If your sewing education has been pieced together from a sewing book here and a tutorial there, you'll have gaps in your knowledge. In this virtual retreat you'll learn critical skills to sewing well-made clothing and how each step affects the success of your finished garment. Our virtual retreat is perfect for those new to garment sewing, as well as active sewists who've never built a cohesive and comprehensive base of skills.
▶︎ What you'll learn
Designed for sewists who have a strong foundation in our 101 skills (see the registration requirements above). The classes in this virtual retreat cover how to…
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use specialty sewing machine needles including jeans, topstitch, wedge point/leather, and twin needles
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use specialty sewing machine feet including the invisible zipper, blind hem, and buttonhole feet
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choose and correctly install different kinds of interfacing
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match and cut stripes and plaids
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sew buttonholes using 1-step, 4-step, and manual techniques on the sewing machine
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hand sew shirt buttons, buttons with a thread shank, and reinforced buttons
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sew pintucks
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use elastic thread correctly for shirring
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install an invisible zipper
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sew French and fisheye/contoured darts
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sew inverted/box and knife pleats
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install a bias facing on a curved edge
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sew a set-in sleeve
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sew in-seam pockets
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sew a narrow/baby and blind hem on the sewing machine
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sew French and flat-felled seams
The classes in this virtual retreat don't cover how to…
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fit patterns for your body
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grade sewing patterns
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make fit alterations
Special note about choosing sewing pattern sizes: Due to time restrictions, Christine won't be able to assist individual attendees on choosing their unique sewing pattern sizes. If you'd like help choosing a pattern size, join Jennifer during a group working session for assistance. See schedule below.
▶︎ Schedule
Our Winter 2023 retreat class days are as follows:- Weekend Edition: Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12, 2023
- Weekday Edition: Wednesday, February 15 and Thursday, February 16, 2023
Please read our full schedule below that includes our optional group working sessions, planning meetings, and celebration events.
Weekend EditionSaturday, February 11, 2023Class Day 1 5:30–6:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30–3:30 p.m. Pacific) Sunday, February 12, 2023Class Day 2 |
Weekday EditionWednesday, February 15, 2023Class Day 1 5:30–6:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30–3:30 p.m. Pacific) Thursday, February 16, 2023Class Day 2 |
In addition to our class days, our Winter 2023 retreats include the following optional group working sessions, planning meetings, and celebration events.
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Retreat Welcome and Orientation
8:15–9:00 p.m. Eastern (5:15–6:00 p.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Come to meet your fellow classmates and ask any questions you might have in preparation for class with Christine. Get clarification on class tools and supplies, how to use Zoom, how to navigate our virtual classroom, or to ask general questions about what to expect from our retreat schedule. If time permits after Q+A, students can join breakout rooms of 3–5 sewists for conversation.
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Group Working Session
4:00–5:00 p.m. Eastern (1:00–2:00 p.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Work on cutting out your pattern pieces to prepare for class with other students in our group working sessions. Students are split into breakout rooms of 3–5 sewists to create space for better conversation. Jennifer is available to answer questions and help students.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Group Working Session
2:00–3:00 p.m. Eastern (11:00 a.m–12:00 p.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Work on cutting out your pattern pieces to prepare for class with other students in our group working sessions. Students are split into breakout rooms of 3–5 sewists to create space for better conversation. Jennifer is available to answer questions and help students.
Saturday, February 18, 2022
Group Working Session
12:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern (9:00–11:00 a.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Pick a sewing pattern to make, and work on it with other students in our group working sessions. Meet and socialize with other sewists, get group feedback on your project, and make progress on your garment. Students are split into breakout rooms of 3–5 sewists to create space for better conversation. Jennifer is available to answer questions and help students.
Thursday, February 23, 2022
Group Working Session
12:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern (9:00–11:00 a.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Pick a sewing pattern to make, and work on it with other students in our group working sessions. Meet and socialize with other sewists, get group feedback on your project, and make progress on your garment. Students are split into breakout rooms of 3–5 sewists to create space for better conversation. Jennifer is available to answer questions and help students.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Retreat Celebration!
8:15–9:15 p.m. Eastern (5:15–6:15 p.m. Pacific)
Led by Jennifer Wiese. Our Retreat Celebration is a virtual Show-and-Tell event where students can feature the work they've done after completing class. Projects can be both a work-in-progress or completed. All students are encouraged to attend even if they don't want to present. Come to watch and support your peers. It's fun and inspirational to see all the things people have made!
▶︎ Logistics
Our virtual retreats are hosted through SocialSewists.com using the platform Mighty Networks. Online classes and working sessions take place on Zoom. Students need a computer, smart phone, or tablet with internet access to participate. Within 72 hours of registration, students will receive an email with instructions on how to set up their Social Sewists account and access class information. Confirmations are sent to the email address used at checkout.
▶︎ What's included
Each retreat includes the following with registration:
- 2 live class sessions with Christine Haynes
- Recorded playbacks of the 2 class sessions
- 1 live Welcome and Q+A session led by Jennifer Wiese
- 6 live group working sessions led by Jennifer Wiese
- 1 live Celebration session led by Jennifer Wiese
- Digital sewing pattern pieces for the class exercises
- Opportunities to connect with the other sewists in your virtual retreat
- Access to Social Sewists, Workroom Social's online sewing community
▶︎ Registration fees
Choose from 3 registration options.
Option 1—Retreat only
$259.99
Option 2—Retreat plus 6-months membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists
$337.99
Get $42 off a 6-month membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists. Join other sewists in our Lab and Lounge to attend live virtual and in-person events, watch recorded tutorials, get support and tools to improve your sewing, and make new sewing friends! 1 live event each week.
Option 3—Retreat plus 1-year membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists
$409.99
Get $90 off a 12-month membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists. Join other sewists in our Lab and Lounge to attend live virtual and in-person events, watch recorded tutorials, get support and tools to improve your sewing, and make new sewing friends! 1 live event each week.
▶︎ Registration requirements
Garment Sewing Fundamentals 201 is designed for sewists who don't have a cohesive and comprehensive foundation in garment sewing skills. It's designed for both new sewists and active sewists who aren't succeeding in or satisfied with their garment construction skills.
To register for 201, students must have either taken 101 or know how to...
- measure your body correctly
- pair fabrics with sewing machine needles
- cut out pattern pieces on grain and understand how fabric is created
- sew straight seams, congruent curved seams, and opposing curved seams
- ease both straight and curved seams together
- clip, grade, and press seams allowances
- sew a basic dart
Not sure if 201 is right for you? Get in touch! You can email Jennifer at hello @ workroomsocial.com or call her in the studio at 646-481-1650.
▶︎ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: This is exactly what I'm looking for! How do I register?
Scroll up and select your class dates and registration option to register.
Q: I can't make these dates, do you know when you'll be hosting these virtual retreats again?
We don't have future dates scheduled at this time. We do hope to run Garment Sewing Fundamentals 101 and 201 again in the future. The best way to learn when registration opens is to join Workroom Social's mailing list.
Q: How much does it cost to attend this virtual retreat?
Choose from the following 3 options to register for Garment Sewing Fundamentals 201:
Option 1—Retreat only
$259.99
Option 2—Retreat plus 6-months membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists
$337.99
Get $42 off a 6-month membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists. Join other sewists in our Lab and Lounge to attend live virtual and in-person events, watch recorded tutorials, get support and tools to improve your sewing, and make new sewing friends! 1 live event each week.
Option 3—Retreat plus 1-year membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists
$409.99
Get $90 off a 12-month membership to our Lab and Lounge for Social Sewists. Join other sewists in our Lab and Lounge to attend live virtual and in-person events, watch recorded tutorials, get support and tools to improve your sewing, and make new sewing friends! 1 live event each week.
Q: How long will I have access to the classes in this virtual retreat?
Students get access to the recorded classes for the lifetime of the class. That means as long as the platform is available, you'll have access to the recordings.
Q: Are the classes in this virtual retreat live or recorded to watch on-demand?
The classes during our virtual retreats happen live, and we encourage students to attend live to ask questions in real-time and engage with their fellow students. Classes are recorded for those who can't attend live and can be watched on-demand as often as you want. Group working sessions are not recorded and must be attended at their scheduled times.
Q: Who are your virtual retreats designed for?
Garment Sewing Fundamentals 101 and 201 are designed for sewists who don't have a cohesive and comprehensive foundation in garment sewing skills. It's designed for both new sewists and active sewists who aren't succeeding in or satisfied with their garment construction skills.
To register for 201, students must have either taken 101 or know how to...
- measure your body correctly
- pair fabrics with sewing machine needles
- cut out pattern pieces on grain and understand how fabric is created
- sew straight seams, congruent curved seams, and opposing curved seams
- ease both straight and curved seams together
- clip, grade, and press seams allowances
- sew a basic dart
Q: Will this virtual retreat teach me how to sew?
Yes! More specifically, it will teach you how to sew clothing using sewing patterns. It will not teach you how to operate a sewing machine. All students must know how to operate their individual sewing machines.
Q: Will I sew a garment in this virtual retreat?
No, you will not sew a complete garment in Garment Sewing Fundamentals. Students learn the garment sewing skills listed above, and apply this knowledge to sewing sample pieces using sewing patterns developed specifically for the class.
At the end of class, students see how the specific skills are used in different garment sewing patterns. Students are encouraged to choose a sewing pattern to create immediately following class, and they can start work on them in the optional group working sessions that take place after the class sessions end.
Q: Will these classes teach me how to make adjustments to my sewing pattern to alter the fit?
No, the classes in Garment Sewing Fundamentals do not cover how to make adjustments to sewing patterns.
Q: Can I find this information on YouTube for free?
You can find some of the information in this class for free online. However, as expert sewists and experts in adult-skills-training, Christine Haynes and Jennifer Wiese developed this virtual retreat to teach sewists a comprehensive foundation for garment sewing. The classes in our virtual retreat are taught in a systematic way so that knowledge builds on itself, setting up our students for sewing success. When you register for this virtual retreat, not only do you receive the class materials, which were specifically developed to teach this topic, you also get help from experts and your fellow students in our online class community. And remember! By registering for this class, you're supporting a small business too.
Q: What if I want a refund on my class registration?
Due to the nature of digital products, Workroom Social does not offer refunds on class and event registrations. All registrations are final sale. You can read more about our Terms, Conditions, and Refunds policy at https://workroomsocial.com/terms.