Fitting and Alternations with Lauren Taylor
Garment alterations are a fun and empowering way to level up your sewing skills and expand your wardrobe options. Professional tailor Lauren Taylor is here to guide you through the entire process of this essential skill set! Whether you are working with handmade, ready-to-wear, vintage, or thrifted clothing, this class will teach you how to see garment flaws as exciting opportunities for improvement.
Students are encouraged to bring a variety of garments, both handmade and ready-to-wear. Although we may not get through every piece by the end of class, students can expect to leave with the knowledge and confidence to continue their practice at home.
What students can expect to learn:
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Effective seam-ripping techniques for a variety of stitches, including straight
stitches, serged finishes, and chainstitches -
How to assess a garment’s fit and style, and how to determine what changes
need to be made -
How to pin fit a garment and transfer the adjustments in preparation for sewing
-
How to take apart a garment, look inside, and determine the best method for
Executing whatever adjustment needs to be made based on the construction of the original garment -
Basic garment repair
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How to determine whether a garment can successfully be altered or repaired,
best practices for using trial-and-error to approach alterations to existing
garments, and how to troubleshoot any problems that may arise.
The exact techniques covered in class will depend on the garments that students bring in. Don’t know what to bring? Here are some suggestions for topics that can be covered:
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Altering a garment for a better fit
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Making design changes to a garment - shortening or removing sleeves, changing necklines or collars, adding or removing style ease/volume, adding or removing pockets
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Changing hemlines - topstitched, blind, rolled, using the original hem on jeans
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Garment repairs - holes, split seams, tears, replacing elastic, replacing buttons, replacing broken zippers, adding patches, and repairing worn fabric
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Making a garment smaller or bigger
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Repairing or replacing garment lining
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Garments for friends, family members, loved ones, etc
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Skill Details: | |
| Instructor: | Lauren Taylor |
| Instructor Bio: | Lauren Taylor is a Nashville-based denim artist, pattern nerd, and professional jeans maker best known for turning everyday denim into truly special, better-than-store-bought garments. Through her brand and online presence (@lladybird), Lauren has built a reputation for making custom-fit jeans feel approachable, achievable, and downright fun. Lauren specializes in denim construction, fit adjustment, and modern garment techniques that help sewists finally love how their handmade clothes feel and fit. She has a gift for breaking down complex processes into easy-to-understand steps, making her classes equal parts empowering and inspiring. When she’s not sewing, Lauren shares her journey, behind-the-scenes makes, and honest insight into the creative process, encouraging others to embrace slow fashion, skill-building, and personal style through handmade clothing. If you’ve ever wanted to master denim, conquer garment fitting, or finally make a pair of jeans that fit like a dream, Lauren is the teacher you want behind the machine with you. |
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