How To Make Clothes
Sewing Courses & Workshops
How to make clothes offers workshops and courses for beginners and experienced makers. Learn how to make your own wardrobe of clothes this autumn!
Learn how to sew from the beginning, think like a designer, make fitting adjustments and finish your garment beautifully.
Workshops and courses throughout the year.
All workshops are run by Jane Norris, an experienced designer and educator.
Come join us, a friendly social place to learn, improve your skills create beautiful clothes and enjoy making.
START SEWING YOUR OWN WARDROBE OF CLOTHES IN 2025
There are a range of workshops and courses to facilitate different projects, levels of experience, or different ways of learning. Saturday courses and evening classes for those of you who are working, daytime workshops and courses for those of you with flexible time.
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT MAKING WORKSHOPS
TWO DAY SATURDAY SEWING PROJECT COURSES
WEDNESDAY EVENING CLASS COURSES
SATURDAY BEGINNERS WORKSHOPS
ALL AT: THE PRINT STUDIO, ART HOUSE, SOUTH BRENT
Individual Project Making Sewing Days
10am - 3pm £55 per day
5 Places Maximum
Individual project making sewing days These workshops are designed for students with some sewing experience. If you’ve already learnt sewing machine basics and maybe made one or two garments. It’s a day for you to work on your own individual making projects - receiving professional tuition in fitting, construction and finishing. All levels of experience welcome. Equipment and sewing machines are provided, or if you prefer – bring your own machine. These workshop sewing days are usually held on weekdays, currently Thursdays. Sometimes in a run of consecutive weeks, sometimes just a couple of workshops per month, depending on room availability. The Wednesday workshops started running at Art House in November 2022. Thursday Sewing Days began in September 2023. . .
NEW! Autumn Dates:
September – 3rd, 10th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th
October – 29th, 30th
December – 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th
If you are interested in booking onto one or more of the above dates please email and ask whatever you need to know – how to find a good pattern, where to buy cloth and what to choose?
One & Two Day Sewing Project Masterclasses for Beginners
New for 2025 is an exciting ‘Design & Make’ teaching innovation in beginner level courses. These are usually on Saturdays. Designed for students wanting to learn garment construction and be part of a group, learning the same making project all together. These courses are designed for beginners who have some experience of sewing machine basics – even if it was from school, many years ago. In these courses you will refresh your skills and become confident at making, learning more about garment design, fitting, choosing the right cloth for a project and ending up with a beautifully made garment.
Although these are beginner workshops you will also learn (beginner basics level) the process of making a pattern from a ready traced template and how to adjust your pattern for length and width of garment at hem, and length and style of sleeves – straight or bell shaped, using basic easy pattern adjustment techniques.
LEARN HOW TO MAKE CLOTHES FROM BASIC PRINCIPLES.
AUTUMN WARDROBE BASIC PROJECTS TO MAKE AT BEGINNER LEVEL.
Saturday 27th September & 4th October – Making The Everyday Contemporary Skirt £130
Saturday 18th & 25th October – Making Everyday Wide Pants £130
Saturday 1st November – Musette Bag £65
Saturday 15th & 22nd November – Making a Collarless Shirt £125
Saturday 29th November & 6th December – Make a Collarless Boxy Jacket £125
If you are interested in booking onto one or more of the above dates please email
Saturday Two Day Beginners Course
Learn Making & Sewing Machine Skills
Making Project – The Everyday Contemporary Skirt
Design & Make – Two Day Workshop Days £130
INCLUDING PATTERN, SEWING JOURNAL AND ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
Saturday 27th September & 4th October
5 Places Maximum
EMAIL If you are interested in booking onto this two day course to make and complete your own style of contemporary skirt.
Making a Contemporary Skirt
• How to adjust hem length and sweep
• How to follow a lay plan and cut your cloth
• How to prepare your cut garment for sewing
• How to construct concealed seams
• How to make side seam pockets
How to edge stitch
How to make a beautifully finished deep hem.
Saturday Two Day Beginners Course
Learn Making & Sewing Machine Skills
Making Project – Culottes
Design & Make – Two Day Workshop Days £130
INCLUDING PATTERN, SEWING JOURNAL AND ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
Saturday 18th & 25th October
5 Places Maximum
EMAIL If you are interested in booking onto this two day course to make and complete your own style of culottes
Making Wide Pants
• How to adjust the pattern leg length and width
• How to follow a lay plan and cut your cloth
• How prepare your cut garment for sewing
• Constructing overlocked / concealed seams
• How to make and apply patch pockets
• How to edge stitch
• How to make an elastic waistband
Saturday One Day Beginners Foundation Workshop
Learn Making & Sewing Machine Skills
Making Project – Musette Bag
An Introduction to Making – One Day Workshop £65
INCLUDING PATTERN, SEWING JOURNAL AND ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION SHEETS
Saturday November 1st
5 Places Maximum
EMAIL If you are interested in booking onto this one day workshop to learn machine sewing & making skills.
Musette Bag
This workshop is designed for those who would like to learn to machine sew with confidence. Making a soft textile bag is a great intro diction to learning the same techniques needed for garment making.
• How to read a paper pattern
• Learn about cloth grain lines and the selvedge
• How to prepare your cut garment for sewing
• How to thread a sewing machine & test stitch
• How to sew a basic seam accurately
• How to construct concealed seams
• How to make straps & make a drawstring
• Make double turned hems and edge stitch
Wednesday Evening Class Course
Begin at the Beginning – Learn Clothes Making Skills
Making Project – Collarless Top & Design your Neckline
5 Evening Class Course £125
INCLUDING PATTERN, ELASTIC, SEWING JOURNAL AND ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
July 16th, 23rd, 30th & August 6th, 13th
Sold Out!
EMAIL If you are interested in booking onto this two day course to learn good clothes making skills.
