Sewing Extension Course

What you'll learn

Build your sewing skills and learn professional garment finishing techniques with our sewing short courses in Sydney!

Ready to move beyond the basics? Designed for students who have completed our Sewing Essentials Course or have equivalent experience, this practical extension course will help you develop more detailed sewing techniques and create garments with cleaner, more professional finishes.

You'll learn how to work with facings, interfacing and zippers before developing your skills in reading and working with commercial sewing patterns. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on exercises, you'll create fabric samples for your own sewing reference library and learn how to interpret pattern markings, grainlines and layouts, match fabrics with patterns, and prepare and cut fabric accurately.

You'll then bring these skills together in a simple garment project using a commercial pattern. By the end of the course, you'll have expanded your sewing toolkit, developed greater confidence with garment construction and gained practical techniques you can continue applying to future dressmaking projects.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Sewing Extension course, participants will have developed practical skills and knowledge in areas such as:

• Applying facings to create clean, professionally finished garment edges
• Using interfacing and fusible products in garment construction
• Inserting dress zippers using different sewing techniques
• Reading and understanding commercial sewing patterns
• Understanding pattern markings, grainlines and pattern layouts
• Matching appropriate fabrics with sewing patterns
• Preparing and cutting fabric with consideration for nap, stretch and directional prints
• Developing cleaner, more professional garment finishing techniques
• Building a reference library of sewing samples for future projects
• Applying sewing techniques to a garment project using a commercial pattern
• Developing greater confidence with garment construction and independent sewing projects

After completing this course, you may wish to continue your sewing journey with our Sewing: Patternmaking Essentials Course.

Course content

What will be covered in this Sewing Extension course?

During the course, participants will be guided through key concepts, techniques and approaches that typically include:

Session 1: Facings

• Finishing garment edges with neatly sewn neckline and armhole facings
• Introduction to interfacing and fusible products
• Creating sewing samples for future reference

Session 2: Zippers

• Learning 2 different methods for inserting zippers
• Creating sewing samples for future reference

Session 3: Patterns and cutting

• Selecting a suitable commercial pattern for the garment project
• Reading and understanding commercial sewing patterns
• Understanding pattern markings, grainlines and layout
• Matching fabrics with patterns
• Exploring cutting techniques and fabric considerations, including nap, stretch and directional prints

Session 4: Garment project

• Applying techniques learned throughout the course to a simple garment project
• Working with a beginner-friendly commercial sewing pattern
• Developing garment construction and finishing skills
• Troubleshooting common sewing challenges
• Refining sewing techniques through guided practice

Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant progress, and instructor approach.

Intended audience

Who is this Sewing Extension Course for?

This course is designed for students who have completed our Sewing Essentials Course or have equivalent sewing experience and are ready to develop their garment construction and finishing skills further.

It is ideal for home sewists who want to build confidence using commercial patterns, improve the finish of handmade garments and expand their practical sewing techniques.

Participants should be confident operating a sewing machine and have a basic understanding of foundational sewing techniques.

This course is not suitable for absolute beginners.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd in the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Accessibility: This class takes place in an upper-level room accessible by stairs only. The lift is currently out of service. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Course materials

Please bring the following materials to class:

• 50cm of calico or plain medium-weight cotton
• 50cm of white lightweight fusible interfacing
• 1 pack of 12mm-wide bias binding (any colour)
• 2 reels of good quality sewing thread (e.g. Gutermann, Aurifil, Mettler) in different colours (not white, grey or black)
• 2 nylon dress zippers, 20cm long (no invisible or metal zippers)
• Fabric scissors (sharp and good quality)
• Paper scissors or thread clippers
• Tape measure (at least 120cm)
• Glass head or quilting pins
• Notebook, ruler, pen and pencil
• A sense of humour and a willingness to learn!

Needles: Standard domestic needles only—look for packaging marked 130/705 H. Size 80 or 90 is recommended for general use with sew-all thread.

Bobbins: Must be plastic and suitable for top-loading or drop-in machines. Look for packs marked compatible with Singer Drop In or Janome Drop In machines. Avoid “universal” bobbins.

Additional information

Please note the following:

• If bringing your own machine, please ensure it includes a zipper foot and buttonhole foot. It's a good idea to bring your manual too.
• For full-day classes, there will be a 30-minute lunch break midway. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch or grab something from the cafes and takeaway spots nearby on Darling Street.
• Please wear closed-in shoes for safety.