Garment Sewing Academy
Feel confident sewing your own clothes with our beginner-friendly capsule wardrobe
What is GSA?
Garment Sewing Academy is for folks who want to try sewing their own clothes but are nervous about getting started and about creating clothes that actually fit.
Inside this course, Hillary and HollyAnne will teach you all the basics of sewing with woven fabrics (a traditional woven, twill, and rayon), garment sewing stitches and notions, the anatomy of a pattern, and how to successfully measure and fit your body for an outfit that makes you look and feel like a Rockstar!
Thanks, I made it!
Have you ever complimented someone wearing a cute outfit and had them respond, glowing, “Thanks, I made it!”
Maybe afterward you thought, “Wow, I wish I could do that.” Or, “Wow, I wonder if my clothes could help me feel that confident!” Or maybe you dream of attending DragonCon or HolMat in a completely me-made cosplay.
Great news: Garment Sewing Academy is here to give you the foundation to make that dream come true!
We’ve put together a specific, guided, step-by-step plan for creating your first capsule wardrobe so you can look, and feel, like a Garment Sewing Rockstar!
Join Our Next Cohort
Just like our quilting courses, we’ve designed Garment Sewing Academy to be an adventure we take together.
You’ll be able to enroll for the tuition price of $227 USD for lifetime access to the course. Fabric and other materials are sold separately through our course kit.
At the end of Garment Sewing Academy, you will feel confident sewing garments with woven fabrics, you’ll have a finished capsule wardrobe, and you’ll be ready to continue growing your skills to make more outfits!
Garment Sewing Academy is the first course of its kind that:
Offers ongoing access to the instructor so you never feel alone or stuck. You’ll get quick help on live onlie Q&A sessions.
While the lessons are pre-recorded, we also believe real-time or nearly real time feedback is important. Inside the course community group, we host live Q&A sessions throughout the course so we can help you overcome any hurdles each step of the way.
Connects you to other rockstars-in-training around the world so you can help and encourage each other.
While it can be difficult to learn something new while sitting next to a stranger, it is also valuable to learn in community. The course community allows you to get to know and share your work with your fellow Rockstars-in-Training so you never feel alone as you learn.
Is ready when you are, regardless of geography or time zone, with on demand, prerecorded video lessons.
Whether you live around the globe from me, have a day job, work nights, have kids at home that make your schedule irregular, or anything else, the meat of this course is pre-recorded, so you can watch it whenever you want! Plus, once you purchase, you have access forever, to watch and rewatch as often as you want or need.
Garment Sewing Academy will re-open for enrollment on September 28, 2023!
A peek inside the course:
Signing up for Garment Sewing Academy includes lifetime access to the following lessons as well as free upgrades as we continue to expand and finesse the course
Unit 1: Introduction & Orientation
From the get go, we’re going to answer some of your most pressing questions: what supplies will we use? What is all that information on the pattern envelope? What’s the difference between all these fabrics? By the end of these videos, you’ll feel more confident with garment sewing lingo and supplies and eager to start stitching
Unit 2: Sew a Woven Top (Closet Core Cielo, View A)
Reach for that most basic weave fabric and join Hillary as she takes you step by step through sewing your Ceilo top, from preparing your pattern pieces, to cutting your fabric, to piecing the top, to all the finishing details.
Unit 3: Sew Woven Shorts (Closet Core Pietra, View C)
Once again, we will work step by step through our pattern, making the Pietra short with lightweight twill. Hillary will show you each step, including introducing the skill of working with elastic.
Unit 4: Sew a Drapey Woven Top (Closet Core Nicks, Top View B)
Finally, we’ll complete our capsule wardrobe by sewing a Nicks top step by step and learning how to sew with drapey rayon and learning about sewing buttons.
PLUS, lifetime access to all of the above and free upgrades as we continue to expand and finesse the course.
Huzzah!
Enrollment will re-open from Sep 28 to Oct 9, 2023
You’ll get the course, the community group, and the LIVE Q&As!
(Supply kit sold separately.)
FAQ
What is included in the course kit?
We want to set you up for success as you start your garment sewing journey.Our course kit is valued at $240+ USD and incudes:
Closet Core Cielo Pattern (size 0-20, optional)
Closet Core Pietra Pattern (size 0-20, optional)
Closet Core Nicks Pattern (size 0-20, optional)
1 large spool of Aurifil 40 wt Thread
1 large spool of Aurifil 50 wt Thread
3.5 yards of Ruby Star Society Twill (enough for 1-2 pairs of shorts or one pair of trousers)
2 yards of basic woven (Fableism Camp Gingham or Everyday Chambray)
2.5 yards FIGO rayon
One bottle of SOAK brand Flatter pressing spray
SOAK garment wash Sampler
1/2 yard interfacing
2 yards Elastic (2" wide)
5 buttons
String & Story branded tote
IMPORTANT: Printed patterns are available for size 0-20 only. For size 14-32, please purchase the PDF patterns separately through Closet Core. PDF Patterns are also available for sizes 0-20.
closetcorepatterns.com
Will I get to choose my fabrics?
Yes! We have curated fabric options for each pattern as part of the kit. You will select a fabric for each garment to build your custom capsule wardrobe.
What kind of sewing machine do I need?
These videos are filmed on a bernette b79 sewing machine and b68 serger. You need a sewing machine that has a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch. A serger is optional
Is this class for me if I’ve never sewn garments before?
YES! This class is for Rockstars who have never sewing garments at all as well as Rockstars who have experimented a bit with mixed results. We’re here to give you the foundational knowledge and skills you need on your way to becoming a Garment Sewing Rockstar!
When will the videos be available?
New students will be added to Kajabi shortly after enrollment ends. One unit will release per week for four weeks, so you can get your wardrobe done before you know it!
Are these patterns size inclusive?
Yes! We have paper patterns for sizes 0-20, and Rockstars needing sizes 14-32 will be directed to purchase the PDF. The yardage in your kit will be adjusted if necessary to make sure you have everything you need to succeed at making garments that fit your body and help you feel like a Rockstar!
How will I access the Garment Sewing Academy Course?
Like our quilting courses, we will utilize Kajabi as our classroom portal. Our course community will also be hosted inside Kajabi. You will have lifetime access to the course after enrollment, including free updates when we professionally film it later.
What time of day will the videos happen?
Garment Sewing Academy videos are pre-recorded and will be released at approximately 12pm EST on the scheduled day. Q&A sessions will start shortly after enrollment closes and will be hosted on Wednesdays at 12pm EST for four weeks.
Join Garment Sewing Academy
We are so excited to watch you become a true Garment Sewing Rockstar!
You’ll learn all the basics of sewing with woven fabrics (a traditional woven, twill, and rayon), garment sewing stitches and notions, the anatomy of a pattern, and how to successfully measure and fit your body for an outfit that makes you look and feel like a Rockstar!