Hand-Sewing for Couture and Bespoke Fashion Short Course
Course description
Course overview
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 you perfect your 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.
Who this course is for
This course is suitable for anyone interested in developing hand-sewing skills for couture and bespoke fashion, regardless of prior experience. Beginners are welcome, as are those looking to expand existing knowledge.
Key information
Topics covered
- How to make a 'tool of the trade' pin cushion
- How to make a stitch chart
- Make hem, button and buttonhole samples
- Hand stitch a zipper
- Transfer dart positions from pattern to fabric
- Present finished samples in a reference book
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
- Shirt buttons and other fasteners
- Covered button
- Hand stitched zipper
Learning outcomes
- Familiarity with a range of hand stitching skills
- Gain insights into what hand stitching skills are used for
- Boost confidence to teach yourselves more
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
- Notebook and pencil
- Pair of small sharp scissors
- Selection of household needles
- Spool of white thread
- Thimble
Tutor
Rowena Luke-King
Rowena Luke-King has had an extremely diverse career in design and design education. She has worked as a textile designer, a trend forecaster, colour consultant and vintage swatch researcher for leading design studios in both London and New York.
She has produced her own garment collections, accessories, hand printed fabrics, greetings cards and wrapping papers for several stores including the legendary Fiorucci. She has worked as a stylist to the music industry creating bespoke stage clothes and props featured in magazines such as The Face. Tour clothes that she made for Adam Ant were exhibited in the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Alongside her career in design Rowena has taught at foundation and degree level for several art colleges and universities, and for the United Nations Development Program at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in India. She teaches several short courses at Central Saint Martins and was recently chosen by the V&A Academy to develop and teach the 'pilot' for their online practical courses. https://www.rowenalukeking.com/
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