Daunted by alterations? Alison was too, here’s her story.

How often do you order new clothes, only to find they don't fit when they arrive at your door? It's so disappointing, right?  This was Alison’s dilemma when she messaged me at the start of the year interested in a one-to-one sewing class.  She wanted to learn to alter clothes to fit her kids.  You’ll have likely experienced a similar problem, ready-to-wear clothes don’t fit us all the same, and more often than not could do with a bit of help to make them better.

Alison didn’t have a sewing machine but desperately wanted to alter clothes for her kids.  We chatted for a bit over messenger to see the kind of fabrics she would be working with and also her budget.  I did a bit of research for her and recommended a basic machine that would do everything she needed, now and into the future.

When Alison came for her class, I got her to take a few of the items she wanted to alter so we could work on a plan of what was doable.  I taught her the basics:

• how to set up her new machine
• do the basic stitches
• a few simple but effective methods for alterations

When I messaged Alison to ask her permission to write her story, she let me know that she’s not only altering clothes for her kids, but altering costumes for them too – most recently an Angel for the Christmas concert.   Next year she will be making them.  She loves that she can do this for her kids and they love that their Mam has done it for them.

This could be you too! After a beginner’s class, you could be making your little one’s Christmas concert outfit, a World Book Day costume, or even sewing on Scouts or Brownies badges.

Alison wants to continue her sewing journey.  To start yours, book a class on UphouseCrafts.com or email andrea@uphousecrafts.com for more details.