WHAT ARE MY STUDENTS SEWING THIS SEASON?
With our SPRING 2025 courses in full swing and week 3 now complete, I am very excited to share the creations that my Saturday morning BEGINNER students are designing and making! The energy in the studio this morning was a real buzz, with students connected by their love of learning to sew.
Class sizes are compact with 4 students maximum insuring that my students gain the ultimate tuition by myself, Christine. I teach all my own classes, courses and workshops.
India is doing her GCSES, and first met me with her mum at the Knitting and Stitching Show in November.
Rhia travels from Bangor each week. Having just completed a Hair and Makeup course at Belfast Met, she now has her sights set on sewing – a skill she has always wished to learn.
Jayne joined the course this week after taking a private lesson. She bought her machine last November at the Knit and Stitch show, but it was only out of the box last week.
Each student is individual and I always encourage them to add their own ‘personality’ to their sewing projects. From upcycling, altering, draping, and patchwork totes these Beginner students are diving right in!
As the weeks go in, the students are settling in, conversations are striking up and common threads become yarns as we discover that India and Jayne both love crochet and knitting.
Let’s meet INDIA
India had already sewn a pair of PJ bottoms before, and is currently studying Art and Design at school. She is using her sewing techniques to create a sewing folder that she can use towards her portfolio. In addition to creating a technique folder, India is using her time in class to design and make her own formal dress! This week she bought her fabric from Craftswoman fabrics, Carrickfergus. I encouraged her to add fabric to her sketch to better help ‘imagine’ how it will look. Today in class she completed draping her bodice design on the mannequin and then made a paper pattern from the draped pieces. Next week India will make a second toile to approve the alterations, and decide whether to use gathers or box pleats in her skirt.
Let’s meet RHIA
Rhia’s heart has always been in sewing and its in her family with her Great Grandmother being a renowned seamstress. Rhia threaded her first machine last week, and already she has altered her jeans – learning how to retain the original ‘jeans’ hem. She also hand sewed a button on her mums dress which had fallen off. Next week Rhia will be working on her party dress and repositioning the waistline.
Let’s meet JAYNE
Jayne joined the class on week 3 after enjoying her 1-1 tuition so much. She is starting with a patchwork tote bag, and today she cut out her squares, planned her colour scheme and then threaded up. Working with a quarter seam allowance she sewed her first lines together and pressed the seams open. Jayne headed home from class today with a determination to sit and sew together all her patches. That means that next week, Jayne will measure and make her straps, plan and place her pockets and sew up a lining for her bag. She can make the pockets to suit her mobile phone, pen and keys. Jayne is sewing on a Janome sewing machine.
WANT TO FEEL THAT SEWING BUZZ?
Colour and Cloth teach all levels of Sewing Courses and Workshops so no matter what level you are at, there is no better time to start than now. The new season of The Great British Sewing Bee airs in June 2025. One of my past students was on Season Four…will you be next?
Our SUMMER Sewing WORKSHOPS are ready for booking and start in July 2025.
Dates for our AUTUMN Sewing COURSES will be released mid June.
Visit Our Online Sewing Shop
Christine Boyle
Creative Director
