Sew It! Workshop
the POP UP sewing studio

About Us

Hello. I’m Ellen Lumpkin Brown and I am a bit obsessed with sewing. I know that might sound a little odd but it’s true - for me, sewing is power! It is powerful to be able to make what you want. I am the owner of Sew It! Workshop, the Pop Up Sewing Studio. Over the past several years, I have taught thousands of folks to sew – age 4 to 94! The Pop Up Sewing Studio has been a popular program in libraries, museums and corporations in New Jersey and New York. I’m an Advanced
Certified BurdaStyle Sewing Instructor, and a Visiting Textile Artist Instructor at the Newark Museum and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. My Pop Up Sewing Studio is a fresh, new approach to sewing where I bring the stitching to the customer. In 2020, I converted my in-person sewing workshops to exciting and fun On-Demand virtual workshops which have been enjoyed by young and young-at-heart patrons in libraries nationwide. Over 40 creative hand sewing workshops are now available on the website along with option, nicely curated kits - just for libraries! So now I offer fun machine sewing workshops locally and the amazing virtual hand sewing workshops everywhere!

I am so appreciative to have come from a long line of sewers. My mother and grandmother taught me how to sew. My mom just turned 101, YAY!, still sews to this day! Here we are during one of my recent visits to Los Angeles where I grew up.

I love to design simple and clever sewing projects and have written several books on sewing. My books and patterns have been featured online and in publications including: BurdaStyle.com, QNNTV.com, Stitch Magazine, Soft Dolls and Animals Magazine, and more. I am a contributing author to the 2022 publication from the American Library Association, 25 Ready-to-Use Programs in Sustainable Living, a step-by-step guide for librarians to establish on-site programs.

Other Stuff

I’ve worked in social justice for most of my life with the Ford Foundation and the NJ Institute for Social Justice. I hold an MBA from Columbia University. I was raised in Los Angeles. I have three wonderful sons and one wonderful husband.

Questions? Feel free to shoot me a note on the Contact Me page. I'll get right back to you. I can't wait to see you in class!

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