A new clothes making course at the Sewing Shed Stroud focusing on creating your own garments.

This course is designed for anyone that wants to start making clothes with little or no dressmaking experience. We do ask that you have used a sewing machine before and have basic sewing skills. If you haven't got basic sewing skills yet please sign up for our 10 week sewing for beginners course as it is not suitable for compleet beginners.

At this course you will be making a top based on a traditional sweatshirt with a ribbed neck, sleeves and hem line. We will cover how to make small pattern adjustments so that garments you make fit your body. This garment has raglan sleeves and using darts to give a better fit. On top of this we will cover more skills and garment making techniques depending on interest and abilities of the group.

At the Sewing Shed Stroud we work in small groups so there is plenty of time to ask questions, receive hands on guidance and tuition.

We will cover the following :

• How to follow a paper pattern, learning about the pattern markings and what they mean.
• Following a plan and cutting out your fabric correctly.
• Learning the art of pairing fabric and pattern.
• Measuring yourself and selecting the correct size.
• Tweaking fitting issues.
• Understanding clothes making terminology.
• Suitable seam finishes for different fabrics.
• We will be using a pattern with sizing 8 - 28.

I loved this course - beginners dressmaking.  Martha is warm, patient and knowledgeable and enables an atmosphere in which you feel relaxed and able to learn.  I made a lovely pair of trousers - no one more surprised than me! It was so good I have signed up to two more courses! Thank you Martha. D.H.