Our Classes

Please let us know which wait list you want.  Please include class and time if applicable.

Give the gift of creativity!  

Buy a gift certificate for the apparel designer in your life.

Certificates are mailed within one week of receipt of check and sent in a decorative Portland Sewing envelope.  Let us know if you'd rather pick it up at Portland Sewing instead.

Suggestions:

$30 -- Gives you three hours of Rehab or Pattern Lab

$35 -- Gives you a one-hour private lesson

$99 -- Gives you one level (12 hours of class time) of Learn to Sew or Beginning Sewing.  Includes pattern and handouts!

$169 -- Gives you one level (18 hours of class time) of any Intermediate Sewing class such as knits, jackets, shirts, pants, jeans, menswear, leatherworking and more. Includes pattern and handouts!

$199 -- Gives you one level (18 hours of class time) of any Advanced class such as patternmaking, draping, couture, tailoring!

$300 -- Gives you enough to buy a dress form or some models of sewing machines!

Have another amount in mind?  Send an e-mail to info@portlandsewing.com and we'll make special arrangements for you.

Be sure to tell us your name and e-mail plus the name, address (street, city, state, zip) and e-mail for your loved one.

Gift certificates are good for one year from date of purchase and are redeemable for Portland Sewing classes and items from the Portland Sewing supply store.

Portland Sewing Memberships

Monday-Saturday, 1-6 pm (Starts January 7)

with design coaches Cindy Persson and Kattie Louie

Take patternmaking then use Portland Sewing as your creative space with your PS membership.

Use Portland Sewing as your creative space.  Become a Portland Sewing member for just $150/month.  Take the prerequisite classes* to get qualified, then get access to our:

-- Large pattern tables

-- Professional dress forms

-- Home sewing machines and sergers

-- Knitting machines

-- Industrial machines.

Our design coaches are there to answer your questions and keep you on the path to success.

Want to take your ideas from other classes to the next step?  Need help creating your clothing collection?  Then try Advanced Pattern and Construction.  For one-on-one help, sign up for a Private Lesson.

* Prerequisite classes include:

-- Apparel Construction Series

-- Patternmaking Intro

-- Draping

-- Industrial Machine Sewing

-- Knitting by Machine

Complete your projects in Rehab.

Rehab (Open Sewing): Saturdays, 10 am-1 pm.  

$10/hour:  Buy a class or buy a card of 6 for $50 — a $10 discount!

Confess!  You have:

-- Projects you’ve never finished.

-- Projects you never started.

-- A simple alteration you need to fix.

-- A favorite garment you'd like to copy.

Face your fears and get professional help!  Make patterns fit you before you cut out your fabric.  Bring in your latest project or those UFOs (unfinished objects!). Get help with difficult garment construction techniques or patternmaking projects that have you stuck.
You must register at least 24 hours before attending.  Let us know your project.   Thanks!

Rehab is priced per person per hour.

No Rehab Memorial Day or July 4 weekends.

Private lessons

Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays, 1-5 pm

$35/hour/person
Have a special sewing project where you need expert help? Have a new sewing machine or serger and don’t know how to use it? Need a one-on-one session to learn or brush up on fashion design, draping, patternmaking or illustration skills?

Then private lessons are for you.

All sessions are one-on-one with the appropriate experienced apparel professionals.

You must register at least 24 hours before attending.  Book your spot now! Just let us know which Friday or Saturday, what time, the project you have in mind and, if you’re learning a machine, the make and model of your machine when you register.

No private lessons Memorial Day or July 4 weekends.

Apparel Business Consultations

Tuesday-Friday, 1-6 pm; Saturdays 1-2 pm

$35/hour

Need advice for your apparel business?  Need help with product development and refining your product ideas?  Need help finding the right sources for your fabric and labor?

Then consultations are for you.

All sessions are one-on-one with the appropriate experienced apparel professionals.  Thanks to our non-disclosure policy, your ideas are safe with us.

You must register at least 24 hours before attending.  Book your spot now! Just let us know which day, what time, the business needs you have in mind.

No  consultations Memorial Day or July 4 weekends.

Learn to create garments on a professional dress form.

Draping on a professional dress form with Adam Andreas, product developer for Leslie Jordan

Mondays, April 15-July 8, 6-9 pm 

$219  per  6-week class or take the 12-week series  for $429.  Includes pattern papers, notebook and handouts.

As seen on Project Runway, learn how to work with fabric on a dress form to turn your fashion ideas into real garments.  Arrange your fabric into folds, twists and style lines to create dresses, tops, skirts, coats and daring necklines.  We provide the dress forms.  But in the first session, you will find out where to buy a good quality, inexpensive dress form, alter it to your size and how to put on style lines — so you can start designing your ideas!

Draping - Intro

Draping 1: Mondays, April 15-May 20, 6-9 pm

Learn the fundamentals of draping as a method of designing garments and a patternmaking alternative.  Work on a professional dress form to create bodices, skirts, and dresses.  Transfer the drape to a paper pattern. Required pre-requisites: Patternmaking Intro.

Draping 2: Mondays, June 3-July 8, 6-9 pm.

Expand on techniques learned in Draping I.  Learn to drape asymmetrical designs, bias and cowl necklines and knit fabric.  Create your own designs.  Prerequisite: Draping 1.

For more, visit Advanced Draping

Class policies

Perfect Shirt

 Tuesdays, May 28-July 2, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm

$159 + $10 kit fee for pattern and handouts.

Make a classic shirt suitable for a man or woman. First, learn to adjust patterns to fit. Then learn techniques from the garment industry for perfect cuffs, collars, collar bands and pockets.

Prerequisite: Beginning Sewing

Adam Andreas teaches assymetric designs in Advanced Draping.

Advanced Draping

Tuesdays, May 28-July 2, 6-9 pm

Knowing how to make a technical package can land you a job.

Flats & Technical Packages

Thursdays, May 30 - July 11, 6-9 pm

$219 for six weeks

No class Thursday, July 4.

Create computer-generated production packages consisting of costing analysis, size specifications, construction standards, materials and production methods with front, back and side flats of all your garments. Each week, you'll translate an illustration to a flat with a spec package. A must for anyone wanting to enter the apparel profession, to work for major apparel companies and to work with production sewing companies.

Prerequisite: Fashion Design, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

Part of Apparel Certificate and Fashion Forward programs

Class policies

Shoemaking with Jennifer Holcomb, Art Institute

Thursdays, May 30-July 11, 6-9 pm

No class Thursday, July 4.

$189  + $60 kit fee ($249)

At last!  A shoemaking class for fashionable shoes in Portland -- one that you can afford!

Learn to design and construct a pair of flat leather sandals.  The class will evaluate market trends in footwear, and each student will develop their own sandal design from inspiration.  Students will translate their design into flat patterns, in addition to creating a pattern of their own foot.  Then students will follow a step-by-step process of constructing and finishing their own sandal design.  Prerequisites:  Beginning Sewing, Leatherworking 1

Petticoats with Sharon Blair, BA, MA, PAA

Thursdays, May 30-June 13, 6-9 pm

$129, includes sample fabrics + $10 kit fee for pattern & handouts

Learn couture techniques from the design houses of Paris as you learn how to layer organza, tulle, net and batiste and eyelet properly to make a petticoat for your wedding dress, party dress or for fun!

Sew stretchy technical fabrics without fear.

Intermediate Sewing: Activewear & Performance Fabrics

Fridays, May 31-July 12, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm

No class Friday, July 5.

$159 or $299 if combined with Intermediate: Knits + $10 kit fee for pattern and handouts

Use your patterns from your Pattern 4 class or use one of ours.  Learn to sew and fit high-tech stretchy fabric to make a complete ensemble, ready for action.  Start with hoodies.  Move on to yoga pants:  Comfortable pants to wear to the gym or shopping, high-rise or low-rise.  Finish with a sports bra.  Learn the right materials and stitches to use.

Prerequisite:  Beginning sewing or equivalent

Just want to let you know how much I enjoyed the activewear class. I learned so much, and have two new garments to wear. . . .leads me to greater appreciation of the work the Nike designers do. -- Deb, Fall 2012

Patternmaking 4 (Knits & Stretch)

with instructor Sharon Blair, BA, MA, PAA

$319 or $599 if combined with Pattern 3 (Garment Design). Includes pattern papers, handouts

Fridays, May 31- July 12, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm

No class Friday, July 5.

Everybody wears knits.  So try your hand at making patterns for knits. Use the slopers you made in Patternmaking 1 and create new ones. Make tops, dresses, sweaters, activewear — including raglan sleeve hoodies — bras and swimsuits.  Learn how to adjust your patterns for different kinds of knits.  Patterns can be used for stretch fabrics too.

If you’ve taken Intermediate Sewing: Knits & Performance Fabrics, you’ll find yourself making the the pattern, cutting and sewing then wearing that garment to class the next week!

Prerequisites: Patternmaking 1 & 2

Class policies

Create an Apparel Business Plan

Six Saturdays, June 1-July 13, 10 am-1 pm, $229

No class Saturday, July 6.

Instructor:  Sharon Blair, owner/director of Portland Sewing

Writing a business plan might sound daunting, but it is a critical foundation for a strong business.  Writing the plan yourself gives you a fundamental grasp of your product and your market and better equips you to sell your ideas to lenders.  This hands on class will walk you through writing your own business plan.  Every week you will complete different sections of your business plan including Excel spreadsheets for your financial section -- the very thing lenders want to see.  Learn from people who have written successful business plans.  Get your financing and get on the path to your dreams.

Just Pockets

June 1, 2-5 pm, $48

Before you add a pocket to your favorite garment.  Before you sew another skirt, shirt, pant or jacket.  Take this class.  Perfect your pocket-making skills from patch to slash and side seam to cargo to double and single welt pockets.  Learn to add buttonholes, button loops and other closures to your pocket.

Learn the professional way to make patterns for commercial or personal use.

Introduction to Patternmaking Series (Pattern 1&2) 

Wednesdays, April 17-July 10, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm (Sorry, Pattern 1 is full.  Please click here to get on the wait list.)

After these classes, you will be ready to design clothes — for yourself or others.  You will have patterns that fit and you’ll be able to turn it into innumerable designs for skirts, shirts and blouses, dresses and pants.

Take the whole 13-week series  for $725 or $389 for Pattern 1, $359  for Pattern 2. Series includes pattern papers and textbook “Building Patterns” by Suzy Furrer and special handouts.

Patternmaking 1, Wednesdays, April 17-May 29, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm   (Sorry, Pattern 1 is full.  Please sign up for the morning session or click here to get on the wait list.)

Draft slopers made to your measurements.  Start with a torso sloper that you can use for dresses, jackets and coats.  Create a bodice sloper for blouses and shirts.  Go to sleeves.  Then create a skirt sloper.  Finish with pants.  Prerequisite: Beginning sewing, experience with commercial patterns.

Open to all makes and models of sergers.

Use your serger:  The Sergery Series

$89 each or $165 for both

Sergery 1: Basic Serger Techniques.  Saturdays, June 8-22, 2-5 pm

Find out all your serger can do. Learn the parts of your serger, how to thread and manage the tensions and how to trouble-shoot problems while creating a book of techniques — from overlock to flatlock and rolled edge — in the first class. Serge a patchwork tote in the second class, a knit top in the third.

Sergery 2: More Serger Techniques/DecoSerging.  Saturdays, July 20-Aug 3, 2-5 pm

Your serger is an awesome machine! Discover all the wonderful ways to use it. Add to your book of sample techniques. Create blocks of DecoSerging with flatlock, rolled edge, heirloom, beading, ruffling and other techniques.  Learn how to use specialty threads.  The blocks you create will be suitable for a lap quilt, pillows, totes -- or just for fun and practice.

Make a tote with 4-thread overlock in one session.

Pattern Magic Patternmaking

with Terri Spaeth-Merrick

Tuesdays, June 11-July 16, 6-9 pm, $199

Using concepts from Tomoko
Nakamichi—"Pattern Magic", Shingo Sato—"Transformational Reconstruction" and
others we will explore experiments in pattern making and draping. Starting with
muslin samples you will try-out the various methods of these designers. You will then
move on to creating either finished samples, garment or other item using one or multiple versions of
the techniques. This class requires previous pattern making and draping experience and some work outside of class.

Class policies

Fashion Design:  Fashion Sketching and Illustration

with Jennifer Baggett, Art Institute and art director for Fred Meyer

Both Fashion Design weekends for $429 or individual weekends for $219

Fashion Sketching

Saturday & Sunday, June 15 & 16, 8 am-2 pm 

Become a fashion artist & start thinking like one. Learn how to draw the fashion figure as a croquis. Get your fashion designs on paper so you can share your ideas with others. Draw face, hands and feet, hair; front, side and back views. Move the body. Put a garment on it. Create your own style. For your final project, you will bring it all together on a display board.

Fashion Illustration

Saturday & Sunday, June 22 & 23, 8 am-2 pm

Become a fashion design professional. You will create professional fashion illustrations suitable for a portfolio. Learn to use the latest tools of the fashion illustration trade. Learn to use markers and pens. Add skin tones and shading – giving your form definition and light. Add fabric textures and learn direction and drape. Finally, you will create designs on the figure and learn layout, background and composition. All this will lead to your final project: Laying out a collection. Prerequisite: Fashion Sketching

More Fashion Design! $219 per class:
Advanced Fashion Illustration: Saturday & Sunday, June 15-16, 2:30-7:30 pm.  Prerequisite:  Fashion Design
Men's Fashion Illustration:  Saturday & Sunday, June 22-23, 2:30-7:30 pm.  Prerequisite:  Fashion Design

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Illustration Lab:  Monday-Thursday, June 17-20, 6-9 pm.  $30/3-hours OR $110 for the week.  Prerequisite:  Fashion Design

Class policies.

If you’ve never or barely touched a machine, Learn to Sew is the one for you! If you’ve done some sewing but are a bit unsure about your skills or want a refresher and are ready to make apparel, then try Apparel Construction.

Learn to Sew

Mondays April 15-July 8, 6-9 pm OR

Wednesdays, April 17-July 3, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm. 

$89 each level or $259 for a series of 3 levels + $10/session kit fee for patterns/handouts. Each level lasts 4 weeks. Priced per person.

No class Memorial Day, Monday, May 27.

Learn to Sew 1. 
Learn to sew in this first level of beginning sewing. Bring your machine or rent one from us. Learn basic survival stitches — as well as the way professionals sew — while you make an apron. Sew quickly and painlessly. Learn to read and understand commercial patterns. No sewing experience is required. Includes pattern & handouts.

Mondays, April 15-May 6, 6-9 pm (Sorry, the level 1 Monday class is full.  Please sign up for one of the Wednesday classes.)

OR

Wednesdays, April 17-May 8, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm OR 2-5 pm

Learn to Sew 2
Improve on the skills you have learned in LTS 1 or sewing at home. You will make a robe with band, pockets and sash. Match your pockets and make them even. Learn the proper way to make a faced front. Work with large volumes of fabric and tricky layouts. Includes pattern & handouts. Prerequisite: LTS 1

Mondays, May 13-June 10, 6-9 pm OR

Wednesdays, May 15-June 12, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm

Learn to Sew 3
Make a comfy pajama top & drawstring pants. Sew buttons and buttonholes with your machine. Sew details right for real clothes that look like you bought them from a store, not made them at home. Find out the secrets of interfacing and elastic. Sew a professional pocket and collar. Includes pattern, handouts. Prerequisite: LTS 1 & 2

Mondays, June 17-July 8, 6-9 pm OR

Wednesdays, June 19-July 10, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm 

Don't have a sewing machine?  Rent one of our nice, new machines for $10/class meeting.  Apply your rent to owning to machine when you buy your machine from us.

"loving it!!  [This class] has inspired me to pursue something I've wanted to do for years... thanks" -- Jim

Kids & Teens Beginning  and Advanced Sewing - Ages 8 - 14

Mondays, April 15-July 8, 4-5:45 pm

$69 per level or $199 for the three beginning (Levels 1-3) classes together.  Priced per person.  +$5/level kit fee -- includes book "I Can Sew."

You will learn to sew! Become friends with a machine, learn basic stitches fearlessly, then go on to make clothes and gifts for yourself or your friends and family!

Want a class you can do together?  Then try Mommy & Me.

Level 1 - Pillowcase, drawstring bag and I-pod purse. Mondays, April 15-May 6, 4-5:45 pm
Get to know your sewing machine.  Learn all the parts, how to thread it and make a bobbin.  Sew straight lines and corners while making the perfect iPod purse.  We’ll make pillowcases for sleepovers or for a gift.  Then we'll make a drawstring tote bag, perfect for carrying books or carrying clothes for a sleepover.  No sewing experience is required.  Includes handouts.

Level 2 - PJ pants & embellished t-shirt. Mondays, May 13-June 10, 4-5:45 pm

Build on what you learned in Level 1.  Improve on your sewing skills and learn how to sew pull on elastic pajama pants, perfect for relaxing at home.  To coordinate with your PJ pants, we can embellish a ready-made t-shirt with leftover PJ fabric for a truly one of a kind outfit.  Includes pattern.  Prerequisite: Level 1 or private lessons.

Level 3 - Comfy robe. Mondays, June 17-July 8, 4-5:45 pm
Make fun seams and easy hems.  Learn about kimono sleeves and more complicated layouts.  Learn how to make belts and the proper way to sew seams.  Wear your outfit on spirit day or around the house or sleepovers.  Includes pattern.  Prerequisite:  Level 2

Kids & Teens Advanced Sewing

Learn how to sew hems.  Sew on elastic.  Add trims and sparklies.  Make your skirt one layer or several or add tiers.  Wear your new skirt home!

Level 5 - Pants.  Mondays, Mondays, June 17-July 8, 4-5:45 pm

Learn how to make belt loops, add a zipper and make pockets.  Make a fun tie belt to slide through your belt loops.

Looking for a project the two of you can do together?  Try Mommy & Me! $79/couple.  Saturdays, Feb 2 & 9, 2-5 pm

Class policies

Don't have a sewing machine?  Rent one of our nice, new machines for $10/class meeting.  Apply your rent to owning to machine when you buy your machine from us.

Mad for Plaid

Thursdays, June 20-July 11, 6-9 pm.

No class Thursday, July 4.

$129, includes sample fabrics & handouts.

Get the right plaid-itude.  Bring your pattern and learn to lay out, cut and sew garments with perfectly matched plaids.  Good for shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses

Pattern grading by hand

Basic grading, June 29, 2-5 pm, $48

Use slopers to learn the basic principles of changing pattern sizes.  Learn the inside secrets of increasing and decreasing sizes and government standards for grade rules.  Apply these principles to pants, skirts, sleeves and bodices.

Advanced grading and marking, July 13, 2-5 pm, $48

Bring in your patterns and learn how to grade them to different sizes.  Create your own grade rules for cardinal points.  Apply to knits and wovens.  Learn how to set up a marker -- a layout of all you pattern pieces ready for cutting -- for best use of fabric.

with Jennifer Holcomb, Art Institute.

Summer Class:  Tuesday-Thursday, July 9-11 & July 16-18, 2-5 pm

$189 + $60 kit fee ($249)  

This six-week course teaches the fundamentals of leatherworking while you make a belt and clutch.

Learn how to cut, bevel, crease and burnish edges. Mould leather around buckles and rings. Learn about skiving and channeling, plus techniques for applying dyes and finishes. Create a swatch library of handstitches. Sew hem samples by machine. Explore the many different kinds of leather, its qualities and potential. Become proficient at using and maintaining hand tools.

Kit includes leather for samples, belt, and part of clutch, hardware, stitching awl, linen thread, harness needles, burnishing tools, leather conditioner, plus dyes and finishes to experiment with in-class. You will buy a small amount of light leather for half of the handbag and the sewing machine samples. You also will bring basic sewing supplies and a home sewing machine for one class.

Class limited to eight students. This class is designed for people with little or no previous experience, and for those who want to go back to the basics in working with leather.

Take this class and Industrial Machine Sewing to get ready to take "Sewing Leather Garments" class this Fall.

Prerequisite: Beginning Sewing

Class policies

Swimwear 

Monday-Friday, July 15-19, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm

$159 + $10 kit fee (includes handouts & patterns)

Summer is on its way to Portland.  Better get ready!  Make a one or two piece swimsuit with an optional cover-up.  Learn how to work with 4-way stretch, swimsuit and clear elastic and negative ease garments.  Then add a cover-up from your choice of knit or sheer fabric.  You need a serger for this class so bring yours or rent  one from us ($10/session).  Pre-requisite: Activewear

Win a future in fashion design

Portland Sewing announces its third annual Fashion Design Scholarship for Teens

Portland, Ore. – Ever dream that you could be a famous fashion designer?  Here’s your chance to get your start.

Portland Sewing today announced its third fashion design scholarship contest for teens.  The contest is open to Portland area high school juniors and seniors.

Students have until Wednesday July 17, 2013, 5 pm to submit applications.  The winner gets $1,200 worth of fashion design classes and a summer internship at a local apparel company.  The goal:  To build a portfolio so the student can gain entry into a fashion design college of their choice.

The contest is open to full-time students in Portland area high schools who have a GPA of 2.5 or more.  Each contestant submits an original apparel design idea with sketches, interviews of influential people and an essay on fashion design.  Judges are leaders in Portland’s apparel community from such companies as Nike, Merrell and Fred Meyer.

The winner will be announced Wednesday, August 21, 2013.  To apply, go to Fashion Design Scholarship Application.

Stephanie Linn of St. Mary’s Academy won the 2011 contest.  After completing her classes at Portland Sewing and her internship at Nike, she studied at Parsons in New York.  Parsons is featured on the television show, Project Runway.

She plans this Fall to attend Central St. Martins in London.  That school's graduates include Stella McCartney, Zac Posen, the late Alexander McQueen and his successor, Sarah Burton.  Burton designed the wedding dress for Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Both schools require a fashion portfolio as part of the application process.

Portland Sewing is a sewing and apparel design school in northeast Portland.  “We offer a range of classes from beginning sewing and patterning to how to start your own apparel business,” says owner and founder Sharon Blair.

“We see ourselves as a prep and finishing school for those seeking jobs in fashion design and the apparel industry.”

Blair studied in Paris, has a bachelors and masters, and advanced studies in apparel design and construction.   She also owns three clothing lines, Studio SKB, SKPDX and Chicago Harper.

More than 20 of her students have gone on to study at Parsons, the Fashion Institute of Technology, also in New York, and the Art Institute of Portland.  Four have competed on Project Runway.

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Surface Design:  Screenprinting

Saturdays, July 20 & 27, 2-5 pm; $96 

In two quick sessions, learn the basic steps to design and hand screen patterns onto fabric.  Use a photo emulsion process to burn your image onto a silkscreen.  Measure and print the patterns onto fabrics of your choice using fabric pigment.  Use these skills to create fabric, add details and make art on your garments.

Jason Bray (right) creates a costume for a performer at the Portland Opera

Make Your Body Double

Saturday, July 20, 10 am-1 pm, $48.

Bring your professional dress form and alter it to fit you the way the pros do.  Learn the tricks and materials from Portland Opera fit expert, Jason Bray.  In 3 hours, leave with your body double.

If you’ve never or barely touched a machine, Learn to Sew is the one for you! If you’ve done some sewing but are a bit unsure about your skills or want to learn professional techniques and are ready to make apparel, then try Apparel Construction.

Apparel Construction 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0  
$89 each level or $259 + $10 kit fee/session for patterns & handouts for a series of 3 levels. Each level last 4 weeks. Priced per person. Includes handouts and patterns.

SUMMER CLASS!  Meet every day for four days in a row.  See details and registration below.

Apparel Construction 1: Monday-Thursday, July 22-25, 10 am-1 pm.

Apparel Construction 2:  Monday-Thursday, July 29-August 1, 10 am-1 pm

Apparel Construction 3:  Monday-Thursday, August 5-8, 10 am-1 pm

Spring classes:

Tuesdays, April 16-July 2, 6-9 pm OR  Thursdays, April 18-July 11, 10 am-1 pm  OR 6-9 pm OR Saturdays, April 20-July 13, 10 am-1 pm

Apparel Construction 1.0

Start sewing and build confidence. Learn basic stitches and how to use your machine while you make an A-line skirt with a zipper. Learn how to use commercial patterns. Layout and cut fabric with happy results. Includes patterns & handouts.  Prerequisite:  Learn to Sew or previous sewing experience

Apparel Construction 2.0 Learn the basics of fitting patterns plus the secrets of elastic while making a casual pair of weekend pants to wear around the house, shopping, gardening or exercise class. Make two kinds of pockets that you should know how to make.  Includes patterns & handouts. Prereq: Apparel Construction 1.0

Apparel Construction 3.0  Learn more about how to fit patterns and garments plus the secrets of making a professional garment while you make a blouse:  Interfacing, collars, buttonholes and sew on buttons. Includes patterns & handouts.  Prereq: Apparel Construction 1.0 & 2.0

Tuesdays, June 11 - July 2, 6-9 pm OR Thursdays, June 13-July 11, 10 am-1 pm OR 6-9 pm OR Saturdays, June 15-July 13, 10 am-1 pm.

No class Thursday, July 4 or Saturday, July 6.

Don't have a sewing machine?  Rent one of our nice, new machines for $10/class meeting.  Apply your rent to owning to machine when you buy your machine from us.

Class policies

"I don't know if you're the one who encouraged [my daughter] to take this class but whoever it was gets a big thanks from her grandmothers (who both sew) and me (who doesn't). Thank you!" -- Kathryn

Computer Patternmaking, Grading, Marking with Optitex
Contact us to arrange your private or group session:  info@portlandsewing.com

$998/person for 12-weeks of 3-hour sessions.  Includes plotting paper, use of plotter.

Limited to 4 students/session.  Prerequisites:  Intro and Advanced Patternmaking (Pattern 1-4)

with instructor Sharon Blair, Northwest representative for Optitex

Computer Patternmaking.
Go from flat pattern to CAD (computer-aided design) in twelve sessions.  You'll learn to digitize your patterns, modify them, check and correct notches, armholes, necklines and seamlines, create variations and seam allowances.  You'll also learn the principles of grading and marking, then apply them to your pattern.  Use Optitex 11 -- the same software used by Nike and many designers -- and an Algotex digitizer.

Grading.
Learn the principles of cardinal points and grade rules on a flat pattern, then move to the computer program and apply them to your pattern. Size grading is the process of increasing and decreasing clothing sizes. Fashion designers work with a patternmaker to develop their first patterns. Samples are made from these patterns and when they are complete and ready to be produced, they need to be graded. The pattern pieces are increased and decreased at specific locations to create each size.  Need to know more about grading?  Take our basic grading class.

Marking.
Layout a size run of your patterns for the best fabric usage for your size runs and styles.  Learn the difference between mixed, single size and other markers and which to use where. A marker is a layout of the pattern pieces that a cutting service will place on top of the spread fabric. Your goal: The highest fabric usage while conforming to grainline and sizes per your company's requirements.   Need to know more about make?  Take our advanced grading and marking class.

Advanced P&C with Sharon Blair, BA, MA, PAA

Portland Sewing and Sharon Blair have appeared in several articles for Threads Magazine.

Fridays, 10 am-1 pm or 6-9 pm

$15/hour or $150 for book of 12 hours or $300/month

No class Friday, July 5

Take advantage of our guided lab and take your skills to the next level.  Design, develop and produce the garments of your choice.  Produce your next clothing line. Do your work with the advice and guidance of Sharon Blair.  Blair studied in Paris.  She has written several articles for Threads Magazine.  And she has taken many local designers through producing their collections and even helped some get on and win Project Runway.

Tackle more difficult projects.  Resolve fit issues.  Master tricky construction issues.

Let your ideas run free!  What do you want to create today?  Bring it here and we'll make it happen.

Prerequisites:  Intermediate Sewing classes, Patternmaking Series

Learn how to do production sewing.

Industrial Machine Sewing with Adam Andreas

Summer class.  Six sessions:  Tuesday-Thursday, July 23-25 & July 30-Aug 1 , 6-9 pm

$219.  Includes kit of bobbins, bobbin case and sewing machine needles.

Learn to sew on those ultra-fast commercial sewing machines — from lockstitch to coverstitch — and learn the fast, professional way to make apparel. Sew at up to 6500 stitches per minute instead of the 250 per minute on the typical home sewing machines. You’ll learn on the latest, most competent machines: Juki lockstitch, Pfaff overlock, Juki double-needle walking foot, Kansai coverstitch and Consew blindhem. You’ll learn how to thread the machines, understand and use sewing terminology, troubleshoot problems and how to handle fabric. Class limited to 4 students at a time.
Prerequisite: Beginning Sewing, Learn to Sew or Intermediate Sewing

Class policies

Summer Camps for Kids & Teens ages 8-14

-- Sewing Camp.  Tuesday-Friday, July 23-26, 10 am-12:30 pm.  $120.  Must know how to sew.

-- Fashion Camp.  Tuesday-Friday, July 23-26, 1:30-4 pm.  $120.  Prereq:  Beginning Sewing

Taught by children's sewing book author Lynn Weglarz

Know the right leather, thread and needle to choose when making a zipped jacket.

Sewing Leather Garments with Jennifer Holcomb, Art Institute

6 sessions:  TBA

6-9 pm. $189 + $40 kit fee ($229)

Create a leather jacket. Learn how to choose skins and plan a leather garment from design to cutting, sewing and lining. Go over sewing tools, techniques, stitches and seam treatments. Add fur trims, feathers, epaulettes or hardware to make your garment a unique item.

Prerequisite: Leatherworking 1