Signs you’re ready to move into a more advanced sewing class
Stephanie Daga | Date posted: July 9th, 2012
Dear Diary,
So I’ve been sewing for at least four years now. I would like to say that I am an intermediate sewer with plenty of room to grow still. Plenty. I’ve made lots of progress from my first class. At least I think I have…but have I really?
I’ve said it once, and I have said it before. I’m not the best seamstar to come out of The Sewing Studio. We have plenty of students, teen students even, who can sew and serge circles around me, only to leave me behind in their scraps and remnants. But I’m pretty good at sewing.
It has taken me a while to progress from sewing straight, simple lines to tackling more complex projects, and in my defence, I try to hone my sewing skills around managing a household, playing referee between two boys, and running a business. This is why it’s taken me longer than most. But after four years of hobbyist sewing, I am confident that I am able to navigate my way around some simple sewing tasks and no longer consider myself a beginner.
If you are wondering about our classes at The Sewing Studio and are interested in “upping” your game, but aren’t sure if you can move from beginner to intermediate (or advanced) classes, here are a few sewing skills you should have mastered by now that will allow you to transition to our intermediate classes with ease.
1. You can work with interfacing, insert a zipper, and sew your hems. Sounds simple, right? And these are all simple things to learn and do. These require more than just being able to sew straight lines. They require attention to detail, precision and, most of all, patience. If you’ve mastered these skills, you’re on your way to greener pastures.
2. You can read a pattern, follow a pattern, and complete a pattern. Reading a pattern and actually completing a project from a pattern are two different things. Reading a pattern just shows me that you are literate. Actually completing a project from a pattern, from start to finish, is a whole other ballgame. If you find you’re whizzing through patterns and completing your projects in good time (even if they are simple skirts or tops), it’s time to challenge yourself with an intermediate class. How about creating your own patterns?
3. You can look at something and have an idea of how to recreate it. After I completed my first sewing class, I remember going into stores, flipping the garment inside out and seeing how everything is stitched together. Was I curious? Sure. Interested in recreating it? Yes. Weird? You bet. But I would go home and try to imagine how the pieces of fabric were cut, how they would be sewn together, and what the final result would be. I would never actually do it, because I was never sure—but what it showed me was that my sewing curiosity had made me passionate. If you find yourself doing this, perhaps you need one of our intermediate classes to guide you through recreating your favourite pieces!
Happy sewing!
TAGS: Sewing, Sewing Class, The Sewing Studio, The Sewing Studio New York, The Sewing Studio Toronto
Stephanie Daga
I'm the Managing Director behind the scenes at TSS; I plan events, workshops, and overall bring in the fun.
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