Description
Wednesdays: 11 Sept – 27 Nov
6pm – 9pm
(10 weekly classes, no class 16 or 23 October)
Craft Central, High Street, Dunblane
Optional Project: Zero Waste Jackets
Join us for a ten week block of open sewing sessions, supported by Stitchery founder Cassandra Belanger. Returning students and seasoned sewers are welcome on this sociable supported stitching session, where you can either work on your self-directed projects or choose to sew along with our chosen project. Cass will be on hand throughout to help you with your projects, and will assist with taking body measurements, adjusting the flat pattern to fit your specific body shape, seams and seam finishes, sleeves, darts, pockets, pleats and gathers, or whatever other issues you might encounter. She will also be on hand with valuable techniques and tips for a more sustainable making practice. Our Open Sewing blocks offer the same expert guidance as our taught classes, but with no programmed course structure, letting you work on your own projects. This past term students have made meaningful patchwork quilts, explored sustainability in sewing, and stitched garments in all shapes and sizes from dungarees to ball gowns!
Our optional set project this session will be Zero Waste Jackets. We’ll sew along together working from a choice of two patterns by Birgitta Helmersson. We’ll learn all about zero waste sewing, drawing your pattern pieces directly onto your fabric without the use of a paper pattern. Pick from the oversized Workwear Jacket pattern with its generous pockets and casual dropped shoulder, or the fully lined Bell Jacket, named for its distinctive puffed sleeves. Zero waste patterns are drafted such a way that you utilise the full length of the fabric with nothing going to waste, which is great for both the environment and your pocket! You can also piece together remnants from other projects to create new and unique textiles to work with.
These intermediate level open sewing sessions are for ‘beyond beginners’ and improvers, which means it’s suitable for returning students, or anyone with previous experience of basic sewing and garment making. We have a Janaome 230DC computerised (with speed control) sewing machine available for each student; although you can bring your own if you like. And don’t worry if you might miss one or two classes: we’ve plenty of opportunities to catch up through our additional Sunday Stitchery Sessions or private tuition.
Course cost includes:
- 10 x 3-hour lessons
- Use of 230DC Janome computerized sewing machine each
- Use of 6234XL overlocker (shared between students)
- Janome Coverpro 2000CPX (shared between students)
Course cost excludes:
- Cost of patterns – please purchase your choice of pattern using the links below:
Workwear Jacket
Bell Jacket - Cost of fabric and haberdashery
About Your Tutor
Cassandra Belanger has 13 years of experience hosting workshops in sustainable design, textiles and garment construction. Her work is an invitation to a more sustainable future and education is at the centre of her creative practice. She is the founder of The Stitchery Studio, is co-founder and Director of the Zero Waste Design Collective and a founding member of Sustainable Fashion Scotland. She is the Resident Sewing Instructor at the Central Scottish School of Craft and a Fashion and Textile Lecturer at Glasgow West College. Her research interests center around sustainable fashion and textile design education and fashion systems for a post growth economy. Her design and teaching practice explores issues such as zero waste, waste colonialism, transparency, colour therapy, feminism, sizeism, and body image.
More Info:
- Tea and coffee are provided but participants should bring their own lunch and utensils
- Our sewing classes are suitable for over 18s, younger crafters may be accommodated if accompanied by a participating adult but please contact us before booking
- If the workshop you were looking at is fully booked drop us an email and we’ll add you to the waiting list. We will add extra dates to our most popular workshops too, join the mailing list to be the first to know
- All of our workshops are held at Craft Central, High Street, Dunblane, FK15 0EE
- If you need to cancel or reschedule your workshop we need at least three weeks notice. Please read our cancellation policy before booking
- You can pay for this course in two instalments. A non-refundable 50% deposit will be taken at the time of booking and you will be invoiced for the remaining balance which must be paid three weeks in advance of your workshop.
