2012 Sewing Classes

We are pleased to announce the 2012 series of the Liberty sewing school. Join us for a range of special craft, knitting and sewing workshops.

Location: The Liberty Heritage Suite, 3rd Floor

SPECIAL OFFER: We are delighted to offer sewing school attendees 20% off at Café Liberty on the day of their class.

To book one of the below classes, please contact our Customer Services department on +44 (0) 20 7734 1234.

Thursday Evening Classes

5.00pm - 7.30pm

£30 per class

28th June 2012

‘Men’s Sewing SOS’ Class with Josephine Perry

Gentlemen: never again will you have to ask for help with that pesky loose button. This workshop is designed especially for fellas who'd like to get a grip on stitching for practical purposes. Learn how to shorten a hem, sew a button, mend a hole and add some stylish touches should your wardrobe call for a little oomph.

Saturday Classes

10.30am - 4.30pm including morning tea and afternoon coffee.

£50 per class

Saturday 5th May 2012

Moving on from Learn to Sew
Tutor: Lyn Scoulding

The workshop aims to move on from the ‘Learn to Sew’ workshop and to develop the skills of those who have mastered the basics, giving participants a greater confidence with sewing by expanding on their skill base. This will enable the participant to feel confident in choosing from a broader range of the Amy Butler sewing patterns. The skills covered on the day while making the flat bag will give all the technical information necessary to begin dressmaking, with the Amy Butler ‘Barcelona skirt’ being an obvious first choice.

Learn to make this delightful bag and you will acquire the skills you need to be able to make your own clothes. You will learn how to cut from a pattern; use your sewing machine to insert a zip; make a buttonhole; understand the uses of interfacing in sewing to give a professional finish.

Saturday 12th May 2012

Crochet Finishing Techniques
Tutor: Erica Pask

Once the basics of Crochet have been mastered it is natural to want to learn techniques for finishing off your projects in a professional and neat way. For this workshop confidence in the basic stitches and holding the hook and yarn is essential. The use of different decorative techniques such as surface crochet, long treble stitches, beading and colour are all advanced skills used to enhance the most basic crochet. However, it is how these techniques are used which can make the difference. Joining in new colours, weaving in ends, joining your work either by sewn or crochet seams, the importance of blocking and creating an edging are all covered. With the use of decorated samples, attendees will hopefully go home with a new view of the finishing process as something that is part of the whole project.

Requirements

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Participants will need to bring with them 3.5mm and 4.00mm hooks, a large needle for sewing, scissors.

In preparation for the day participants are asked to prepare 3 squares of crochet in DK weight yarn on a 4mm hook.

2 x double crochet squares 4”/10cm square. Make chain 16, work on 15sts.

1 x Afghan square worked in the round as follows:

Foundation chain ring - Leaving a long loose end and using a 4.00mm hook make 6 chain. Join length of chain into a ring by working a slipstitch into the first chain made.

Round 1 (right side) – Make 3ch, 2tr into the ring space, *3ch, 3tr into ring, repeat from * twice more, 3ch. Join with a slipstitch to 3rd of the first 3ch. Continue to slipstitch along top of next 3tr so the yarn is positioned at the beginning of the next 3ch space.

Round 2 (right side) – 3ch (2tr, 3ch,3tr) into 3ch space. *1ch, (3tr, 3ch, 3tr) into next 3ch space. Repeat from * twice more, 1ch. Join with a slipstitch to 3rd of first 3ch.

Round 3 - Again work slipstitch along the top of 3tr to the beginning of the next 3ch space. 3ch (2tr, 3ch, 3tr) into same space. *1ch, 3tr into next 1ch space, 1ch (3tr, 3ch, 3tr) into next 3ch space. Repeat from * twice more. 1ch, 3tr into next 1ch space, 1ch. Join with a slipstitch to 3rd of first 3ch.

Saturday 19th May 2012

Intermediate Knitting
Tutor: Nicole Wilson

If you know how to knit and purl, cast on/off but maybe lack the confidence or skills to start knitting more ambitious projects like your first garment, then this day workshop is for you. Learn all about: alternative cast-ons, tension, moss stitch and ribs, shaping, making a buttonhole, picking up stitches, basic garment assembly and intermediate pattern reading and make a small bag to take home with you.

Skills that will be taught:
• A different method of casting on, either cable or thumb method.
• Holding the needles and yarn – improving techniques
• How to work different ribs and moss stitch
• Increasing and decreasing at garment edges and within garment
• Picking up stitches
• Making eyelets/button holes
• Pattern reading skills and knitting terminology
• The importance of knitting a tension square and how to measure the tension of your work
• Sewing up your knitted piece

Saturday 26th May 2012

Customise your summer clothing
Tutor: Charlotte Liddel

If you are looking for something a little bit different why not come along to this customisation workshop. Textile designer and maker Charlotte Liddle will be teaching a variety of different techniques that can be used to transform and customise your clothing. Charlotte will cover techniques such as hand embroidery, machine stitch and embroidery, appliqué, beading as well as 3d embellishments and fabric flowers. It will be a jam packed session full of new ideas and inspiration.

Saturday 2nd June 2012

Learn to Sew
Tutor: Jenny Stilwell

The workshop aims to cover the basics of sewing and to give participants the confidence to go on to follow simple Amy Butler patterns. You will learn all the skills necessary to complete a vintage style apron, which will contain all the skills listed below. You may also have the chance to customise your apron.

Content
• Laying/cutting out of pattern and fabrics, what do the symbols mean?
• Reading a pattern
• Using a sewing machine, getting started , threading up, sewing in a straight line
• Gathering
• Top stitching
• Slip stitching
• Simple decorative stitching with machine

Saturday 9th June 2012

Intermediate Sewing
Tutor: Margaret Rowan

The workshop aims to develop the skills of the sewer who feels confident with the basics of using and understanding sewing patterns and who is able to complete garments. The point is to expand on an existing skill base and to gain self-assurance in following and understanding technical and detailed patterns. This will enable the participant to follow any of the Amy Butler sewing patterns. During the day you will produce a lined bag learning different skills which can then be used in other projects. You will also be able to adapt other projects and patterns by adding in these techniques to give them your own individual flair.

Content
• Making bias binding
• Using piping for decoration
• Using a concealed zip
• Putting in simple pockets

Saturday 16th June 2012

Great British Garden Party Projects
Tutor: Charlotte Liddel

Join textile designer and maker Charlotte Liddle for a full day workshop where you will have the opportunity to make projects that are perfect for our great British garden parties. Charlotte will be teaching you how to make and embellish pretty bunting to hang in your garden as well as demonstrating techniques such as applique and hand embroidery that can be used to create beautiful little jam pot covers. This session will teach both hand and machine sewing and would be great starting point for beginners or those who simply wish to brush up their skills.

Saturday 23rd June 2012

Learn to Knit Lace
Tutor: Sarah Hazell

The aim of this workshop is to understand how to knit lace and become more confident when following patterns and reading charts. During the course of the day we will practise the lace cast-on and learn different ways of increasing and decreasing to create different lace patterns. We will look at how to identify lace repeats and the importance of using markers. We will practise working from charts and look at how shaping affects a lace pattern. We will finish by discussing best ways of blocking. There will also be a selection of free patterns available.

Saturday 30th June 2012

Make your own Metal Frame Purse
Tutor: Lisa Lam

Join bag designer, maker and fanatic Lisa Lam for a full day's purse making fun. In this workshop Lisa will show you how to make your own gorgeous looking kiss lock clasp purses. These purses are perfect for parties, weddings, or just as a simple clutch to store your essentials. The metal purse frame looks so professional and it will bring your handmade purses to the next level! But, you are not going to believe how easy it is to sew these purses and attach them to a frame. With the help of some of Lisa's purse making tips and secrets you'll be making purses that will have your friends asking you where you 'bought your yummy new purse from!

Attendees will need to have at least basic sewing machine skills. At the end of the session you will leave with one yummy purse. If there is time Lisa will demonstrate how to embellish the purse with pretty fabric flowers, bows and or buttons.

Saturday 7th July 2012

Next Step Patchwork
Tutor: Janet Goddard

This workshop is ideal for those of you who have learned the basics in patchwork and would to like to learn some further techniques. We will explore a variety of skills and students will make blocks using foundation piecing, stained glass technique, and more complex machine piecing.

To book one of the above classes, please contact our Customer Services department on +44 (0) 20 7734 1234.