Do you have lovely outfits that you can’t wear? Special fabrics in your stash that deserve to be worn? A wardrobe full of clothes but have nothing to wear? Or, you would love a capsule wardrobe? Or even need to upstyle your home decor? or maybe, you need to find out more about dyeing, sewing buttons, replacing zips, darning, reinforcing or patching your jeans, adjusting a hemline, or, creating some exciting embellishements!

Bring your clothes that are dated, wrong-sized, hand-me-downs, op shop bargains, family treasures, or just need mending! And any great fabrics too. Bring your ideas and dreams. Using hand and machine sewing methods and visible and invisible techniques, with just a little guidance and practice you will breathing new life into your clothes and on the way to having a wardrobe you will be proud of.

This is a fun class, which will partly follow what you, as an individual, need to work on, and will partly focus on learning new techniques, and ways to use them. Additionally, there will be a group project, so that everyone is included, in addition to your personal project.

Course Outine:

If you have a garment (or something else) that would benefit from a major revamp, or you will create from scratch out of your stash, that will be your individual major project. Benefit from support with your designing and sewing, plus help with simple pattern alterations will be available.

For your garments that need repairs, we will be covering different techniques, both hand and machine, visible and invisible techniques.

For the Group Project, the class will collectively choose the project. Previous classes have made for example, poppies for Anzac Day, small garments to be donated to charities and wreaths.

Learning Outcomes:

By using a combination of hand and machine sewing methods and visible and invisible techniques, you will have increased confidence in giving your clothes a new lease of life. You will be on the way to having a wardrobe with stylish unique creations that you can be proud of.

Techniques that may be covered, depending on their relevance to the projects underway are: hand sewing, (Buttons, darning, zips, patching, reinforcing etc) sashiko, basic embroidery, machine sewing, simple small-framed weaving, crochet for mending and embellishment, felting.

We will also look at styles and colours for individuals. What styles will work best with what figures, and colour palettes for individuals.

What to bring:

Make a kit up yourself:

• Various needles, such as hand sewing (sharps) embroidery (crewels) and tapestry
• Snippers, rippers and fabric scissors
• Assorted threads, such as machine sewing, and if relevant to your projects, embroidery and thicker yarns, such as fine crochet and tapestry (You may find some treasures at The Sewing Basket shops)
• Pins
• Small embroidery hoop
• You are welcome to bring your own sewing machine (if using College machines you can only use Gutterman thread)
• For darning projects, an orange can often be substituted for a darning mushroom
• Depending on your plans, you may need buttons, zips etc

About the tutor:

'I was fascinated by sewing from an early age. It wasn’t long before I was creating uniquely individual garments that were much admired. When at University, I worked alongside a bridal and special occasion dressmaker for many years. Along the way I was growing to love how colour and patterns effected designs in everyday life.

I have been teaching all my life and I enjoy sharing and helping people to forge ahead on their individual creative journeys. I am there to support them as they create new experiences & explore their own creativity for themselves. It is a magical experience.

After years of teaching, I returned to my first love and completed a Cert III and a Diploma in Fashion & Technology at Tafe. I also completed the Tafe courses in Creating Costumes, Upcycling and Making Wearable Art. I have now undertaken extensive study in Fashion Psychology and enjoy helping individuals in private session to make more of their lives, and benefiting from that, by understanding what will bring empowerment to their lives, simple through what they wear and how they wear it.

I have been teaching Upcycling for two years, and what I really love is the joy that students have when they realise they can do it and have crafted their own individualised creative clothes not only to wear, but to be proud of.'' Elissa

Other Information:

• To ensure resources are ready for you at the start of your course, we ask you ideally enrol at least one week before the course commences.
• All courses need a minimum number of students to run ("we try our hardest to get those") . If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled prior to the commencement and you will be informed.