Clothesmaking & Sewing course experience

Our Marketing Executive, Rosie went to experience a Clothesmaking & Sewing course at Dartford Adult Education Centre last Thursday. Here is how she got on...

"Last week I attended one of our summer sewing courses in Dartford, where I learnt how to make a pair of pyjama bottoms. With very little experience in sewing, I was anxious about how my experience would turn out, especially if the other learners on the course knew what they were doing. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I met my fellow learners to hear that they hadn’t used a sewing machine before either.

Kat Morgan, our Sewing tutor who has worked in the costume industry for around 20 years, gave us a warm welcome and showed us step by step how to make our pyjama trousers.

Firstly, we cut up a pattern to our chosen clothing size and then Kat showed us how to set up and use the sewing machine.

We then placed our pattern on our fabrics and measured a section for a waistband, before cutting out and using a zig zag stitch on the sewing machine to finish off the edges in the inside leg seams.

Kat demonstrated each section of the process to us first on her machine and then would come around to each person and offer support.

I was shocked when I pulled my fabric off the sewing machine after finishing off sewing my waistband at the top, to find I had made a pair of trousers.

The course has given me confidence in learning how to sew and shown me that you can achieve anything with the right support and teaching. Kat was incredibly patient and has a real talent for making clothes. I have now been inspired to buy my own sewing machine and use the skills I have learnt on this one-day course to complete my trousers and attempt at making more."