Have an ill-fitting garment your not ready to throw away? Looking to find a new tote bag that fits your style?

You can find the solution to these problems and more at the new Make It Workshop on Gatewood Hill. Former fashion designer Joey Shearer-Harvey opened the workshop to teach both children and adults sewing techniques and help them complete practical projects.

"Sewing is really the only thing I know how to do so I might as well show other people," Harvey said.

Harvey started the business in May with aspirations to have a career that would utilize her knowledge of sewing and give her a flexible schedule so that she could take care of her children.

"I need to be a mom first," Harvey said. "Doing this workshop enables me to have a flexible schedule for the rat race of working, parenting, chauffeuring."

Harvey offers a wide variety of classes for every age. For beginners she teaches Sew 101, a three-week series that covers the basics of sewing. Other workshops focus on a specific project such as pillowcases, tote bags or pajama pants.

Two of the most popular classes were pattern making and second hand fashion. In pattern making students learn how to tailor a garment to their figure. The second hand fashion class shows students how to reconstruct old clothes into new fashion.

"Simple changes can give a garment new life," Harvey said.

The workshop also offers students opportunities to drop in and use the equipment for $10 an hour.

Children ages 8 and up have enjoyed summer camp at the workshop and teenagers participated in a design program called "Three Days of Fashion." In just a few short days girls ages 12 to 16 designed and constructed their own dress.

"They feel very confident in what they can do and gain a sense of accomplishment," Harvey said. "Even adults are like 'I made that?'"

Michelle Adams, who took Sew 101, says she felt very comfortable around Harvey and was delighted when she completed her own bag after just one class.

"I was surprised I did as well as I did," Adams said. "It made me want to learn more."

Harvey attributes the success of the workshop to popular television shows like Project Runway. With very few home economics classes available in schools today, she says that young people have few opportunities to learn skills like sewing.

As her business grows Harvey plans to offer other craft classes such as screen painting and knitting.

When Christmas season rolls around she also plans to tailor her class schedule towards home d