DRESSMAKING AND GARMENT CONSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNERS

Hands on fashion course suitable for complete beginners and those who wish to improve their sewing skills.

You will learn how to use domestic sewing machines, cut fabric with scissors and rotary cutters and use a variety of fabrics, tools, sewing and pressing equipment.

Teaching will be by demonstration, with instruction sheets when necessary. You will learn by producing samples using a variety of stitches and fabrics which you can keep in your ring binder as a future record of each technique.

Below is a brief summary of the techniques you will learn as a beginner.

• Thread a sewing machine, adjusting tensions and machine settings. Cut fabric and sew a sample sheet of straight lines, zig-zag and over-edge stitches.
• Joining fabric – Flat seam, French seam, Felled seam, curved seam.
• Marking and shaping fabric – Using chalk, carbon and tracing wheels sew a single point dart, double point dart, tucks, box and inverted pleat.
• Machined hems – Narrow double turn, Deep hem, Curved single turn
• Gathering and easing – Full gathers onto a yoke, eased stitches onto a sleeve
• Zips – Invisible zip and Standard zip into a straight seam.
• Applying interfacing – Round neck and V-neck facing with under-stitching
• Buttonholes – Create a top-stitched tab with a buttonhole

You will have ample time in class to complete each sample. Homework will be to mount your best samples in a ring binder using card inserts with plastic wallets.

ABOUT THE TUTOR

Katrina O’Neill (CertEd, BA) is a university trained professional with over 35 years of teaching experience in sewing, pattern-making and bespoke dressmaking. She studied sewing techniques and soft-tailoring at Newham, Havering, Redbridge and Westminster and advanced pattern-making at The London Centre for Fashion Studies, being lucky enough to be taught by Dr Martin Shoben, one of the top pattern-cutters at the London College of Fashion.

4^th April 2021, every Tuesday 6PM – 8.30PM

Excludes Half term

Hitchin Campus