Machine Sewing for Beginners - Fabric Books and Journals - High Pavement, Sutton-in-Ashfield - Adult Learning

• Date: 28 February - 4 April 2025
• Sessions: Fridays: 1:15pm - 3:45pm
• No. sessions: 6
• Venue: High Pavement Learning Centre, Sutton-in-Ashfield
• For ages: 19+
• Group size: 5 - 8
• Cost: FREE - £45.50
  

This course is for anyone who wants to learn to use a sewing machine, even if you have never touched one before. We will learn all about our machine from threading up, filling a bobbin and beginning to stitch, adding pockets, buttons and embellishments and in the process make a wonderful textile book full of stitches, fabric and memories. As you learn to sew you will create a fabric book full of texture and new techniques with space to add your own creative twist.

This course your gateway to new and exciting sewing adventures.

We will start by getting to grips with our machine and making the first of our book pages. We will then start to create decoration for these pages using hand and machine stitching, appliqué, embroidery and embellishment. We will create pockets and make closures from ties and buttons.

We will cover basic printing and experiment by adding paper, photographs and found objects to our journals.

By the end of the course, you will:

• Have a handmade, personal fabric journal of at least ten pages, the journal is easily expanded and added to in the future
• Be able to work safely and confidently with a sewing machine
• Understand the importance of using the correct needles, feet and thread for the project
• Start to understand your own creative process
• Understand how simple patterns are used
• Create pockets and closures
• Use bindings and create ties
• Have an understanding of different types of fabric and thread and be able to choose the correct ones for the project
• Have a practical understanding of the process of free machine embroidery.

Resources required by attendees:
You will not need everything on the first day of the course

• After week one :
• 1 meter of plain fabric, calico or white/cream sheeting for book pages
• Fabric cotton or polycotton woven fabric, not stretch. Patterned or plain, old bed linen is good as are duvet covers and old clothes
• Lots of fabric scraps
• Polyester Thread – to match or contrast your fabric
• Hand sewing kit can come in handy with pins, needles and scissors

• Bondaweb or Mistyfuse (optional)
• Paper scraps, old letters (photocopies of anything precious – we will be cutting them up) Bits of old jewelry, keyrings any bits and bobs you might want to include
• Bias binding
• Beads and buttons for decoration
• Elastic, ribbon, embroidery thread or braid for decoration (not essential)
• Any other fabric, thread or decorative items you might like to use
• Fabric glue

Suggested Reading for the course:

• Very Easy Guide to Using Your Sewing Machine by Wendy Gardiner. Publication 2013 ISBN 13/EAN: 9781844488285
• Fabric Memory Books. Lesley Riley. ISBN 13/EAN: 9781579909857
• Fragmentation and Repair. Shelley Rhodes. 2021. ISBN 13/EAN: 9781849946100
• Connected Cloth. Cas Holms and Anne Kelly. 2013. ISBN 13/EAN: 9781849940436
• Dressmaking: The Easy Guide by Hellen Rhiannon. Publication: 23 June 2023 ISBN 13/EAN: 9781782218913

If you are in receipt of certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course, please visit our webpage for further information https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/skills-learning/funding-your-courses/

To secure your place on the course BOTH the following must be done:

• Complete the EVENTBRITE BOOKING.
• Complete our INSPIRE ONLINE ENROLMENT FORM for each person attending the course.

You should be redirected to the Inspire Online Enrolment Form after completing the Eventbrite booking. If you are not redirected, please use the link supplied in the Eventbrite booking confirmation email.

To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must have been living in England and have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years.

Some exceptions may apply if you are living in England with evidence of the right to remain and are from an EEU/EEAU country (completion of a questionnaire will be required).

As we no longer receive funding for our ESFA-funded courses for learners living in the devolved areas listed below, full cost fees would apply to these courses if you live in these areas:

• Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• Greater London
• Greater Manchester
• Liverpool City Region
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland
• Tees Valley
• West of England
• West Midlands
• West Yorkshire

Check the FAQs page, or get in touch:

• By phone: 01623 677 200
• By email: [email protected]

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