Learning to Sew: Three Things to Know Before Getting Started

Friday, January 28, 2011

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team

Think you have to hold a degree in textile design to create fabulous fashion? Think again. Just ask Sam Mendoza, a Providence designer with no formal training who won rave reviews for his collection that strutted down the runway during StyleWeek. Instructor Mikala Cash, who teaches sewing classes at her North Attleboro studio, Creative Sewing Lessons, says sewing is more popular than ever, crediting television programs like Project Runway and home decorating shows like Design on a Dime. Here are some tips for getting started:

Before You Invest

Ever seen a first-time skier all dolled up in pricey gear doing “the wedge” all the way down the hill? Maybe they should have actually tried the sport before dropping hundreds on the gear. Sewing can be the same way. Before running out to buy an expensive sewing machine, take a few classes, find out if what you thought sewing would be is as enjoyable as you hoped. Cash says sewing machines can costs hundreds of dollars, so classes are a great way to find a machine that works for your needs and you can practice on first. "For the past few years, most of the people who have come to be are beginners who have never touched a machine," she explains, and classes are where one can get real hands-on experience.

Start Small

Pillows, cotton string bags, a tea cozy...experienced instructors show you how at Kreatelier on Providence’s East Side, where you'll find inexpensive classes for both children and adults. Even better, classes not stretched out over weeks and weeks; instead, they’re in single, 3-hour sessions, so you actually produce a piece by the time you walk out the door. “All of our classes are very basic, so they’re perfect for beginners,” says Paige Bennett, “and the instructors are some of the artists whose work we sell in the shop—they’re all fantastic and know what they’re talking about.” Classes at Kreatelier range from $30-$55.

Get Reacquainted

For the more experienced who may look to revisit sewing and designing, the Master Seamstress Program at the University of Rhode Island is run through URI's Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education. The program offers practical instruction in all aspects of apparel construction and consists of two levels: Level I, a year-long course; and Level II, a series of specialized small courses. The courses are open to the public, have no prerequisites, and do not earn credit towards a URI degree.