What level sewist am I?
In all honesty, I had such a hard time setting “sewing levels” for our workshops. I waxed and waned over it because how we feel about our own abilities can so easily be distorted by comparing ourselves to others. Plus, I want anyone to be able to join a workshop that inspires them and I’ve found that prerequisites often make people count themselves out or feel like they can’t do something they haven’t done before (which is totally not true!).
After guiding a good amount of new sewists through their first projects, however, I now have a clearer sense of what skills and experiences are beneficial to have for various types of garment workshops. One of my goals during our workshops is to make sure we move at a comfortable and conversational pace and that we can finish our garments in the given amount of time.
The patterns we use for each workshop varies in complexity; from the amount of pieces to cut, to the technical skills involved, to the tediousness of the sewing itself. As you’ll see, it’s less about you needing to having certain technical sewing skills and more about being able to sew at a confident and steady pace.
I’ve created some descriptions below that I hope will help you decide which workshop you feel ready to dive into and give you an idea of what you might expect going into a workshop.
Super Beginner: You have never used a sewing machine and you have no sewing experience under your belt. You would like to get comfortable using a sewing machine, understand some of its different functions, and are interested in tackling a small project to help build up your basic sewing skills and confidence. You’re interested in warming up before diving into a longer workshop. Our Sew Basics class is perfect jumping off point to help get you comfortable if this sounds like you!
Beginner: You may or may not have used a sewing machine before, but you’re feeling inspired to learn how to sew and are excited to dive right in! You do not need to have any sewing projects under your belt to join. Our beginner garment workshops use patterns that are simpler in design and construction. The difference between you and a super beginner is that you want to tackle a larger sewing project right off the bat and are interested in garment sewing!
Confident Beginner: You have used a sewing machine before (even if it was years ago!) and have at least one small project under your belt. You may need a refresher on how to wind a bobbin and thread a machine, but you’re confident you can sew a straight line. You may or may not have ever used a garment pattern before.
Advanced Beginner: You’re comfortable using a sewing machine and have a few simple projects under your belt. You may have sewn some beginner level garments with (or without) a pattern and are excited to learn more about using patterns and rebuild upon your skills.
Intermediate: You’re very confident in your sewing skills and are comfortable using garment patterns. You have a sewn garments or other projects and want tackle a more complex project you have never tried before with some guidance or maybe you simply want to sew in a community setting.
In summary, even a little sewing experience goes a long way at Sew Club and our sewing levels are here to serve as guides, not rules. If you’re still unsure what level sewist you are, I encourage you to reach out. I’m always happy to hear about your sewing experiences and help you decide if a workshop is the right fit.
