Improver Dressmaking Course - Spring jacket

brand new in 2022

Develop your skills by tackling a more challenging garment with our brand new Spring jacket course.

Cost: £210 - 7 x 2 hour classes, suitable for those who have made a few garments before, or have been on a previous improver course with us.

Learn how to work with shaped seams, topstitching pockets, sleeves and make a notched lapel collar.

If this sounds like a step to far, we have just launched our beginner plus dressmaking course - click here - which we make a sleeveless dress.

We also have another improver garment this term - a shirt / shirt dress - click here for details.

Please scroll down for more information and class content.

AVAILABLE COURSE DATES…

Coming back in 2023

Sign up to receive our newsletter to get exclusive early access and booking for new dates next term, before we advertise publicly - click here.

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To attend this course you must have made multiple garments before, or attended one or more of our beginner dressmaking courses and feel confident with the jump in skill. We now offer a stepping stone course - beginner plus - which is best to attend before joining us for improver classes. You will also need your own machine.

EXTRA INFO...

Location:

This term classes are held in South Nutfield, Surrey (full address given once booked) . There is some free parking at the location, plus free on road parking.

Each class is up to 2 hours long.

Please arrive up to 5 minutes beforehand to set up your equipment and get settled in, as we start promptly at the times stated - we have lots to fit in!!

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If you would like to book the full course but cannot make one of the dates, you can book the lesson you will miss as private tuition. This would be £40 extra per 2 hour lesson*, discounted from the usual £35 per hour private tuition which would be £70. Please let us know via our contact form at the bottom of this page once you have booked.

*this discounted private tuition price only applies when booking/booked on to the full course.

Level:

As this course is not a beginner or basic garment, you will be required to do some of the easier sewing, cutting or preparing as homework. To make sure we have time for tuition on all the more involved steps of the garment.

You won’t be asked to do any new skills, or something you haven’t already done during the lesson at some point. But you may need to finish things that will have been started during the lesson, so we can start the next steps in the next lesson together. As everyone works at different speeds.

Fabrics:

You will need to purchase fabric, along with matching thread, a button, shoulder pads and interfacing, for your garment in advance of lesson 2. We will let you know yardages and suitable fabric choices once you have booked.

Sewing machines and equipment:

Please bring your own machine with you.

You are also welcome to bring your overlocker, if you have one, for finishing the edges of your fabric. If you don’t have one we will be zigzagging the edges to stop them from fraying.

Unfortunately if you don’t know how to use your overlocker/are not confident, we don’t have time to talk you through this during the improver course as the time is reserved for dress construction.

We do offer an overlocker lesson zero, which would be sufficient tuition for using your overlocker to edge your garment. Please take a look here - overlocker lesson zero

schedule of class content:

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 1:

Measurements, sizing and preparing your pattern

Cutting out calico for mock up

Begin sewing mock up - if time

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 2:

Finish sewing mock up

Fitting and changes to pattern

Begin cutting out final fabric

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 3:

Finish cutting, pattern markings

Overlocking/zigzagging

Joining front of jacket with pocket

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 4:

Finish pocket and other main seams

Start collar construction

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 5:

Finish collar construction

Attach sleeves

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 6:

Attach facings for body and collar

Handfinishing

Improver Dressmaking Lesson 7:

Completing your garment - hand finishing, button and buttonhole

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If you have any questions please fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.