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Making Clothes with an Overlocker

  • The Stitchery 24 Sandyford Place Glasgow, Scotland, G3 7NG United Kingdom (map)

6 Week Course // Mondays, 6:30pm-9:00pm // Cost: £175 (includes pattern) + fabrics // Level: Growing Beginner + Onwards // Instructor: Susie Haigh, Designer, Podnip // Pattern Selection Guide

Learn how to make your own clothing and get a professional looking finish on an overlocker. 

Making your own clothes is about learning to BE YOURSELF: Choosing your own fabric; fitting it to your own unique body; expressing your own unique style. And in this 6-week course we'll be showing you how to make your own clothing on an overlocker: that bizarre looking machine that actually gives you a professional looking finish on your garments.

An overlocker (also known as a Serger in North America) is a sewing machine dedicated to the purpose of the Overlock Stitch. The stitch you will find on the inside of almost any piece of hi-street clothing. It's the ubiquitous stitch for quick and neat seaming, hemming, or edging. And the overlocker comes in particularly handy when sewing with comfortable knit/stretch fabrics, such as jersey. Most of the patterns available for this course are suitable for knit/stretch, and working with this type of fabric will be a focus for learning. 

The course is led by Tricia Collins, one of Glasgow's premier instructors on this topic. The techniques she'll be covering will include:

  • Choosing and working with knit fabric - stretch, recovery, grain, and stability
  • Overlocker basics
  • Basic fitting and adjustments - lengthening and shortening
  • Bust adjustments on patterns without darts
  • Stabilisers, knit interfacing and using elastic tape
  • Pattern matching
  • Applying binding, neckbands, and cuffs (quartering)
  • Hems and topstiching - Coverlocker machine.
  • Buttonholes
  • Sewing with knit fabrics on a domestic machine (this will be a option for those who prefer)

Skill Level & Our Studio

This is a Growing Beginner level course, which means it's suitable for those who already have a basic understanding of making garments - having made at least one garment. Anyone who's already taken our Making Clothes for Beginners Course, or something similar/more advanced, should be fine.

If you own one, we recommend that you bring your own overlocker machine. If not, there are some available for use at the studio. And if you miss a class or two, there are opportunities to catch up through our Sunday Sewing Sessions. 

Outcomes

  • A basic understanding of how to use an overlocker, including various kinds of stitches, threads, and techniques.  
  • A specific understanding of how to use an overlocker to give your clothes a professional finish. 
  • An item of clothing made by you, to fit your body and in the fabric and style of your choice.
  • A sample book, made by you and full of the techniques you've learned as part of the course. Use this for future reference. 

Choosing Your Pattern

When you come to book your place, you'll be asked to select the garment you would like to make during this course. Take a look at our Pattern Selection Guide to help you decide. If you're not sure, just get in touch to discuss it with us. 

Booking Your Place

To book your place on this course, please use our online booking system below. You can pay a deposit or, if you prefer, pay the full course amount. Please familiarise yourself with our Terms & Conditions before making your booking. 

You can pay by PayPal or any major debit/credit card.  NOTE: You do not need a PayPal account to make a booking. Simply click on the link which says "pay with a debit or credit card". It looks like this. 

Optional Sewing Kits

When you come to book your place online, you'll be given the opportunity to add a Stitchery Sewing Kit to your basket. These are also available to order from our studio or the Student Resource section at a later date.

The kits include everything you'll need in terms of basic tools. And it's important to know that we've chosen only high quality sewing products. Many of the kits available on the market contain low quality products, that don't last, and actually don't work all that well either. But all of the products in this kit come recommended by us, and are of good quality. Each kit includes: 

Each kit is £45, or £55 with the inclusion of the Makers Workbook. This is a handy journal, specifically designed for jotting down important information about your sewing projects.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions please have a look at our FAQs page. We also recommend reading the relevant page on our Student Resource Page, where you can find useful insights on the course structure and what supplies you'll need to bring to class (Note: If you don't see your course info up yet, don't panic, we'll have it up with enough time to get your supplies together before the course starts).

If you don't find your answer in either of these places, then please feel free to contact us. 

Earlier Event: December 10
Christmas Pop-up Shop
Later Event: January 10
Making Clothes for Beginners