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Basic Sewing / Alteration Skills



Everyone should have some basic sewing skills they can pull out in a pinch. You never know when that perfect pair of pants will be just two or three inches too long or when your favorite coat will mysteriously lose a button. With some basic skills, you can repair or modify your clothes. Join us for a year long journey of hand and machine sewing where each month will build on the skills learned in the previous months.

January – How to Sew on Buttons and repair seams
February – Mending holes (jeans, sweaters)
March – Lengthening or Shortening a Hem (pants)
April – Lengthening or Shortening a Hem (skirts)
May – Lengthening or Shortening a Hem (shirts)
June – Taking in sides / Letting out sides
July – Taking out Darts / Adding Darts
August – Buttonholes
September – How to cinch a waist with elastic
October – How to take in waist on pants
November – How to hem jeans with the original hem
December - How to replace a zipper

General sewing supplies:

  • Sewing machine that you know how to use, in good working order with foot pedal, power cord, and owner's manual sewing machine needles and bobbin(s)
  • thread
  • scissors
  • hand sewing needles
  • thread conditioner
  • pins (glass head strongly recommended) and pin cushion
  • tape measure
  • seam ripper
  • disappearing ink pen

Mending can preserve the life of your favorite clothes.  We will start off learning to sew on different types of buttons and repairing a split in a seam with both hand sewing and a sewing machine.  Repairing damaged clothes as soon as possible will provide many rewards.  In February, we will move on to repairing fabric under a button, mending a tear with a fusible patch and darning a hole in a sweater.

Don't miss a single class and you will be surprised with all the things you can do at the end of the year!


Skill Level: Beginner
Skill Details:
Requirements: Students should bring their sewing machine so that they can learn to use the features on their machine. If you do not own a machine, a machine will be provided for you. Students must bring basic sewing supplies listed in the class description.
Instructor: Edy Fannin
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This class cannot be purchased online. Please contact the store for more information.