Hand-Sewing for Couture and Bespoke Fashion

If you are looking for work in couture fashion, bridal-wear, millinery, bespoke tailoring or theatre costume production, perfect hand sewing skills are essential.

Starting with a simple running stitch and working on a series of projects designed to help students perfect their skills and build up speed, this beginners course will focus on creating a reference book of hand sewn samples to add to a portfolio of work.

Stitches taught on this course include:

• Even basting, irregular basting and diagonal basting
• Back stitch, stab stitch, prick stitch and saddle stitch
• Chain stitch, blanket stitch and buttonhole stitch
• Herringbone and slip stitch
• Overcast and whip stitch
• Tailor tacks and thread marks

Finished samples will include:

• A stitch chart
• A blind hem, bound hem and rolled hem
• Tailored hem, tailored button and button hole
• Shirt buttons and other fasteners
• Covered button
• Bound button hole
• Hand stitched zipper

Other topics covered include:

• How to present stitch samples
• Transfer dart positions from pattern to fabric
• Make a gathered ribbon flower
• Make a pin cushion
• Make a miniature petticoat; UK size 12 reduced to ¼ scale
• How to attach gathers to a waistband
• Hand-neaten seams
• Prepare and stitch tucks, pin tucks and shell tucks

By the end of the course students will have produced a 'tool of the trade' pin cushion, a series of hand stitched samples and a portfolio size calico petticoat decorated in tucks, pin-tucks and shell-tucks.

Students will be expected to practice their hand-stitching between lessons, so please allow time to do this.

Entry requirements: None

Level: Beginners

For more information please view /central-saint-martins/#hand-sewing

Please note: This course is for students aged 18 and older