Slow Fashion Sewing MAY Series: ADULT Beginners

Do you find it difficult to find clothes that fit your unique body shape, clothes that last the distance as you'd expect, or in the materials you desire?

At The ReDress Hub, we're here to help you on your journey to be more 'circular' with your clothing choices, avoid or reduce the consumption of fast-fashion, and clothing and textile waste and just basically keep your clothes in use for longer. Having clothes that fit you properly, are made to last and from fabrics you enjoy wearing, are some key reasons why people do hang onto their clothes and can wear them for decades and not just weeks or even days.

This series of four workshops has been specially designed for ADDULT BEGINNERS, to assist you on your circular clothing journey, so you can start to create your own handmade 'slow-fashion' clothes and contribute to the global circular clothing movement.

The amazing Kirsty Mate will be your workshop facilitator, guiding you over the four days from how to choose fabric, read, mark, and cut out a pattern right through to constructing and finishing a garment for you to proudly wear at the end of the course.

The Slow Fashion Sewing Series includes:

• Week 1: Patterns and Fabric ( how to read a dressmaking pattern and chose fabrics, laying out a pattern on fabric, pinning, marking and cutting out).
• Week 2: Construction Fundamentals (seams, stay stitching, facing and under-stitching).
• Week 3: Garment Construction (how to insert sleeves and add pockets)
• Week 4: Finishing (hemming and/or casing)

***

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is suitable for all beginners, 18 years and over who know how to use a sewing machine. (If you are younger than 18 our Slow Fashion Series for young beginners is offered regularly)

We recommend completing our free workshop Understanding your Sewing Machine if you haven't used a machine before, and practice using the machine before attending this course.

What am I going to make?

We have selected patternS suitable for beginners for you to start learning the skills of sewing your own garments.

You can choose between making a stylish and practical long-sleeved T-shirt or hoodie or a sweet summery ruffled or pleated dress (scroll down to see pictures).

****

How do I book?

Choose the first date of the Series and book selecting the Series Workshop ticket.

****

What do I bring?

All materials (including your pattern) and equipment (including sewing machines) are supplied for this workshop except for your fabric (as we're pretty confident you'd like to choose your own style).

You will also need:

• matching thread for your fabric - choose a quality thread like Guttermans, as this is the material that holds your garment together!

Optional but desirable:

• dressmakers scissors to complete cutting out your garment after Week 1 from home.
• dressmaking pins

We will also supply you with a small notebook to write notes as you progress.

Fabric selection:

When you book we will ask you to take some of your body measurements (so have a tape measure handy!) so we know what size pattern to supply for you in Week 1 and recommend how much fabric to purchase.

We will email you with the fabric details ASAP, as you will need to bring your fabric to your first workshop, to start cutting out the pattern.

Fabric purchase options:

We recommend for your first garment not buying expensive fabric, and if you can source cheaper upcycled or remnant fabrics. We highly recommend making this from a doona cover if you'd like to make the dress. Any bed size is suitable.

We also have a large range of beautiful upcycled and remnant fabrics at The ReDress Hub for you to choose from. You may like to check these out before your class and before you purchase material through traditional retail stores, as you may just find what you're looking for. You will find our fabrics also very reasonably priced, generally between $3.50-8.00/m and as a workshop participant, you will receive a further 50% discount.

Generally, for the long T or hoodie, you will need between 2.3 meters of 115cm wide fabric, or 1.4m of 140cm wide fabric depending on your size for the long-sleeved T-Shirt or body of the hoodie and an additional 0.85m (115cm ) or 0.70m (140cm) to add the hood. This will be different for sizes over (women's) 18.

For the dress this will also depend on the version you choose but generally you will need between 2.4 - 3 meters of 115cm wide fabric, or 1.9-2.2m of 150cm wide fabric depending on your size and dress style. If you want the long sleeve and long length style add about another meter.

Using a sewing machine:

For this series of workshops, you will need to know the basics of using a sewing machine. However, if you haven't used a sewing machine before, please attend one of our free, Understanding your Sewing Machine workshops we hold regularly. See here for details: Understanding your sewing machine

While The ReDress Hub has perfect sewing machines for your needs, you are also welcome to bring your own sewing machine to use in these workshops. Please let us know if this is something you'd like to do.

****

Where do I go?

We're excited to be able to run our workshops face-to-face in our beautifully designed space.

The ReDress Hub is located at:

Shop 4, Quadrant Plaza, 94 York St, Launceston, Tasmania.

You can find us just behind Toyworld :)

Super handy access to parking in the Care CarPark next door, as well as disabled parking directly across from us, with great cafes close by to fuel you up for all your workshop needs.

****

What if I don't feel well?

If you have been or could have been exposed to COVID19 through travel or a close contact, please consider your attendance and or wearing a mask at the event.

If you have any symptoms and don't feel well please don't attend your workshop and get in touch with us for more details.

****

More information or questions...?

For further information about The ReDress Hub please check out our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ReDressHub

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, our best contact is redress.circularclothing@gmail.com or reach out via our social media.

****

We hope to see you at The ReDress Hub soon!

This is one of the patterns you can choose to make in this class. This can be changed to several different versions you see here and by changing the fabric can be a T-shirt or a jumper. It is suitable for all genders but some pattern versions may not be suitable for an absolute beginner - ie never sewn anything before.

This is the other pattern you can choose to make - with several different versions. Below is the pleated version with ruffled sleeves worn and made by Kirsty from a former doona cover that cost $6 from City Mission.

Another t-shirt style to choose from - this can be worn fitted or loosely.

Kirsty Máté is a professional designer, educator and artist with a passion for sustainability and design as well as for clothing.

With over 30 years of experience in sustainable design, you could say she is a pioneer. Her career in design has crossed many disciplines including architecture, interior design, textiles design, exhibition design, and performance art; has taken her around the world and into a successful career in academia as well as industry. She is widely published and has exhibited her work in both design and art.

As the founder and business owner of The ReDress Hub, Kirsty is also passionate about creating more sustainable forms of clothing and fashion.

She is excited to be able to teach this beginner workshop on how to create new clothes and how these skills can advance us towards a slow and circular approach to clothing.