I could sew a bit. You know, thread a machine, straight lines and corners, cushion covers and canvas bags. But I wanted to learn to Sew, to make something useful and ultimately, something I could wear.
I chose the Garment Alterations course at Venn School of Sewing for a particular reason: when you wear clothes that fit – that really fit well – you feel a bit different. It flatters you; you’re more confident and have a spring in your step. People may give you compliments and catching sight of yourself in a mirror doesn’t result in nagging disappointment.
However, that doesn’t happen that often to me. Being a classic hourglass shape (thin in the middle, wide at the top and bottom) clothes only fit me if they’re very stretchy or if I’m really lucky. You try shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding with your fingers crossed behind your back the whole time: it’s quite fiddly to say the least.
The idea of being able to buy clothes that I liked and then tailor them to fit sounded great but how many of us have the time and money to have that done to every piece of clothing? Going to an evening class where I could learn the skills and adjust my own clothes really appealed.
Others at the class may not have been the same body shape as me but everyone had their own reasons for wanting to alter garments. Some were short and wanted to understand how to take up their own jeans. Others wanted to slim-down their dresses without having to resort to cinching them in with a belt. And some just had that niggling feeling that their clothes never looked quite...right.
The tutor of the course, Angela, soon got us all on the right track. With a true passion for teaching and a desire to help people, she won’t be happy unless those on her courses step out of the door every week with a new skill under one arm and a newly modified garment under the other. With a genuine knowledge of the skills and tricks of the trade, she passes them on willingly.
Over the course of ten weeks we learnt real techniques: we moved buttons and zips; we shortened trousers and lengthened skirts; we moved cuffs and we tailored shirts to smooth over our unique lumps and bumps.
Having someone to show you a skill rather than just learning about it online is vital: YouTube isn’t there to help you when you run into problems, but Angela is. With a pile of handouts to help us in the future, we’ll be able to use these skills again and again.
And we tackled more grand projects which, at the start, had seemed far too complicated for amateurs: taking in ball dresses with boning and tailoring jackets or coats.
Then there were all the little tips along the way.
I had a dress that I really liked wearing but it looked a bit awkward. I decided it was too big and tried wearing large belts. When I took it along to the class I expected to learn how to take it in and was all ready with the pins. But Angela said, “It’s too short.”
Huh? To be specific, it was deemed to be too short in the body and needed lengthening at the waist. So Angela merrily asked me to take the dress apart in the middle and found an inch or so of fabric to sew in between the two halves. It was at this point that I wondered if her expertise had run out. I smiled and nodded but inside was thinking, “it’s fine; I can always undo this and sew it back together as before when I get home.” Of course, I should have trusted her: she knows exactly what she’s doing and has years of experience to back it up.
With the new panel inserted in the middle of the dress, the fullness of fabric which had been up around my waist was dropped to my hips where, to be honest, I can always do with it. The colours of the insert matched perfectly, it really looked professional and had only taken an hour or so.
Now I don’t just like that dress, I love it.
As a class, we bonded and everyone was warm and friendly. We learnt how to fit clothes to each other and whenever something new came up we’d gather round and learn together. And the facilities at Venn School of Tailoring are cosy and inviting so a cup of tea and a chat was as important as the sewing (just don’t spill it on your work...).
I’ve definitely saved money by making the most out of my own clothes rather than buying new ones and now I know how to look at all kinds of garment with the aim of altering them to fit in mind.
The dangers of attending a class at the Sewing School? Other people in your life are too interested. Beware – they have an ulterior motive. Within weeks you’ll find friends and family mentioning a zip that needs replacing or the hem that’s coming down on their skirt. Perhaps you should suggest that they need to go on a course to learn how to fix it!
29-04-13
Tags:
alterations, cardiff, classes, clothes, sewing, tailor, venn
