6 Week Course // Wednesdays, 1.00pm - 3.30pm // Cost: £225 // Level: Beginners and beyond // April 16 - May 21
Instructor: Cassandra Belanger Founder of The Stitchery, Co-Founder of Zero Waste Design Collective and Founding Member of Sustainable Fashion Scotland // Location: The Stitchery Studio, 23 Acorn Street, Glasgow G40 4AN
About this course
Join us for a six week block of open sewing sessions, supported by The Stitchery founder Cassandra Belanger. Returning students and seasoned sewers are welcome on this sociable, supported stitching session, where you can work on your self-directed projects.
Open Sewing blocks offer the same expert guidance as our taught classes, but with no programmed course structure, giving you the freedom to work on your own projects at your own pace. In past terms students have made meaningful patchwork quilts, explored sustainability in sewing, and stitched garments in all shapes and sizes from dungarees to ball gowns!
Your instructor will be on hand to talk about customising and personalising your projects, helping you flex your creativity and develop your sewing skills. With sustainability in mind, Cassandra is always happy to walk you through a variety of alterations techniques to clothing and patterns. You can practice adjusting the clothes in your existing wardrobe for a perfect fit, or hacking your vintage and charity shop finds to suit your figure.
Your instructor will be there to 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.
All body shapes and sizes welcome. We are a LGBTQI+ friendly and safe space. People of all genders, sizes, and backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to attend this course.
Skill Level
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.
And don't worry if you might miss one or two classes: we've plenty of opportunities to catch up through our additional sewing sessions or private tuition.
Topics Covered
Creating new textiles from second-hand textiles
Garment deconstruction
Upcycling methods and embellishments
Strategies for resizing a garment
Planning your project
Repairing zippers
Fitting tips
Course cost excludes:
Cost of patterns
Cost of fabric and haberdashery
Course cost includes:
We have a sewing machine available for each student; although you can bring your own if you like.
6 x 2.5-hour lessons
Use of overlocker (shared between students)
Booking Your Place
To book your place on this course, you will pay a non-refundable Booking Deposit of £50 + fees through Eventbrite which goes towards the total course cost. The remaining balance of £175 is due no later than 14 days PRIOR to course start. Once you’ve booked a place on the course, you will receive the details to bank transfer the final amount. We divide course costs in this way to avoid additional external fees. Please familiarise yourself with our Terms & Conditions before making your booking.
In response to the cost of living crisis, we offer one subsidised seat per class to ease the burden on our community. If you are committed to learning and experiencing financial hardship, please reach out.
NOTE: You can pay by PayPal or any major debit/credit card. You do not need a PayPal account to make a booking. Simply click on the link which says "pay with a debit or credit card". It looks like this. Please note that deposits are non-refundable.
About your Tutor
Cassandra Belanger (she/her) has 13 years of experience working in sustainable design, textiles and garment construction with a Masters in Fashion + Textiles focussing on zero waste design. 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, Co-Founder of the Zero Waste Design Collective and Founding Member of Sustainable Fashion Scotland. She is the Resident Sewing Instructor at the Central Scottish School of Craft and previously a Fashion and Textile Lecturer at Glasgow West College. Her research interests centre 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, feminism, sizeism, and body image. Cassandra is committed to decolonising her teaching practice.
More Info:
During class tea and coffee will be available.
All of our 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.
If you need to cancel, we need at least two weeks notice. Please read our cancellation policy before booking.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions please have a look at our FAQs page. If you don't find your answer in either of these places, then please feel free to contact us.
The Stitchery operates under a business model of full transparency. If you have any questions about how we cost our courses and what the breakdown of costs is, please feel free to get in touch for more information.
Non-Refundable Deposit
All of our courses and workshops require a deposit to book your place. Please note that the deposit is completely non-refundable.
Cancellation & Course Fees Refund
Because of the popularity of our courses and the limited number of spaces available, we've now introduced a Cancellation & Refund Policy. If you cancel your booking 14 or more full days before the start date of your course or workshop, you will be refunded the balance of your fees. This is equivalent to your full course fees minus your non-refundable deposit.
If you decide to cancel your place once the course has started, a refund is not guaranteed. In this situation we shall review the circumstances of the cancellation before deciding on appropriate solution.