Hand-Sewing our Clothes- Sewcial!

" Hand sewing clothing can be a radical act of slow fashion. Reclaim the democratic, accessible, ancient power of sewing that needs no machine."

These inspiring words are by Louisa Owen Sonstroem

Join us once a month, on the second Wednesday of the month, for hand-sewing and skill-sharing. This is part of The Alternative Fashion School from We Wear The Trousers. If you missed the launch of the sewing a garment by hand project and you would like more information before you come along, send us an email on [email protected], but you are welcome to just turn up!

At the moment, we are working on the ZW Tent Top by Birgitta Helmerson. Some of us have already started this, but don't worry if you haven't! You can start coming at any time, and you can work on it at any pace you like. Some people will do a lot of sewing in between sessions, and some folk will only work on the project on monthly Wednesday evenings.

If you are the sort of person who likes a schedule and a plan, the lovely Lisa has made this fab handout which gives you an overview of how we might approach this project. Again, you are welcome to join at any time, at any stage- this is just a guide.

This event is not a taught workshop, but an opportunity to all work on a hand-sewn garment in the same space, sharing sewing skills with each other and figuring things out together if things get tricky. You don't need to have ever made a garment, or even sewn anything before, to take part. There will always be at least one confident hand-sewist present, who can help.

More Information:

This event is pitched at ages 14+ but all ages are very welcome to attend. Any children must be accompanied by an adult.

This event is not a taught workshop, but an opportunity to all learn or practice our hand-sewing skills together and to teach ourselves and one-another, sharing skills with each other and figuring things out together if things get tricky.

What does it cost?

As of 2024, we need to fund the cost of hiring the space and organising The Alternative Fashion School, including for this monthly REFASHION session.

There will be a suggested minimum donation to take part in these sessions each month, based on the number of people who attend and the level of your financial privilege.

We use the Green Bottle sliding scale as a measure of financial privilege. We suggest you budget for around £5 if if your financial situation is best described by the full bottle, and for around £3 if your financial circumstances are best described by the half-full bottle.

Any donations you make over and above covering our running costs go straight into supporting our work, including things like buying materials and equipment, and subsidising activities for those who cannot afford to access them, so all donations and support are gratefully received.

If you are unwaged, or low-waged (ie. your green bottle is nearly empty), meaning a donation is not possible for you, you are welcome to attend this monthly REFASHION session for free, but we would encourage you to think about how you could donate an hour of your time per month to support the work of We Wear The Trousers, if this is possible for you.

You can donate by via eventbrite by selecting the 'donation' option, which will allow you to choose how much to donate. However, Eventbrite will charge for this function, so if you would prefer to give all your hard-earned ££ to us, you cn donate by cash or card on the night! Select the 'I prefer to donate in person' option and your ticket will appear as free on Eventbrite.

The Venue:

The Stage is on the west side of St Augustine’s Street, near the turning into Sussex Street. There are cycle racks at either end of St Augustine’s Street and in Sussex Street and the venue is close to bus links and parking at Anglia Square.

The venue has a wheelchair accessible toilet and step-free access is from the back of the building, accessible via Sussex Street. Drop-off is possible at the back of the building.

If you have any questions about accessibility, please get in touch with us by email at wewearthetrousers (at) gmail.com or message us via social media.

Host or Publisher We Wear The Trousers