Instructor: 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

Sewing: Small Patchwork Quilt

Learn the basics of quilting as we cut, piece, and quilt this simple but delightful 30" x 40" quilt, suitable as a baby play mat or home decoration item. We'll cover how to use a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler; auditioning fabrics for design impact; piecing with accurate quarter-inch seams; building your quilt "sandwich"; and machine quilting layers together. Information on binding and finishing your quilt will be provided, along with a booklet summarizing the basics of making quilts. This class is geared toward beginners who know the basics of using their sewing machines and want to get into quilting. Bring your own palette of coordinated fabrics, and you can also dive into the instructor's grab bag to supplement your fabric selection. Please see the supply list for details on what to bring to class. The instructor is happy to answer questions via email in advance of class. Please email Community Education directly and the instructor will respond.
Saturday, March 20, 2027 | 10:00am-3:00pm PDT | Redmond