Learn to Sew with Stitched Up at Stretford Mall
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
Stitched Up are a small not for profit cooperative, whose passion is empowering people to get behind a sewing machine in the name of sustainability. If you’re a complete beginner to sewing but have ambitions of building your technical arsenal of skills, their three week beginner course is the perfect thing to put you on the right track.
Over the three weeks you’ll cover all the basics you’ll need to go away and start working on your own patterns. It’s a space for complete novices to boost confidence, learn new techniques and demystify the process for working with fabric.
In week one you’ll pass your sewing machine driving test. This is a comprehensive crash course in building skills and confidence for those who are yet to put foot to pedal. Learning how to thread and set up a machine efficiently will massively help you as you get further down the line and take on increasingly ambitious projects.
Week two will have you making your own cushion cover. This staple of sewing is a great way to put the basic skills into practise and quickly learn how the satisfaction of completing a project can feel. A useful technique you’ll pick up while working on your cushion is button fastenings, another staple sewing skill that will stand you in good stead for future projects, especially when upcycling clothing.
Finally, in week three you’ll make a box shaped pencil case, tackling the tricky insertion of zips and a more advanced level of construction. Overall you’ll walk away with some useful household items and all the tools to pursue a new-found love of sewing.
If you’re already a convert to sewing machine life, we heartily recommend calling into the Stitched Up shop in Stretford Mall (opposite Boots), to peruse their lovely curated collection of quirky fabrics, haberdashery essentials and hardware diverted away from landfill.
