Here at Canberra Sewing, we offer a wide range of classes that cover a huge range of topics to suit all abilities. Our teachers have years of experience in teaching a wide range of subject areas that cover on sewing and fitting garments to patchwork and quilting. We have small class sizes for the best participant experience and ensure that classes all have the relevant paperwork so you know what to bring and what to expect.
Class bookings for the classes below can be made on-line. Click on “More Information and Booking” at the end of each class description to register.
Full payment must be made at the time of booking for a place to be allocated.
If a class is full, or listed below as available for waitlist, and you would like to be added to the waitlist please click here for the waitlist form.
If you are interested in other classes please let us know at info@canberrasewing.com.au
Available Classes
Drop in Tuesdays with Kerry Turner
Cost: $20
Date: Tuesdays 10am – 2pm
This is a 4-hour session where you can “drop in” at a time to suit you. If you can only do an hour then that’s fine or ay for the whole session. This is a social session and is run at a time when Kerry is also doing her shop shift. This does mean that its not a teacher “supervised” class and you will get intermittent help and advice from a sewing teacher while picking up tips and tricks from each other.
These sessions will run every Tuesday from 10am to 2pm
The teaching area is available for student to come and have this time to sew and finish projects with no home or family interruptions. Tea and coffee is available (included in the cost of the session). We also have a great café next door where you can get some sweet treats or lunch if needed.
Each student will pay a very small fee of $15 regardless of how long you wish to stay for.
To manage numbers and owing to space we are limiting this group size to 6 students initially. There are no “no minimum” numbers for each session to run .
Kerry’s “WIP” (Work In Progress), on Wednesday nights, with Kerry Turner
Cost: $35
Date: Wednesdays 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Come along Wednesday night’s 6pm-8.30pm make new friends or sew peacefully in a helpful and friendly sewing orientated environment. This session is after hours and therefore Kerry will be dedicated to assisting ll students on whatever project they are working on.
This is a great class to finish off projects you are having issues with; get advice on new projects; and get help with alterations and measurements and fabric cutting advice.
Uninterrupted sewing without stopping and starting, it will be your time! Tea and coffee available.
Bookings are essential – maximum of 6 per session.
Sew Merry Stocking with Kirstie
Cost: $100
Dates: Thursdays 28 November and 5th December, 2024.
Times: 10am – 1pm (9:30am setup)
Focus of this workshop: Techniques to create and line a Christmas stocking with your sewing machine.
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn to create your very own personalised stocking. If you have some machine sewing experience, Kirstie will help guide you through the process, covering essential techniques like cutting, sewing & embellishing.
Choose from a variety of fabrics & decorations to make your stocking uniquely yours.
You will learn how to follow steps in order to construct a fully lined Christmas Stocking.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Jelly Roll Diamond Tote with Leonie Fraser
Cost: $225
Dates: Saturdays 7th and 14th December 2024
Time: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: Sewing bags on your home sewing machine.
In this workshop we will be making a bag using jelly roll strips, bag foam and quilter’s cotton fabric that is a stylish addition to your shopping trips bound to get comments! This workshop is ideal for beginners and those who have made totes before but are looking for a different construction method to try. This tote has inset sides allowing it to keep its shape, and a construction method I predict you will want to apply to other projects. It is a bag you will want to make again once you master the techniques in this workshop!
Level of skill required for this workshop: Suitable for all interested sewists. Being familiar with your machine; knowing how to thread it, change the bobbin, stitches, and the presser foot; is important. While I will happily help you learn how, being able to use a rotary cutter, quilter’s ruler and cutting mat will assist with time management in this workshop.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Cross Body Bag with Leonie Fraser
Cost: $115
Date: Friday 17th January, 2025
Time: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: Sewing bags on your home sewing machine.
In this workshop we will be inserting zippers, installing bag hardware, and exploring how to sew materials that will make our bags have a professional, even glamorous finish. The top pic is the bag front, and the bottom is the bag back – plenty of pockets on this one! The sample on the left is made from decorative cork fabrics, and the one on the right from faux leather with a quilters cotton trim. If you have ever wanted to try using cork fabric, canvas, faux leather, or microsuede – this is the workshop for you.
This bag uses a minimum of material and gives a very effective result. And, of course, it can be made using lightweight upholstery fabric or traditional quilter’s cotton. Why not try both? It is a bag you will want to make again once you master the techniques in this workshop!
Level of skill required for this workshop: Suitable for all interested sewists. Being familiar with your machine; knowing how to thread it, change the bobbin, stitches, and the presser foot; is important.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Trace a Pattern from a Preloved Garment with Kerry
Cost: $100
Date: Saturday 18 January, 2025
Time: 10am – 2pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: To learn the rules to make pattern pieces successfully so you can make a similar garment
We all have that perfect fitting store bought garment that has been loved to death but we can’t bear to part with. This class will teach you to create a pattern from that garment so you can sew it over and over again – how good is that!
No more pattern alterations to make to new patterns – just well fitting garments that you will love in different colours and fabrics.
In this class you will produce a pattern that you can use to make endless copies of a “garment that you love”. It’s very hard sometimes to find the perfect fitting pattern. Sometimes you have an item at home, and you want to make more of them, or use it as a starting point. Starting from a “fit block” can sometimes be a long process and can be very challenging. Even working out proportions in design lines that suit you.
This is a one day 4-hour class in which I will demonstrate how to make a pattern, without taking the garment apart. You will start with a basic top no fitting to understand rules. We will also talk about what constraints a flat pattern has and how to transfer this across so you can sew the garment up and make it for you. Seam allowances, grain lines, fabric types, darts etc will all be covered.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Introduction to Free Motion Quilting with Leonie Fraser
Cost: $115
Date: Saturday 1st February, 2025
Time: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: Understanding the way to accomplish free motion quilting as an alternative to using a walking foot.
This one-day session is an introduction to free motion quilting skills. The aim of the session is to provide the information and guidance to be able to use free-motion
The aim of the session is to provide the information and guidance to be able to use free-motion quilting on a cushion cover, and to take away the confidence to take your quilting further.
This course will encourage you to break away from straight lines with the walking foot and be a bit more creative in your quilting, taking you through the steps required and boost your confidence. Fabric and batting types and results will be discussed in the session.
Level of skill required for this workshop: Suitable for all interested sewists of all skill levels.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Beginners Guide to Sewing with Lynne Johnson, commencing 5 February 2025
6 Week Course
Cost $300
Dates: Wednesdays 5, 12, 19 & 26 February and5 & 12 March 2025
Times for each day: 12.30pm – 2.30pm (12pm setup)
Focus: Getting to know your domestic sewing machine
Level of Skill required for this workshop: Beginner to intermediate. Perfect for new sewers and those returning to sewing who need a confidence boost.
This course is aimed at the beginner sewer, or someone returning to sewing.. The course is suitable from a confident 14 year old up.
Each lesson is 2 hours long and the course has been designed to take you through all you need to know about getting to know your machine including threading, tensions, needle and thread selection and basic sewing machine maintenance right though to learning different seaming and sewing techniques that you can apply to several different projects.
There are four projects you will complete during this course (one of which is a fun homework project) including creating a Stitchery; making a needle nest and pin cushion; Cutting and sewing a thread catcher; and cutting and sewing a useful sewing organizer that converts into a sewing cover for your machine.
The course is designer for beginner sewists but may be also considered by someone who wants to refresh their skills.
Introduction to Ruler Work with Leonie Fraser
Cost: $115
Date: Saturday 7th February, 2025
Time: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: Learn to use your domestic sewing machine to quilt using specialty rulers
This workshop will cover the technical aspects of changing from straight line quilting using your walking foot to quilting patterns using a ruler work foot and a range of special rulers that allow you to quilt curved lines and intricate patterns. You will need to have the correct equipment for this class, which will focus on setting up and achieving a successful result. You will need to have an extension table and ruler work foot for your machine. Most ruler work feet available in Australia come with a ruler that we will use for this class. We will be working on a sample that can be finished as a cushion cover.
Level of skill required for this workshop: Familiarity with your machine, changing the presser foot and lowering the feet dogs.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Beginners Guide to Sewing with Lynne Johnson, commencing 8 February 2024
6 Week Course
Cost $300
Dates: Saturdays 8, 15, 22 February and 1, 15 & 22 March 2025
Times for each day: 10am – 12pm (9.30am setup)
Focus: Getting to know your domestic sewing machine
Level of Skill required for this workshop: Beginner to intermediate. Perfect for new sewers and those returning to sewing who need a confidence boost.
This course is aimed at the beginner sewer, or someone returning to sewing.. The course is suitable from a confident 14 year old up.
Each lesson is 2 hours long and the course has been designed to take you through all you need to know about getting to know your machine including threading, tensions, needle and thread selection and basic sewing machine maintenance right though to learning different seaming and sewing techniques that you can apply to several different projects.
There are four projects you will complete during this course (one of which is a fun homework project) including creating a Stitchery; making a needle nest and pin cushion; Cutting and sewing a thread catcher; and cutting and sewing a useful sewing organizer that converts into a sewing cover for your machine.
The course is designer for beginner sewists but may be also considered by someone who wants to refresh their skills.
Log Cabin Strip Piecing in a Day with Leonie Fraser
Cost: $115
Date: Saturday 14th February, 2025
Time: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: echniques to machine piece traditional quilt tops quickly and accurately.
he Log Cabin block is timeless because it is versatile – the way in which you choose to join the blocks determines the final pattern. It looks great in any colourway and makes up to whatever size you choose – lap, bed or table topper. It is a great way to use up leftover fabrics, or those wonderful jelly rolls you couldn’t resist. This one-day session is designed to introduce an easy way to make perfect log cabin blocks. You will make enough blocks to complete a quilt all at once – all blocks will be at the same size at any time in the day. You will be amazed at how quickly they grow!
Level of skill required for this workshop: Suitable for all interested sewists of all skill levels.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Trace a Pattern from a Preloved Garment with Kerry
Cost: $100
Date: Monday 17 February, 2025
Time: 10am – 2pm (9:30am setup)
Class Focus: To learn the rules to make pattern pieces successfully so you can make a similar garment
We all have that perfect fitting store bought garment that has been loved to death but we can’t bear to part with. This class will teach you to create a pattern from that garment so you can sew it over and over again – how good is that!
No more pattern alterations to make to new patterns – just well fitting garments that you will love in different colours and fabrics.
In this class you will produce a pattern that you can use to make endless copies of a “garment that you love”. It’s very hard sometimes to find the perfect fitting pattern. Sometimes you have an item at home, and you want to make more of them, or use it as a starting point. Starting from a “fit block” can sometimes be a long process and can be very challenging. Even working out proportions in design lines that suit you.
This is a one day 4-hour class in which I will demonstrate how to make a pattern, without taking the garment apart. You will start with a basic top no fitting to understand rules. We will also talk about what constraints a flat pattern has and how to transfer this across so you can sew the garment up and make it for you. Seam allowances, grain lines, fabric types, darts etc will all be covered.
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Introduction to Seminole with Leonie Fraser, commencing 14 March 2025
Cost: $225
Dates: Fridays 14th March and 21st March 2025
Times: 10am – 2:30pm (9:30am setup)
Focus of this workshop: Piecing for Geometric Strips.
Seminole work was developed using sewing machines by the Seminole People of the Panhandle area of Florida, USA. It has an interesting history, and is still used widely to provide decorative strips to incorporate in quilts, clothing and household linen. In this course, we will spend some time developing strips with different patterns that we will then incorporate into a lined tote bag
that can be immediately put to use. We will also learn how to resize the patterns so that the strips can be made large enough to make borders for your quilts – my favourite way to use Seminole work!
A materials list will be supplied on registration.
Other Classes available for waitlist:
Please email us if the above class dates and times do not suit you, Please also let us know if you are interested in any of our past classes:-
All things Jelly Roll
Overlocking,
Beginners guide to sewing,
Free Motion Quilting,
Bag construction,
Quilted bags and clothes,
Quilting – Kaleidoscope or Pinwheel of other amazing quilts.
Beginners Quilting Class,
Pattern alterations,
Basic garment construction,
Making a garment fit,
Trace a pattern from a preloved garment,
Children Classes.
Click Here for Wait List Form if you would like to be contacted when one of the above classes becomes available