School, a K-8th public school in North Philadelphia. Since graduation, Allison has worked at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop as an outreach teacher. Through CHAW, she has taught art classes for The Higher Achievement Program, Brent Elementary School, Center City Charter Schools, and CHAW itself, among others. Last summer, Allison taught sewing at the Lochearn Camp for Girls, teaching introductory sewing, teddy-bear making and dress making classes. Last year, Allison also had the pleasure of assistant teaching at the Oneness-Family School. There she worked with the Little Stars, two and three year-olds, in a program that combined Waldorf and Montessori philosophies. |
 Anne Smyers, Instructor, Quilting Classes |
Anne Smyers learned to sew as a child from her mother and in school home-economics classes. She loves working with her hands and continues today with quilting, a tradition which has grown in recent years to encompass a broad range of fiber arts. “Quilting affords an outlet for creativity, a strength which we all have, and which I believe adds immeasurable richness to life.” Her love of color, design and harmony also manifest in her work as a Room Redesigner with House to Home One-Day Redecorating, where she assists clients in making their living spaces more beautiful, comfortable and functional using what they already own. She is also a long-time student and teacher of t’ai chi chuan and loves the calm, balance and well-being it imparts. |
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Dennis Mc Bride is a designer of fashion who also excels in Fashion Illustration, for which he has achieved national recognition. As a Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus, (BFA) his illustrations afforded him the opportunity to represent VCU in the prestigious ILGWU (International Ladies Garment Workers Union) competition in 1980. He credits his illustrations as the catalyst for his very early success in Fashion Design. He was selected as one of the Designer’s in “The Best of New York” issue WWD Mar. ’87. Dennis’ love of illustration allows him to teach with passion and patience. His illustrations are known for their visually stimulating appeal. Dennis feels, “Second to having a gift is the ability to share it through teaching!” His desire is to help students understand how to communicate, using 2D visual images to express 3D fashion concepts.
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Nora Elshiewy subconsciously always knew she wanted to work with clothes. After graduating college with a Fashion Design major and eventually working as a Designer, she found that her passion was in construction and started focusing on Pattern Drafting. For the past years she has worked as a pattern maker for several clothing companies in Egypt, Germany and the US. Currently she works as a Freelance Pattern Maker in the greater DC area.
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Interested in Becoming a Teacher with Bits of Thread?
We’re looking for talented, personable teachers who can expand our range of classes. If you would like to find out about working with us, contact us and we’ll set up a time to talk more.