Beginners Sewing Day

Learning as you sew in this relaxed but comprehensive one-day beginners sewing workshop.

Do you have an unloved sewing machine at home and want to put it to use? Have you been inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee? Would love to try making your own clothes? Then this is the workshop for you!
We'll go over the parts of the sewing machine, what equipment you need (and don't need!) and how to set up the machine and your workspace ready to sew. We'll help you create your very first stitches and overthe day you will complete several projects which will equip you with all the skills you need for your next sewing projects!
The day includes all your materials and teaching in a small group with experienced, knowledgeable and friendly tutor, Freya. In the morning you will make a needle case and an envelope cushion cover. In the afternoon you will create a useful shopping bag to carry your sewing kit or store projects in.

Freya will demonstrate and explain techniques and you will get plenty of individual help through the session.

You will learn how to:

Set up the sewing machine and what all the parts are

Troubleshoot any issues - tension, thread snapping, tangling, skipped stitches and much more!

Select stitches

Use the guides on the machine to sew correct seam allowances

"Bagging out" technique

Topstitch

Sew through thicker layers of fabric

Create a button and loop closure

Cut various weights of fabric and felt

Follow sewing instructions

Create neat French seams

Insert straps

Create boxed out corners

Add an optional patch pocket

PLEASE NOTE:

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN SEWING MACHINE IF YOU HAVE ONE SO YOU CAN PRACTISE USING IT, BUT IF THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE, WE CAN PROVIDE ONE FOR AN ADDITIONAL £5. PLEASE ADD THIS TO YOUR CART AT TIME OF BOOKING IF YOU WILL NEED TO HIRE A MACHINE ON THE DAY.

Tutor Freya Gilbert is the owner of Crafty Sew and So and has been sewing for almost 20 years, sewing everything from her dream wardrobe to homewares and accessories. She loves teaching people to sew, sharing her obsession and creating handmade joy. As well as teaching award-winning beginners sewing and craft workshops, Freya develops a range of sewing patterns and subscription boxes.

Participants must be aged 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times.

This one day workshop will start at 10.30am and end at 4.30 pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments.

If the workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on orarts-centre@le.ac.uk and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll thencontact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans!

Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTerms & Conditions before booking as workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances.

We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week.

We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied.

Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).