I’m so excited to introduce our very first Student of the Month: Shih Mei Kong! 🎉 She has made such wonderful progress over our time sewing together, and I’m so proud of the way she always wants to learn more. What I love most about Shih Mei is her heart and humor. She is friendly, supportive, hilarious and so much fun to have in class. I know that whenever she’s in the studio, we’re going to have a good time and I can count on her to help everyone in class feel welcome, included, and cheered on.
Thank you, Shih Mei , for making our studio such a happy place to create. Congratulations! 🧵✨
Q&A with November 2026 Student of the Month Shih Mei Kong!
What brought you to the studio?
I had been taking sewing classes elsewhere but I didn't enjoy my experiences there. I still wanted to learn how to sew though so I went to the robots and said, here's what I liked about the classes, here's what I didn't like, show me something similar based on what I do like and they sent me to your studio.
What was your first impression of sewing, the studio and Hillary?
My first impression was that the class sizes were small (my previous sewing classes were 10+ people) so that was a huge change. Everyone was able to get individualized attention without having to 'wait' until the instructor was free. I really liked that everyone worked on the same project so we could learn together and that Hillary really knew what she was talking about. I had taken about 3 sewing classes elsewhere but it wasn't until my first day in HIllary's class that Hillary taught me what a seam allowance was.
How do you feel about those things now?
Hillary is still really knowledgeable, the studio is still nice and airy (and bigger now that Hillary moved the toe eating table to the side), I still really enjoy the small class sizes and that everyone works on the same project together. I like having the support of Hillary and other students as we learn together, and size wise, Hillary's workspace is bigger than my tiny nyc apartment.
What's the first thing you ever made, and how did it turn out?
The double sided bag! I didn't sew it very well so one of the handles fell off but that's on me and not the class itself (or Hillary's teaching)
What's the project you're proudest of so far?
What has sewing taught you, about fabric, patience, or yourself?
One day I'll be able to pin things without poking myself but that day isn't today. Or tomorrow. Or next week really.
What would you tell someone is considering learing to sew?
Everyone learns differently but if you're like me and learn best with an instructor, take Hillary's class.
What are your sewing must haves?
Space to do the things. And good lighting.
One fun fact about you that we'd never guess from your bobbin collection?
I like horror "in theory," I'm too much of a chicken to watch horror movies/games. If I'm watching a horror movie, I have to read the summary on wikipedia, fast forward when it gets too spooky for me, and check where jump scares are online so I can time it and look away. If I'm playing horror video games, I can't play by myself.
This studio is built on people like Shih Mei, and I am so grateful for every one of you. Ready to join the fun? Sign up for a class today at and come sew with us! xxl