alter + repair your garments workshop

Garment alterations are a fun and empowering way to level up your sewing skills and expand your wardrobe options.

Professional tailor Lauren Taylor is here to guide you through the entire process of this essential skill set! Whether you are working with handmade, ready-to-wear, vintage or thrifted clothing - this class will teach you how to see flaws in garments as exciting opportunities for improvement.

Students are encouraged to bring a variety of garments, both handmade and ready to wear. Although we may not get through every single piece by the end of class, students can expect to leave with the knowledge and confidence to be able to continue their practice at home.

What students can expect to learn in class:
⁃ Effective seam ripping techniques for a variety of stitches, including straight stitches, serged finishes, and chainstitches
⁃ How to assess a garment’s fit and style, and how to determine what changes need to be made
⁃ How to pin fit a garment and transfer the adjustments in preparation for sewing
⁃ How to take apart a garment, look inside, and determine the best method for executing whatever adjustment needs to be made based on the construction of the original garment
⁃ Basic garment repair
⁃ How to determine whether a garment can successfully be altered or repaired, best practices for using trial-and-error to approach for alterations on existing garments, and how to troubleshoot any problems that may arise

The exact techniques covered in class will depend on the garments that are brought in by students.

Don’t know what to bring? Here are some suggestions of topics that can be covered:
⁃ Altering a garment for a better fit
⁃ Making design changes to a garment - shortening or removing sleeves, changing necklines, or collars, adding or removing style ease/volume, adding or removing pockets
⁃ Changing hemlines - topstitched, blind, rolled, using the original hem on jeans
⁃ Garment repairs - holes, split seams, tears, replacing elastic, replacing buttons, replacing broken zippers, adding patches and repairing worn fabric
⁃ Making a garment smaller or bigger
⁃ Repairing or replacing garment lining
⁃ Garments for friends, family members, loved ones, etc

Required materials: 

Please bring a minimum of 6 garments. The best garments to bring are the pieces that you or your loved ones want to wear but do not. 
Thread: various colors and weights of thread to match your projects (available to purchase in the shop).

Additional materials are subject to anticipated repairs and alterations, for example depending on the garments you bring their may be the need for fusible interfacing, extra fabric, buttons, zippers, elastic, patches

Required Tools:
- Fabric scissors
- hand sewing needles
- seam gauge
- Wonder Tape, will be available to purchase in the shop
- Pins and/or wonder clips
- seam ripper
- chalk or friction pen
- detail scissors
- notebook and pen

Prior sewing experience is required to take this class. You must be comfortable threading and operating a sewing machine, and have sewn at least one garment pattern. This class is best suited for intermediate sewists or adventurous beginners with a little experience under their belt.

*Please note: Due to the unique nature of this class and the attendance of a specialized external instructor, the cost of the weekend is non-refundable.  However, if you cannot make the class, you may transfer registration to a friend.