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Event Details

This course is perfect for beginners with little to no sewing experience, or anyone who has a sewing machine collecting dust and wants to finally put it to use. Over four 2-hour sessions, you’ll gain practical skills you can use immediately at home:

Week 1: Introduction to the Sewing Machine
Learn how to thread the machine, wind and load a bobbin, sew in straight lines and around curves, and adjust stitch settings. We’ll make sure you’re comfortable with your machine before moving on to real projects.

Week 2: Pants Hemming
Master the most useful alteration skill—hemming pants! Learn to measure, pin, and sew a professional-looking hem that matches the original finish.

Week 3: Darning & Patching
Extend the life of your favorite garments by learning to repair holes, tears, and worn areas. We’ll cover both invisible mending techniques and visible patching with style.

Week 4: Basic Alterations
Learn to take in seams, adjust waistbands, and make other simple alterations so your clothes fit better and last longer.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence and skills to tackle everyday sewing repairs at home, save money on alterations, and keep your favorite clothes in rotation longer.

POLICIES:

Review all workshop policies in advance of registering here.

This course will run with a minimum of 4 students and is capped at 8 students.

Workshop registrations are non-refundable. Please double-check your schedule before signing up to ensure you are available on all dates that we meet. If you need to miss a class, please note that missed sessions cannot be made up or refunded.

LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY:

The Slow Fashion Academy studio is located in Firehouse Arts Germantown, 5231 Germantown Avenue, B06, Philadelphia, PA 19144 (United States).

To enter the building, dial 0-6-bell on the keypad to the left of the door and we will buzz you in.

There is plenty of free street parking along Germantown Avenue, and the 23 SEPTA bus stops right in front of the building at the corner of Germantown Ave. and Bringhurst St. There is also a bike rack in front of Tipsy Cafe, next door. We are a half-mile walk from the Wister stop on SEPTA regional rail.

The studio is on the basement level of the building, down a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, we are not wheelchair accessible.

DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING?

Week 1: No materials needed. All supplies are included, and the studio has sewing machines for everyone.

Weeks 2-4: Please bring your own garments to work on (pants for hemming, items needing repairs, clothes for alterations). Specific instructions for the following week will be given at the end of each class.

Basic supplies (thread, needles, etc.) are included in your workshop fee.

CAN I BRING MY OWN SEWING MACHINE?

Yes! In fact, we encourage it—especially if you want to practice at home between classes. If you bring your own machine, please arrive 5-10 minutes early to set it up, and ensure you have all necessary parts (foot pedal, power cord, bobbin case, needle plate, etc.). Your machine should be in good working order.

If we encounter issues during setup, we’ll ask that you switch to one of the studio machines so we can make the most of our class time together.