There are hundreds, okay maybe not hundreds, but many, many reasons why you should try some dressmaking courses. Sewing is an essential skill in life. We've all had an unwanted hole in clothes.
Maybe your ripped jeans have ripped a little too far, or perhaps your little ones just keep ripping their clothes with all their tumbles and trips. Either way, fixing clothes is going to be a necessity.
But it's not only mending that a dressmaking course can teach you. Have you ever had a dress that you think could look so much better if it were just to be a little wider there and a little tighter here?
Perhaps a pair of trousers that keep getting increasingly smaller around the waistband? Dressmaking courses can teach you how to perfect alterations. No more trips to the tailors to shorten your trousers or re-cuff those jackets.
Clothes aren't made for life anymore, they are mass produced and well, let's be honest, the quality of high street and even labelled brands are slipping substantially as the years go on.
To learn the skill of dressmaking you will be able to buy with confidence second-hand clothes from vintage boutiques knowing you can tailor them to yourself. You really can't underestimate the power of a great outfit, without sounding incredibly cliché, and well-fitting clothes stand out like no other.
Top 10 Best Dress Making Courses in London Are:
- Alterations Workshop with Craft My Day
- Anyone Can Make a Dress in a Day
- Beginners Dressmaking with Make Mee Studio
- Learn to Sew with Couchman Bespoke
- Pattern Cutting Workshop with Heba Studio
- Learn to Sew with Knit Fabrics with Charlotte Newland, winner of The Great British Sewing Bee
- Beginner's Dressmaking with Gabberdashery
- Full Day Studio Time Workshop with Make Town
- Make a Stylish Skirt with Sew Pretty
- Advance Beginners Dressmaking Course with Sew it with Love
1. Alterations Workshop with Craft My Day
Location: Worcester Park, South West London
Fed up of never finding clothes that fit correctly? Learn how to alter your own clothes - During the workshop we will cover basic alteration techniques -turn up hems, take in seams and waistbands to create a better fit.
You will learn how to do a fitting and how to use that information to make the alterations. Bring in 2 items of clothing from home, a skirt and a dress, or practice on my charity shop supply to give you the real experience of making the alterations and the issues that may occur.
Book now on Obby2. Anyone Can Make a Dress in a Day
Location: Seven Sisters, North London
Didn't think sewing a dress in a day was possible? The Fashion Box can make that happen, and teach you beginners sewing skills while at it!
This six-hour class offers tuition in techniques for constructing a dress using a dressmaking pattern, as well as sewing darts, using an overlocker, inserting an invisible zip and sewing facings.
Book now on Obby3. Beginners Dressmaking with Make Mee Studio
Location: Brockley, South East London
During this 6 week course you'll be taken through measuring your body and making alterations, to demystifying pattern terminology, and of course constructing a garment.
Dressmaking can seem like a daunting prospect at first but it's easy when you know how! It gives you the opportunity to be unique and creative with your style. It's a great way to relax and unwind, make new creative friends and you can become part of the growing Make Mee Community.
Make Mee Studio is run by Tracey & Jaime. Two enthusiastic lifelong sewers (both sewing since they were 5 years old!). They love sharing their making skills with others, and have over 10 years of combined teaching experience working with adults and children.
Book now on Obby4. Learn to Sew with Couchman Bespoke
Location: Canning Town, East London
Whether you are learning to sew for the first time or a top up on the knowledge you already have. Bring a readiness to learn and maybe a note book too!
You will be learning techniques that align with your abilities, and take home all that you complete for reference.
If you wish to learn a specific technique you can get in touch before the class and Couchman Bespoke will arrange something for you.
Book now on Obby5. Pattern Cutting Workshop with Heba Studio
Location: Kingsbury, North West London
This is a drop in class to learn the crafty skill of pattern cutting. During this class you will have the opportunity to make a pattern from a block, adjust a ready-made pattern or even make your own block with a free hand cutting style.
This workshop covers many transferable skills that can be used for making different items of clothing including skirts and dresses. Whether you're a beginner or advanced dressmaker, this ladies only class will teach you how to take measurements, how to create style lines and so much more!
Heba Studio has helped thousands of students develop their creative skills whilst building their clothing making abilities.
Book now on Obby6. Learn to Sew with Knit Fabrics with Charlotte Newland, winner of The Great British Sewing Bee
Location: West Hampstead, North West London
Learn to sew with knits whilst working with the pattern of your choice! This is your chance to face your fears of sewing with knit fabrics head on with the help of your talented instructor, Charlotte Newland. You'll learn key skills for sewing with knits on a home sewing machine, from fitting to finishing, so you can leave with a finished garment and the confidence to keep sewing all the knit patterns you've been dying to try!
This class is suitable for students of all experience wanting to sew any style of clothing using knit fabrics, although it is required that you know how to use a sewing machine.
Book now on Obby7. Beginner's Dressmaking with Gabberdashery
Location: Highgate, North West London
From threading the machine to making your first garment - Gabby will happily personalise the experience to suit what you want to make. We will go over all the basics to get you making your own clothes and end up with a garment that you can wear!
This class is three hours with seamstress Gabby Young who runs the popular sewing blog Gabberdashery. This class is usually run on a one-to-one basis and one of our favourites on the site, so we do recommend this.
Book now on Obby8. Full Day Studio Time Workshop
Location: Hackney, East London
We will provide you with sewing machines, overlockers, cutting tables, iron, scissors, paper, and everything else you could possibly want for a full day of creative sewing heaven! All you need to bring along is your project, a notebook and a mate if you're completing your project together. This workshop is for those with a project on the go, from mending dresses and other clothing to making your own clothing from scratch. If you have some experience and want a place to build your sewing masterpiece with some helpful tips and tricks along the way, this workshop is for you.
Book now on Obby9. Make a Stylish Skirt with Sew Pretty
Location: Wimbledon, South West London
Already have the basic sewing skills? Book this 9 hour course with Sew Pretty and get really progress with your dressmaking and learning.
Choose to attend over 3, 3 hour sessions in 3 weeks, or in one crash course - you'll start by learning how to use a commercial pattern, lay mark and pin pattern to fabric and cut out. Over the next few sessions/hours, you'll start to construct and finish your skirt all within the class time.
10. Advance Beginners Dressmaking Course with Sew it with Love
Location: Lambeth, South East London
If you're tired of making items with elastic, then this course with Sew it with Love is the perfect step up to improve your sewing and dressmaking skills.
In this 2 day course, you'll learn how to understand commercial patterns, and how to alter them in order to create perfectly fitting garments. You'll put these learnings in to practice to make a circle skirt on the first day, and a dress tunic or top on the second.