Sewing Schools and Courses
Sewing courses can usually be found at community colleges and technical schools, where you can enhance your tailoring skills or prepare for a career as a fashion designer. Read on to learn about courses, job opportunities and degree options.
What You Need to Know
Sewing courses are typically offered at community colleges and technical schools. These courses can lead to a fashion design degree or certificate, marketing or retailing program. Available courses can range from sewing to more technical aspects like computer-aided design.
<table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Schools</b></td><td> Community colleges and technical schools</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Programs</b></td><td> Classes in sewing can lead to a fashion design degree or certificate, marketing or retailing program</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Courses</b></td><td> Sewing, patternmaking, garment construction, clothing customization, tailoring methods and computer-aided design</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---WhatKindOfSewingProgramsAreAvailable">What Kind of Sewing Programs Are Available?</h3><p>You can find sewing courses at your local community college or technical school. These are often part of a broader certificate or degree program related to fashion, but some schools offer sewing classes independently for the purpose of personal enrichment. Therefore, the length and scope of your training varies by institution. Here are examples of colleges and technical schools that offer sewing programs:
</p><ul><li>University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI): Master Seamstress I Certificate Program
</li><li>Minneapolis Community & Technical College (Minneapolis, MN): Apparel Technologies
</li><li>San Diego Continuing Education (San Diego, CA): Fashion and Textiles
</li><li>Madison Area Technical College (Madison, WI): Sewing and Fiber Arts
</li><li>Washtenaw Community College (Ann Arbor, MI): Sewing and Upholstery
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatToExpectFromCourses">What To Expect From Courses</h3><p>A sewing course should introduce you to the function of the sewing machine. Coursework commonly includes patternmaking and garment construction lessons and training. You may also learn how to customize your clothing to best fit your own body or learn how to put in zippers and buttons. You may have an opportunity to focus on types of clothes as well, like bathing suits and underwear. Here are more examples of the types of classes offered at different colleges and technical schools:
</p><ul><li>Standard industry software
</li><li>Manufacturing
</li><li>Pattern selection
</li><li>Workmanship standards
</li><li>Industrial sewing methods
</li><li>Product development
</li><li>Alteration techniques
</li><li>Quilting
</li><li>Upholstery
</li><li>Fiber arts and crafts
</li><li>Apparel design
</li><li>Fabric identification
</li><li>Timesaving technologies
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCanSewingCoursesLeadTo">What Can Sewing Courses Lead To?</h3><p>If you are studying fashion design, you're likely to take courses in sewing or garment construction. You may also take construction courses as part of a fashion marketing or retailing program. You may even find programs where you can specialize in the technical aspect of fashion over the design aspect.
</p><p>Your program might include one sewing course, or it may include multiple courses at varying levels. For example, advanced courses may cover draping techniques.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCareerOpportunitiesExist">What Career Opportunities Exist?</h3><p>You need sewing skills to become an alterations expert, seamstress or dressmaker. You can work for yourself or work for a company that specializes in sewing, tailoring or alterations. Fashion designers with knowledge of sewing may be better equipped than those without to understand how their designs will come to life as a garment. Fashion retailers with sewing skills may be suited for quality control positions where they decide whether a particular garment meets a store's quality standards.</p>