Instructor: Danielle Thalman

Danielle Thalman
Biography: Danielle Thalman was taught how to embroider flowers on handkerchiefs as a young girl, but pivoted to making "custom" garments with her hand-sewing needle and fabric scraps at age 6. She began using her mother's old black Singer sewing machine--without permission or supervision--at age nine, and shortly afterwards produced her first (somewhat) wearable garment. Junior High brought formal instruction from a beloved Home Economics teacher and then her first own machine, a Kenmore that she still has. After studying Journalism in college, Danielle worked as a reporter at a community newspaper in Northern California. There she met her husband Mark, a photographer and avid outdoorsman. They moved to Southern Oregon with their young daughter in 1996, and Danielle embarked on a career in public school teaching. While she has climbed and flyfished extensively in the West, her love of the outdoors has always been balanced with quiet time inside learning more about sewing and other textile pursuits, like hand dyeing and screen printing.Danielle sews custom bags for the Central Oregon based business, "Rhino Skin Solutions," as well as making artsy chalk bags sold in climbing gyms. She also quilts. But she remains primarily a garment sewist, making everything from her own jeans, t-shirts and swimwear to jackets, flannel shirts, leotards, leggings, socks, hats, long underwear and even leather shoes. After retiring in 2020, Danielle and her husband moved to country property north of Redmond and spent the pandemic fixing up a home with plenty of hobby space. Sewing has always been about connection for Thalman, who delights in sewing sessions with her daughter, niece and friends. So it was only natural that after the isolation of the pandemic, Danielle met up with a local group, Central Oregon Serger and Sewing Machine Rescue-Rehab-Rehome. There she found her niche fixing sergers, learning as she went along and gaining a rich sense of purpose and camaraderie working with the other volunteers in the group and members of the community."The project not only keeps machines out of the landfill, it gives people the opportunity to reuse and recycle textiles and minimize the purchase of wasteful garments with short life spans. On top of that, the creativity of sewing is, for many, a way to replenish our personal reserves," said Thalman.While she has owned and used sergers for more than 40 years, repairing them has inspired an understanding and appreciation for the machines that Thalman is excited to share.

Classes by this instructor


Extend the life of your clothing and discover tricks used by professionals in this sewing class for beginners focused on practical sewing techniques. Several methods for hemming garments, as well as ways to patch holes and adjust seams will be covered. Along the way we will review the fundamentals of using a sewing machine, including how to set up your machine up correctly, what the different stitches can be used for, and how to avoid common problems like the dreaded thread "rat's nest". Fundamentals like how to choose the best needles, thread, elastic, zippers, and fabric for your projects will also be addressed. While being guided by an expert with decades of experience, participants will have a chance to hem or repair their own clothing items, or create a simple project from scratch such as a pillowcase, apron, or drawstring bag.
Students need to bring a sewing machine in good operating condition, including bobbin case, bobbins, power cord, and pedal. Students should bring the sewing machine manual, if it is available

March 15-16, 2025 | 10:00am-2:00pm | Bend
Sewing for Beginners Youth Camp
Sewing for Beginners aims to be so fun! In this introduction to sewing, students will make a professional-looking pillowcase to keep as they learn all about using a sewing machine: how to thread it, what in the world a bobbin is, and what all those dials and knobs do. They will also learn about different fabrics and cutting methods.
Monday, March 24, 2025 | 9:30am-4:00pm | Bend
Sergers are incredibly useful for sewing but can be frustrating to master. These machines trim raw fabric edges and simultaneously weave a clean and professional-looking seam finish around them. A serger supplements your regular sewing machine and is indispensable for sewing stretch knit garments. But moving blades, complicated threading diagrams, four separate tension settings, and all those other dials can be intimidating. In this course, each aspect of a serger use will be explained, step-by-step, allowing sewists to serge with confidence and bring their sewing projects to the next level.
This class teaches for use on a basic, mechanical serger that does not have an electronic display or air threading.
Students may use one of the instructor's sergers free of charge or bring their own.
Students working with their own machines must ensure they are in good working condition prior to class (i.e.; serviced within the last three years). Student machines should be fully mechanical, without computer displays or air threading. Prior experience using a regular sewing machine is recommended.

February 22, 2025 to March 2, 2025 | 10:00am-1:00pm | Redmond