148 Fashion Crafts courses

Sewing with Stretch Fabric, a beginner class with Lindsey. Join us for a fun afternoon making a vest top using a sewing machine. Pattern included.

Join our Beginners Dressmaking Class and sew a stylish skirt from scratch! Learn pattern reading, tracing, waistband construction, adding pockets, and seam finishing with an overlocker. Perfect for beginners! £100. Sign up now!

Learn the basics of crochet in this 3 hour class

Learn the basics of using a sewing machine in this six week course

In a small way we can change the world! Come and spend sometime creating morsbags with friendly like minded sewists.

Join lifestyle and streetwear label Stööki as they host their exclusive jewellery workshops at their studio in Greenwich. This ticket is valid for entry for 1 person for the date of the workshop session & includes the Brass 18k Gold-Plated Ring casting and finishing fee. The session will be focused on the creation and personalisation of rings and pendants and led by Stööki's jewellery technologist Nadia Abbas. In this workshop you will: Get an insight in to the jewellery making process Receive a wax ring or pendant template to customise with your own design Get a tutorial covering a range of jewellery making techniques The aim is to have a finished wax master at the end of the workshop that can be taken home, but there is also the option of turning your personalised wax ring or pendant into a finished jewellery piece. Prices to get jewellery made are as follows: Rings: Silver - £70, Brass 18k Gold-Plated - £85, Solid 9k Gold - £ available on request Pendants: Silver - £75, Brass 18k Gold-Plated - £90, Solid 9k Gold - £ available on request *Please note that his ticket option includes the £85 Brass 18k Gold-Plated Ring casting and finishing fee. Add a Stööki sterling silver curb necklace for an additional £15 Stööki will provide all the equipment needed for this session. There is free parking on-site if driving.

Learn to sew a tote bag, add French seams to your sewing skills with this sewing skills building workshop.

Draft and sew a circle skirt at Stitching Kitchen - one day workshop

MASTERCLASS: LEARN PROFESSIONAL LEATHER CRAFT, SEWING AND LEATHERGOODS CONSTRUCTION SKILLS ONE TEACHER, FIVE STUDENTS KEY FEATURES OF THIS COURSE: – UNDERSTANDING AND WORKING WITH LEATHER – LEARNING LEATHER HAND SEWING – LEARNING LEATHER MACHINE SEWING – REALISING SAMPLES OF BAG FEATURES – REALISING TWO FINISHED LEATHER ITEMS TESTER CLASS – £1,440 PP (COURSE MATERIALS INCLUDED , WORTH £150) NORMAL PRICE – £1,600 PP (COURSE MATERIALS INCLUDED , WORTH £150)  EXPERIENCE A COMPREHENSIVE TWO-WEEK LEATHER CRAFT AND SEWING MASTERCLASS, MERGING THEORY WITH HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPLORE ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES FOR WORKING WITH LEATHER, VEGAN ALTERNATIVES, AND FABRIC. PROFICIENTLY HANDLE HAND TOOLS, MASTER HAND-SEWING, AND OPERATE INDUSTRIAL MACHINES. COVER MATERIAL SELECTION, FINISHING AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS. GAIN INSIGHTS INTO THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF LEATHERWORKING, INCLUDING PREPARATION, MARKING, CUTTING, GLUING, REINFORCING, SKIVING, DEBOSSING, AND MORE. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE THOROUGH INSTRUCTION IN PROFESSIONAL SEWING TECHNIQUES ON DIVERSE INDUSTRIAL MACHINES, ALONG WITH SPECIALISED SADDLE STITCHING TRAINING. CREATE PERSONALISED SAMPLES TO ENHANCE PRACTICAL SKILLS. CONCLUDE THE MASTERCLASS WITH THE ABILITY TO CRAFT ENTIRELY HANDMADE SIMPLE LEATHER ITEMS, SHOWCASING ACQUIRED SKILLS IN BOTH MACHINE-STITCHED AND SADDLE-STITCHED STYLES. FACILITATED BY A PROTOTYPE MAKER AND MANUFACTURER, THE COURSE OFFERS A PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY INTO COMMON LEATHERWORKING PRACTICES. PARTICIPANTS ALSO RECEIVE VALUABLE HANDOUTS AND CURATED LISTS OF LEATHER AND TOOL SUPPLIERS FOR ONGOING REFERENCE.   HERE IS A CONCISE SUMMARY OF THE TOPICS COVERED DURING THE CLASSES: LEATHER, VEGAN LEATHER, AND HAND TOOLS: UNDERSTANDING LEATHER TYPES, TANNING, FINISHINGS AND BEST USE EXPLORING DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGAN LEATHERS AND THEIR FEATURES COMPARING LEATHER AND VEGAN LEATHER: PROS AND CONS FROM A MANUFACTURER’S PERSPECTIVE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT MATERIALS AND TOOLS FOR PROJECTS LEATHER PREPARATION, PATTERN PLACEMENT AND MARKING CUTTING COMPLEX SHAPES WITH VARIOUS TOOLS USING LEATHER PUNCHES, SKIVING, BEVELING AND CREASING FINISHING LEATHER EDGES: PAINTING VS. BURNISHING UTILISING LEATHER GLUES, TAPES AND REINFORCEMENTS EXPLORATION OF PROTOTYPING AND MANUFACTURING LEATHER GOODS, ENCOMPASSING VARIED WORKING METHODS, MACHINES, AND TOOLS.   MACHINE AND HAND SEWING: UNDERSTANDING INDUSTRIAL SEWING MACHINES AND THEIR DIFFERENCES SELECTING THE RIGHT SEWING MACHINE FOR SPECIFIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTIONS OPERATING A LOCK STITCH WALKING FOOT MACHINE THREADING INDUSTRIAL SEWING MACHINES ACHIEVING CORRECT TENSION IN SEWING UNDERSTANDING THREAD TYPES AND NEEDLE SIZES LEARNING TO SEW LEATHER, DISTINGUISHING IT FROM OTHER MATERIALS CORRECTLY SEWING VARIOUS LEATHER TYPES, RANGING FROM THIN TO VERY THICK SEWING STRAIGHT LINES, CURVES AND CREATING PARALLEL SEAMS PRODUCING VARIOUS SEAMS AND SEAM FINISHES BASICS OF SADDLE STITCHING LEATHER AND UNDERSTANDING RELATED TOOLS AND MATERIALS   CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES: SEWING AND FINISHING A SIMPLE ZIP ON LEATHER CUTTING, ASSEMBLING AND SEWING SIMPLE STRAPS/HANDLES INCORPORATING BASIC LINING TYPES IN PROJECTS CONSTRUCTING AND SEWING COMMON GUSSETS COMPREHENDING THE USE OF REINFORCEMENTS AND STABILISERS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE CRAFT OF ACCESSORY MAKING   LEATHER GOODS MAKING: CREATING TWO FINALISED LEATHER ITEMS FROM CHOSEN DESIGNS SUCH AS CARD HOLDERS, PURSES, CLUTCHES, GLASS COVERS AND SIMILAR ACCESSORIES.#   BY THE END OF THE TUITION, YOU WILL HAVE: – DEVELOPED CONFIDENCE IN UTILISING SPECIFIC TOOLS FOR LEATHER PREPARATION, MARKING, FINISHING, CUTTING AND FASTENING FITTINGS. – ACQUIRED AN UNDERSTANDING OF WORKING WITH DIVERSE LEATHER TYPES AND THICKNESSES, WITH THE ABILITY TO SOURCE AND SELECT APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR YOUR PROJECTS. – MASTERED ESSENTIAL LEATHER SEWING TECHNIQUES, TROUBLESHOOTING COMMON SEWING ISSUES AND HANDLING CHALLENGES SUCH AS CURVES, MULTIPLE LAYERS OF LEATHER AND VARIOUS SURFACE TEXTURES. – LEARNED TO SEW FUNDAMENTAL BAG COMPONENTS LIKE SIMPLE ZIPS, STRAPS, AND GUSSETS, ALONG WITH REINFORCING SPECIFIC AREAS OF A BAG. – BUILT CONFIDENCE IN SEWING WITH BOTH INDUSTRIAL MACHINES AND BY HAND, GAINING THE SKILLS TO INDEPENDENTLY CREATE SIMPLE LEATHER ITEMS. INCLUDED IN THE COURSE: YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH USEFUL PAPER HANDOUTS WHICH CONTAIN: – A LIST OF TOOLS AND MATERIALS USED DURING THE LESSON(S), INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY ARE USED – A LIST OF RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERS FOR BOTH LEATHER AND FITTINGS (PHYSICALLY IN LONDON AND ONLINE) – A GLOSSARY CONTAINING ESSENTIAL KEY WORDS RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF THE LESSON – A GLOSSARY CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT LEATHER TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS – A GLOSSARY CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT NEEDLE AND THREAD TYPES   WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS? THIS COURSE IS SUITABLE FOR TOTAL BEGINNERS, BEGINNERS WITH SOME EXPERIENCE AND INTERMEDIATE. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE MEASUREMENTS AND UNDERSTAND VERBAL AND WRITTEN ENGLISH INSTRUCTIONS.   ARE THERE ANY OTHER COSTS? MATERIALS ARE INCLUDED.   IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO BRING? FEEL FREE TO BRING A NOTEPAD, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME NOTES, WE WILL PROVIDE THE REST.   HOW LONG IS THIS TUITION?: THIS TUITION WILL REQUIRE TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS / 50 HOURS TO BE COMPLETED. WE AIM TO PROVIDE CUSTOMISED AND HIGH QUALITY TUITION SERVICES AND BY ONLY ALLOWING UP TO 5 STUDENTS AT A TIME, WE ARE ABLE TO FOCUS ON EACH PERSON NEEDS AND INTERESTS.   IMPORTANT TO KNOW: WE AIM TO COVER AS MUCH OF THE SYLLABUS AS POSSIBLE. DEPENDING ON YOUR ABILITY AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE, WE MAY NOT COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM OR WE MIGHT DELVE INTO ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES RELATED TO THE LISTED TOPICS, INCLUDING: ADVANCED FINISHING TECHNIQUES (PIPING, BINDING, FOLDING) MORE COMPLEX STYLES OF ZIPS UTILISING DIFFERENT MACHINE FEET, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT IN YOUR SEWING EXPLORING VARIOUS FITTINGS, CLOSURE TYPES, FASTENING TECHNIQUES, AND TOOLS (SAM BROWNS, MAGNETS, POP BUTTONS, EYELETS, ETC.) UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE AND APPLICATION OF CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCES AND REFERENCE NOTES DURING ITEM CONSTRUCTION

If you’re a beginner bag maker, this Retreat is perfect for you. A whole weekend to immerse yourself in fabrics, stabiliser, professional techniques and tips to boost your confidence and your skills. Hopefully, there’ll be a lot of chat and laughter too! **This retreat is a little different from many others in that making a bag isn’t the point of the weekend, although you will indeed make one. The focus is on learning new transferable techniques and skills that you will be able to use on so many bags you make in the future. We have our own ‘Retreat Suite’ of rooms, including a spacious, light and airy sewing room which is equipped with a display screen so everyone can easily see demonstrations from a working viewpoint. We also have our own bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you wish, you are free to continue work after dinner and until as late (or early!) as you like. You will need to bring your own sewing machine, fabric scissors and any other favourite sewing tools, but everything else is provided. Come and join us in the exclusive Facebook group Bag Makers Retreat at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bagmakersretreat/ for all the latest retreat info, chat, gossip and more, plus a chance to meet other like-minded folks.  If you have dietary requirements, please tell me before you book, so I can be sure we can meet your needs. All meal main courses are included in the retreat fee, as are Saturday and Sunday lunches and breakfasts. Starters, desserts and drinks with meals are not included but the meals are so huge you probably won’t want starters and desserts anyway!! Tea and coffee is available whenever you need, but you do have to make it yourself!  If you’d like to stay an extra night or two, maybe to arrive on Thursday or leave on Monday if you have a long drive, let me know and I’ll check availability with our host. If you’d prefer to travel by train, we are happy to ferry you to and from the station, just ask. Please aim to arrive no later than 2pm as we have a lot of pattern cutting and fabric choosing to get through on Friday! Friday The fun starts here as you arrive at your weekend home-from-home – a beautifully refurbished, 4-star 18th century coaching inn with all the comforts you would expect. You’ll have time to settle into your own delightfully comfortable en-suite room which has all the anticipated little luxuries,  before an introductory get-together with me and your companions in the sewing room at 2pm. You’ll be given your own copy of the bag pattern, which is very beginner- and domestic machine-friendly but which will incorporate a lot of features and techniques that are also in much more complex designs, making this an excellent springboard to any bag you want to make. Then you can wallow in the plentiful stash of fabrics to choose from, including some of my exclusive feature panel prints which aren’t available anywhere else. All the materials, interfacing, stabiliser, threads and bag hardware you need are supplied. As soon as you’re ready, you can start preparing and cutting out your pattern and some of the bag pieces so we can hit the ground running in the morning. After a superbly-cooked and substantial evening meal at around 6pm or so, you are welcome to continue working in the sewing room or to simply relax and chat there before bed. Saturday After an excellent breakfast, we can really start work adding to and adapting your bag pattern. You’ll work at your own pace from around 9am with no pressure – I want your weekend to be fun and not stressful! We will walk through the techniques together and I will be there the whole time to answer questions and troubleshoot any tricky bits. You’ll also have the chance to try sewing with faux leather , if you haven’t already, and we’ll explore ways and techniques to use and apply rivets.  Refreshments are freely available all day and you can take a break whenever you wish. A light lunch (with homemade cake!!) is also provided and we’ll have a short break in the middle of the day. The rest of the day will be similar to Friday – sewing, dinner at 6ish and more sewing if you wish to before bed. Do feel free to have a walk or just sit outside for a breather if the weather is kind. Sunday How can it be Sunday already?? Breakfast over, we’ll get back to work. You will need to allow a few minutes to pack and check out of your room, as it has to be made ready for Monday’s guests. Apart from that, it’s uninterrupted sewing (with refreshments and lunch breaks!) until your bag is finished. We’ll be heading off for lunch at 12.30pm or so. We have the sewing room for the rest of the day.  If you don’t quite get done, there’s absolutely no need to worry as you’ll easily be able to complete your bag at home. If you finish earlier feel free to head home whenever you’re ready. Amongst loads of other hints and tips, you’ll learn  – * Interfacings – what to use and not to use * Using stabilisers – which is best and why * How to create a zipped pocket the pro way * Adding a recessed zipper main closure to almost any bag * Installing hardware * Incorporating a built-in key fob * Installing a rectangular  base * Sewing the bag together and topstitching * A sneaky way of getting your bag right-sides-out without ugly seams! * An easy way to add a zipper pull without tools * Working with different types of rivet machine * Faux leather on a domestic machine You’ll have handouts on all the techniques to take home. And I hope you have a lot of fun and make new friends while you learn!!  I never abandon my students at the end of the course so if you get stuck on anything at home, you are welcome to give me a shout on Messenger and we’ll sort out your problem together. The not-so-small print Book your place using the simple booking system below – just click on your choice of dates and go from there. The full price is £395.00. The deposit of £60 is non-refundable if you cancel but can, however, be credited towards a future retreat booked within the next 6 months. It is completely refundable if I or the venue cancel. The booking page only shows the Friday, but the course is running until Sunday. The balance of £335.00 is payable by approx 6 weeks before the retreat date and payment instructions will be sent to you in good time. Cancellations 4 weeks or less before the retreat date can only be refunded if someone on the waiting list can come instead. *Don’t worry that your booking confirmation may be headed Unicorn Studios –  it’s just the site that I’ve run my booking system from for years… it’s not a scam!! *