Learn to Sew Your Clothes
a project-based journey
Sewing masterclasses at your fingertips
Learn to sew your clothes, with wardrobe-building courses that take you from complete beginner to completely confident.
Take them in order for a seamless learning path, or choose a course based on the specific skills you want to develop.
Which Learn to Sew course is right for you?
We have courses for sewists of all levels, from complete beginner to advanced.
Unsure about where to begin? Our simple quiz will find your perfect starting point on Sew Liberated’s Learn to Sew Your Clothes pathway.
You’ll love learning with us if …
- You want the benefits of an in-person sewing class, from the comfort of home, on your schedule.
- You want stylist-designed projects that teach invaluable skills while enhancing your wardrobe with cool, unique pieces.
- You want to feel supported, technically and emotionally, in a private online community.
- You value expert instruction, but also FUN: you’ll love learning (and laughing) alongside Shaerie and Sophia.
- You want a clear, logical path to advancing your skillset in a stress-free way.
here’s how it works:
Each course is a stand-alone class – a “stop” on a carefully designed, logical learning path, from novice to advanced intermediate.
Each subsequent sewing course (and pattern) was designed to build upon the skills learned previously.
Take as many or as few courses as you’d like.
There is no universal finishing line for your sewing skills. You decide how content you are with your current skills (or how curious you are to learn more!)
Figure out which course is the best starting point for you by taking our simple quiz.
for complete beginners
Intro to Sewing
What kind of machine should I get? How do I use it? What in the world is a bobbin? You’ll know all these answers and more by the end of this course – you’ll be a competent sewing machine operator!
But that’s not all. You’ll learn all about fabric during a virtual field trip to a fabric shop, and understand what all those charts and symbols mean on a sewing pattern.
Skills learned:
- How to confidently operate & maintain a sewing machine
- Assembling a basic sewing toolkit & how to use each tool
- How to set up your sewing space
- Understanding fabric anatomy
- How to choose the right kind of fabric for your projects
- Properly preparing your fabric for cutting
- How to read a sewing pattern info sheet
- Demystifying sewing pattern symbols
- How to take your own measurements & choose your size
- How to work with both PDF and printed patterns
What’s included:
- 6 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
the nocturne pants
Sewing Basics 1
Project: Sew the Nocturne Pajama Pants
Pajama pants are the BEST first project – low stakes, very useful, and a perfect form of self-care. The Nocturne Pajama Pants are perfect for loungewear, but depending on the fabric you choose, you can also wear them out and about. The pants feature a simple, comfortable paper bag waist, with the option of a lower rise, basic elastic waistband. The pockets, of course, are deep and luxurious.
Skills learned:
- How to choose fabric
- How to take your measurements and choose your size
- How to lengthen or shorten a pattern
- How to choose between elastic types
- Working with notches
- Understanding fabric anatomy
- How to properly iron and press
- Confidently cut out your fabric
- Pinning 101
- How to sew straight and curved seams
- How to finish your seams so they don’t unravel
- How to sew an elastic waistband
- How to hem pants
What’s included:
- 6 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Pattern pieces shipped to your door
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
the nocturne top
Sewing Basics 2
Project: Learn to sew an easy top
The Nocturne Top’s distinctive notched and gathered yoke can just as easily be paired with jeans as it can be with pajama pants. This cozy, pullover top with a slight high-low hem can be made with short or long sleeves depending on the season.
Skills learned:
- Taking proper measurements and choosing a size
- Lengthening and shortening a pattern
- The benefits of making a muslin
- How to sew a yoke
- How to sew a notched collar
- How to sew gathers
- How to set in and sew sleeves
What’s included:
- Over 6 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Pattern pieces shipped to your door
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
seam finishes and more
Beyond Sewing Basics
Project: Sew the Studio Tunic
A layering marvel, the Studio Tunic will be your go-to companion with leggings, jeans, over tees or under cropped sweaters. Pop it on as an apron in your art studio or workshop, or simply add it to any outfit, instantly upping your cool art teacher vibes. Did we mention you’ll love the pockets? Choose between scoop and v-neck options.
Skills learned:
- Different kinds of interfacing, and how to work with them
- How (and why) to staystitch
- How to grade between sizes
- How to understitch
- How to sew pleats
- How to sew French seams
- How to sew shaped facings
- How to sew patch pockets
- Topstitching skills
What’s included:
- Over 8 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Pattern pieces shipped to your door
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
a versatile dress pattern
Fit and Sew Bodices
Project: Fit and sew the Hinterland Dress
The iconic handmade dress, our much-loved Hinterland, provides an ideal opportunity to delve into how to fit a bodice. The Hinterland offers a timeless, comfortable, and elegant silhouette. Featuring three sleeve options, partial or full button down plackets (as well as a no-placket option), customizable length, and inseam pockets, this is a pattern workhorse that spans the seasons.
Skills learned:
- How to “read” a muslin
- Fitting principles
- How to raise or lower a dart
- How to do a full bust adjustment (FBA)
- How to do a small bust adjustment (SBA)
- Shoulder and back adjustments
- How to do a full bicep adjustment
- How to sew bust darts
- How to sew bias facing
- How to sew a placket
- How to sew buttonholes
What’s included:
- 12 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Pattern pieces shipped to your door
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
working with knits
Learn to Sew with Knits
Project: Sew a pair of Limestone Leggings and a Crop Top
The super cozy, super practical Limestone Leggings and Top set will demystify sewing with stretchy fabric. And good thing, because knits are simply the most comfortable fabrics to wear. Fill in any gaps in your loungewear drawer with these essential wardrobe pieces, You’ll be surprised how quick these are to sew!
Skills learned:
- How to choose the right fabric for your project
- How to fit garments with negative ease
- Cutting tips and tricks for knits
- Fitting modifications for busts of all sizes
- Machine settings for working with knit fabrics – no matter your machine
- Recommended stitches for strong seams
- Troubleshooting guidelines
- Professional hemming and finishing techniques
- The ideal, ultra-comfortable method for adding wide elastic to a sports bra
- How to work with narrow elastic and insert it in necklines, armscyes, and waistbands for increased durability and better fit
What’s included:
- Over 10 hours of video instruction
- Lifetime membership in our private, online support group
- Pattern pieces shipped to your door
- Exclusive discounts at our favorite fabric shops
what our students are saying
I have tried to learn pattern drafting from books, and have taken pattern drafting courses at community college, but not until Sew Liberated courses have I felt confident that I'm learning the concepts. Honestly, these are absolutely the best courses anywhere! Great designers, great teachers, and great website. You all rock!
For rookies like me, the companion course to the Studio Tunic pattern is essential. The [course's] lighting and camera work are exceptional. The cast is superior: Shaerie is articulate and concise. Sophia is focused and calm. Together they're a congenial team. I learned so much from this excellent video course.
Your instructor,
Shaerie Mead
Teaching people how to sew their own clothes is Shaerie Mead’s jam, and she’s been doing it for decades.
In addition to being a patternmaker and designer of her clothing line, Iona, she owned the much-loved Sew LA, a workshop space where she taught hundreds and hundreds of folks how to sew.
Shaerie’s clear, detailed, and approachable teaching style will put you at ease and deliver so many “ah-ha!” moments. She really gets how beginners learn, and she’s got your back.
“Shaerie is one of the best teachers I have come across, and I have taken A LOT OF CLASSES!” – Karen
Your other instructor,
Meg McElwee
There’s little Meg loves more than bringing mindfulness and a little bit of humor to the practice of sewing.
She brings her background as a progressive educator to the design and back end of the Learn to Sew Your Clothes series, and can’t wait to pop into the lessons here and there to inject her expertise in sewing and creative styling.
Your fellow student,
Sophia Kiser
You won’t be alone on your journey! You’ll learn by watching upbeat and intrepid Sophia learn to sew.
She’ll ask all the important beginner questions that are on your mind. Thanks to Sophia’s candid learning curve, you’ll realize that everyone makes little mistakes, and it’s ok! Mistakes are simply the way we hone new skills.
You’ll be delighted to observe Sophia blossom as a sewist as the lessons progress, right alongside you.
“I’ve spent hours and hours with Shaerie and Sophia (I have taken every single class!) Sophia has grace, enthusiasm and a wonderful sense of humor.” – Lisa
Your trusted sewing pattern company,
Sew Liberated
As one of the first independent sewing pattern companies, Sew Liberated has been an industry leader since 2007. But we aren’t just informed by needle and thread. Meg has a Masters in Education, and brings her knowledge and passion for how people learn to everything that Sew Liberated produces: from beautifully clear instructions to designing student journeys that teach technical skills while also empowering students to build new confidence in their ability to problem solve.
Combined, Meg and Shaerie (your instructor) have over 50 years of experience in both sewing and sewing education.
Course participants also have access to the boundless knowledge of Sew Liberated’s professional patternmaker and fitting whiz, Judith, in the online course community.
Why learn to sew
or improve your sewing skills?
That’s a great question, especially when you can buy or thrift your clothing with the click of a button. But there are a number of benefits that ONLY come from learning to sew your clothes.
Some of these benefits are obvious:
- Better fit for your body. Learning to sew will allow you to make clothes custom-fit to YOUR body. All bodies have different shapes and curves, no matter their size, but fashion brands only design for a certain set of proportions. So you may find yourself tugging on your clothes, or wishing they laid better over your curves. Once you learn to sew, you can say goodbye to all of that frustration.
- Better fit for your style. Choose your fabric, color, pattern, and silhouette … so much is possible with sewing skills. Never again feel frustrated with clothing that is either too long or too short, and never ever suffer through another day without pockets! Find a pattern you love? Make multiples in different, fun fabrics. The list goes on and on.
Some of the benefits of learning to sew are less obvious, but powerful:
- A new appreciation for the importance of how we clothe ourselves. If you aren’t yet concerned about the human and ecological consequences of fast fashion, you will be after you make your first garment. You will know the love and effort that goes into each stitch, and you will be more likely to care for that piece as the years pass, deciding to mend or alter it to fit your needs, rather than just throwing it aside at a local thrift shop.
- A supportive community. Sewing friends are such amazing friends! For years, we have supported each other virtually via blogging and social media, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more generous, uplifting, I-totally-get-you-and-your-passions group of folks. Friendships can blossom in comments and DMs, sure, but we sewists love taking virtual friendship into the real world.
- A sense of agency when so much in our lives feels out of our control. Sewing is tangible. It lets you set aside your anxiety and focus on making something real with your hands. You can control this one little piece of your world, even if you aren’t perfect at it. Learning a new skill brings you into the present moment, and we all know that spending time in the present moment is good for your mental health.
- Practice solving problems in new ways. Yes, sewing will build a (pretty rad) technical skill set, but it will also build your mental skill set! To get from point A to point B in a project, you often have to pause and do some forehead scratching – and this is good for you. Learning to sew is a path of small failures and perseverance before success, and you will emerge with more confidence in your ability to problem solve in other areas of your life, as well.
learn to sew with friends
Join over 2500 students who have experienced the warmth and connection of Sew Liberated’s online course communities.
Your course includes membership in our online support group, hosted on our own website. No Facebook necessary!
You’ll love the ability to get answers to all of your questions and post project photos while making new friends who totally get your passion!
FAQs:
Will my course materials expire? Do I get lifetime access?
Yes, with your purchase you get lifetime access to the course videos and other materials – and the online support group for your course. You also get lifetime access to the downloadable PDF sewing pattern paired with the course.
When can I start?
All of our courses are on-demand, so you can begin watching and learning as soon as you sign up.
How much does it cost?
The price of our courses is comparable to what you would pay for an in-person workshop at a sewing shop, but with the following benefits:
- access to your sewing instructors long after standard class hours have ended via our robust online support group, where we can communicate via message, photos, and video questions/responses.
- the freedom to speed up, slow down, or repeat instruction as necessary.
- the ability to work from the comfort of your home, on your own schedule.
Click here for course-specific prices. All prices are in US dollars.
How do I know which course is best for me?
Simple – take the quiz!
Do I need a machine and tools to get started?
To take Intro to Sewing, you DO NOT need a machine or any tools. In the course, you’ll learn what to look for, what to avoid, and where to source your basic sewing toolkit, and how to buy fabric, among other considerations. For Sewing Basics 1 and all subsequent courses, you will need to have a machine, basic sewing toolkit, and fabric.
How do I get my patterns?
If you sign up for Sewing Basics 1 or beyond, your pattern is included in your course purchase. We will mail your pattern sheets to your door, and you will be able to access your PDF pattern (which includes your instructions) from your My Account page on Sew Liberated’s website. Downloads do not expire.
How do I know if the patterns will fit me?
We pride ourselves in having an inclusive size range. All of the patterns on the Learn to Sew Your Clothes learning path fit bust measurements up to 58.5” (147 cm), waist measurements up to 52.5” (133 cm) and hip measurements up to 61” (155 cm). We draft for a dressmaker’s C-cup (that’s a 3″ difference between your high bust measurement and your full bust measurement) and a height of 5’5″ (165 cm). Fit and Sew Bodices takes you through several types of bust, sleeve, and bodice adjustments as well.
Need help figuring out your measurements? Here’s a handy guide.
I sewed a bit decades ago, what class should I start with?
If you feel confident working with and maintaining your sewing machine, choosing garment fabrics, and working with a sewing pattern, then you can skip Intro to Sewing and start with Sewing Basics 1.
Learn to sew your clothes, gain …
self-confidence
passion
unique style
clothes that fit
self-expression
creativity
healing
well-being
community
connection