If the thought of sewing a cushion fills you with dread, the cosy and relaxed atmosphere of the newly-opened Sew Over It sewing workshop in Clapham North should restore your confidence in your stitching skills.
With pretty dresses hanging in the window, embroidered pictures of birds with tags saying ‘sew me’ hanging on the walls and reams of luxurious material in the shop front, there’s much in Sew Over It to take inspiration from.
But if materials and handiwork doesn’t do it for you, owner, tutor and all round sewing fan Lisa Comfort certainly eases the transition from sewing virgin to eager beginner with her encouragement and calm outlook.
After picking from 14 gorgeous pieces of fabric and feeding us lemon drizzle cake and tea, Lisa takes our group of six downstairs to the workshop and talks us through the cutting process. As we’re all pretty new to sewing, Lisa takes things steadily, patiently explaining the patterns without losing us in sewing-speak.
Cutting, pinning and ironing done, we huddle around her machine and are given a fool-proof guide to using the machine and plenty of material to practice on to get our stitches in shape.
Next, Lisa shows us how to make the crisp folds in our cushions by ironing a cm flap on each. This done, we listen as Lisa shows us how to sew the whole piece inside out and together, all the while stopping to answer questions and to help with any pickles we’ve got in.
Once the pillows are sewn together, we hold our breath as we flip them inside out and reveal the case in its stitched up glory. From there, we add in our cushions and are taught how to make fabric buttons to add to our finished work.
Lisa’s enthusiasm, expertise and fun outlook to sewing make this a great class to give beginners confidence in trying out new crafty projects. And you get to take a cushion home too, now I can take on another class, like the skirt workshop, patchwork lampshade or a leather clutch bag - oh the choices.
Sew Over It
Clapham North
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