Thursday, November 17, 2011

Sewing Groupon Alert!


I think most of you who visit my blog are probably too advanced for a beginner class, but I thought I'd alert you anyway! Groupon is offering a deal on a Two-Hour Beginner-Basics Sewing Class Including Materials for One or Two at The Sewing Studio (Up to 57% Off). Maybe there is a new or budding sewista or sewister in your life that would like this for Christmas?

Click here for the deets!  

Oh, and I have no affiliation with either Groupon or The Sewing Studio. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

$35 is a good price, and about what a session like that is worth. It's worth exploring for a beginner.

But if you are a New York State resident and really want to learn to sew, the best, most economical way is to sign up for a semester-long evening sewing class at the Fashion Institute of Technology at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street.

In addition to the classes, which are taught by people who have professional experience and usually are at least 2 1/2 hours long, you get access to workrooms with machines and cutting tables after hours, free tutoring, and can rent a locker for $10 a term. The classes are much more rigorous and the vibe is different from many private classes because many of the students want to work in the industry or have experience. You can borrow books and DVDs from the FIT Library, use their 24-hour computer center, and get certain student discounts on things like software and at stores. Sometimes the teachers come well in advance of the class and/or stay late to help you.

The basic sewing class for Menswear, which I recommend for anyone without experience, is MW 142. It's structured so as to give students a lot of practice. Sewing is done on industrial machines because they make a better stitch. You make a man's shirt, which requires a lot of precise preparation and sewing to look good.

The basic sewing class for Fashion Design is FD 131. This is also an excellent class, but they cover more. It's nice to have the foundation of MW 142 if you're new to sewing.

My sole connection to FIT is as a person who's taken classes there. I have taken classes offered by private companies in the past, although not the Sewing Studio. I also once took a class at Parsons, which was much more expensive and the teaching and access to facilities were not comparable to those at FIT, at least in the continuing ed classes.