why heartfelt ?
Your child is
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a crafter who loves to make beautiful things with their hands
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a busy little person who, between school and sports, has little time for creativity
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a person who enjoys taking new challenges & learning new skills
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a restless crafter whose messy drawer in their night table is filled with felt and papers and glue and scissors and ribbons and ….dreams!
Heartfelt is on a mission to help all kids express their creativity, learn new skills and do what they love. In a safe, encouraging and supportive environment, children learn a great set of skills: hand sewing, machine sewing, embroidery, sewing buttons and zippers, reading patterns, casings for elastics, patchwork, quilting basics, and more! Sewing is a fun way to get kids into STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) and off the screen!
But through sewing, one also practices creative problem solving, following directions, attention to detail. One grows in DIY capacity, patience, & self confidence...and has lots of fun!
the heartfelt story
Heartfelt started in my dreams back in 2013 and began as an after-school activity at Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Vienna, VA, where I used to work as an instructional assistant and Spanish teacher. Summer camps started in my basement in 2014 and finally, with very little savings but a whole lot of hope, on May 27, 2015, I received the keys to the Church St. location. My family helped me paint chairs and tables that I bought in yard sales; we painted the shop and decorated it. Heartfelt was ready to open for summer camps in June 2015.
And ever since, Heartfelt’s doors have been opened to hundreds of children who want to learn the practical arts of sewing+crafting, want to have a safe space to express their creativity, and want to have fun! I always like to think that Heartfelt is more than learning to sew holes in their socks, but rather learning about problem-solving; starting all over when needed; being humble and understanding that getting good at something takes practice; learning to turn mistakes into lessons; sharing talents with others; realizing that each one of us is unique and that the world needs every single one of our talented selves!
We have gone through thousands of yards of fabrics while turning our ideas into reality and sharing our talents. We have created clothing, stuffed animals, made pouches for joeys when there were fires in Australia, we made dresses and bags for girls in need in Nicaragua, we have ripped and started over thousands of times, we have laughed so much, we even sewed virtually in 2020! It has been something that I couldn't even dream of.
On May 2022, Heartfelt closed its doors in Vienna and then, in October, the new location in McLean was ready to open! And here is Heartfelt, filled with hopes & dreams & wishes to keep sharing the love for sewing!
about me
Hi, I am Blanca! My family and I moved from Nicaragua to Vienna in 2011. I am an attorney and worked in the law field for over 12 years. Searching for "that thing" that would bring me joy I started teaching. I have been working with children since 1997 teaching Art History, Kindergarten, Pre-school, and Spanish. I also have an entrepreneurial mindset and started a handmade children's clothing line, a handmade stationery business, and other crafty businesses. But it was until 2015, that with lots of work, risk taking and faith, I created The Heartfelt Workshop. A wonderful space where children could learn to sew and create things with their hands.
Seeing the joy of my students as they proudly wear the clothes they made; admiring their curiosity and ability to learn a skill so quickly; watching them solve problems creatively; and seeing them grow more and more confident one stitch at a time is a real blessing. I definitely found - and have- the best job in the world!
