I teach classes to all manner of people, on all manner of subjects (including bespoke topics), as private one-to-one or small friendly group classes, located in my studio, or one of my team can travel to your home too, or you can join one of my online classes. I am encouraging, flexible, ND friendly (undiagnosed ND myself) and patient! My studio is a fabric and music filled haven in my garden, magic happens there!
“When I took up sewing 3 years ago, my attitude was “get a machine, watch YouTube vids and plunge right in.” Now, this is all very well, but for a beginner, there’s a lot to learn, and a lot that can go wrong. So after one too many afternoons sobbing over a snarled-up bobbin, an inexplicably bunny-hopping machine and a pile of ruined fabric, I decided to seek help.
That’s how I stumbled across Cheeky Handmades; small, relaxed group lessons led by the wonderful Jennie, in the garden studio of a fabric-hoarder’s dreams.
I started with the 3-day dressmaking course; spread out over 3 weekends, 3 of us made the same dress. It’s the perfect way to start, covering everything from the very basics, like threading and using the machine and cutting out the fabric, through to making a toile, adjusting to fit, sewing the dress, unpicking the bits that went on back to front, re-sewing the dress right way round this time, and finally finishing the darn thing.
Inspired by this, I went on to do many more classes: stretch fabric class, zip class, button class, kimono class, bags class, culotte class — I could go on. Jennie’s put on bespoke classes for me and a sewing buddy at our request, and even took us on a jaunt down Walthamstow market to introduce us to the fabric shops there (I’m now a regular in those shops, but they are a bit daunting to start off with).
And I haven’t finished yet by a long shot — I’m looking forward to alterations class soon, and hopefully many others.
Now, I have tried sewing classes elsewhere, and they were okay, I learnt stuff, they were helpful. But Jennie’s classes are special: relaxed, no-stress days filled with sewing, tea, conversation, music and cats. Lots of cats.
I really can’t recommend Cheeky Handmades highly enough. If you’re thinking of giving it a go, just do it — you’ll be glad you did”
