Not all of us were raised with mothers and grandmothers who knew how to knit and sew, women who, as a point of pride and tradition, could pass along the domestic arts. So we uneducated masses who want something to do with our hands while watching TV fumble along with books and confusing patterns until we either have a wearable thing or a tangled knot and 20 bucks down the drain. Photo by Eric Kayne: Sew Crafty owner Sarah Gabbart at the old location on White Oak.

Or we can seek professional help.

Sew Crafty, a Heights-area “craft studio,” has been aiding Houston crafters since May of last year, primarily in the form of sewing and knitting classes, at a 900-square-foot storefront on White Oak.

“The smaller space was great for gauging interest,” owner Sarah Gabbart says. “To my surprise, people really were interested and classes filled up so fast that we needed a place where we could cover several classes at the same time."

This weekend marks the grand opening of Sew Crafty’s new, much larger, much more visible location on busy 19th Street. The two-story space allows the business to expand a few ways: there are three spaces for classes, there’s a greatly expanded retail area, and there’s a “drop-in craft” area.

“People come in on a Saturday afternoon, they’re with their friends or their daughter, and they want to spend 30 minutes on something. Obviously, you can’t make a dress in that amount of time, but you can get a ring project and glue a flower on it and you’ve spent $5 and entertained yourself for half an hour. That still counts as crafting!”

Sewing and knitting classes range from simple introductory projects – totes and aprons -- to advanced pattern-making and difficult sock knitting. The retail offerings might be the most exciting difference from the old location. It stocks indie kits, patterns and fabric from well-known craft purveyors like Sublime Stitching, Amy Butler and Anna Maria Horner, which in the past have been difficult to find in Houston.

“We have needle-felting kits, sock-monkey kits, a lot of fabric and more to come. I just ordered a ton of Japanese fabrics. We also have notions. We’ll also be carrying vintage trims from Tinsel Trading. We’ll also have our own kits with patterns and tutorial, if you want to do a project but don’t want to take a class,” Gabbart says.

Saturday’s grand opening party will last all day, with three free Halloween-related craft workshops: making paper masks at 10:30 a.m., clay pumpkin decorating at 1 p.m. and Halloween costume embellishments from 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

“This is where I always pictured us being from the get-go,” Gabbart says with her signature enthusiastic charm. “We’ve found more instructors, we’ve been able to create a couple of jobs. And people come in and connect with each other, which is great because this is meant to be a community place. Being in the heart of the Heights, it’s easier to do that.”

See photos from the new location on 29-95.

Sew Crafty, 321-B W. 19th St. 713-863-1144. Grand opening Saturday, October 24. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free food and root beer from Saint Arnold will be served.