The Everyday Shirt Sewing Workshop - Full day - £85

Part of the capsule wardrobe sewing series - 9:30am-4:30pm

Join us for a full-day sewing workshop where you’ll create a relaxed, versatile shirt designed to become a true staple in your wardrobe.

The Everyday Shirt is one of the most useful garments you can make. Worn loose with trousers, layered over a dress, or styled casually with jeans, it’s a piece you’ll reach for again and again. In this workshop, you’ll learn the construction techniques behind this classic garment while sewing your own shirt from start to finish.

This workshop is part of the NH Patterns Capsule Wardrobe Series, a collection of classes designed to help sewists build a thoughtful handmade wardrobe, one essential piece at a time. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a finished shirt in your size and the confidence to tackle more garment sewing projects.

With a maximum of 5 students per class, this is a small group setting and is perfect for developing your skills. The studio is only small, so we keep the numbers low to keep it from feeling too cramped.

Date, time and location:

Various dates available. 9:30am-4:30pm

The workshop will take place in our container studio on Pollard Yard in Ancoats, Manchester. The Yard is easily accessible via car or tram, with the closest tram stop being Holt Town and the yard only being a 5 minute walk from here. Parking is available but extremely limited so we would advise public transport where possible.

What will this class cover?

During the workshop we’ll cover key shirt-making techniques including:

• Sewing a back yoke with pleat using the burrito method

• Constructing and attaching a two-piece shirt collar

• Inserting sleeves

• Sewing a grown on button placket

• Sewing buttonholes and attaching buttons

• Professional finishing techniques

For this pattern we will do a basic hem for the sleeve and insert our sleeves flat. We won't be sewing a cuff and placket, or setting in sleeves for this shirt.

Who is this workshop for?

This class is designed for confident beginners who are comfortable using a sewing machine.

You should be able to:

• Thread and operate a sewing machine

• Sew straight seams confidently

• Follow basic sewing instructions

Class includes:

No need to bring a machine! Use of our machines is included in this class. Most machines work in a similar way and so you should find the skills transferrable across models. That being said, if you want to use your own machine, please let us know the model in advance and bring your manual with you.

The pattern is included within the price of the workshop.

Students need to bring:

• Fabric to sew the shirt - this fabric should be washed beforehand to preshrink the fabric and ensure your shirt doesn't shrink in the wash! Cotton poplin, shirting fabric, linen are all ideal for this shirt.
• Buttons - 6 x 12mm buttons
• Lightweight fusible interfacing

• We would suggest bringing a bottle of water, your lunch and anything else you may need over the course of the day.

Workshop preparation:

To make the most of our time together, students will prepare their pattern and fabric before the workshop.

You’ll receive a preparation guide a few weeks before the workshop, which will walk you through:

• Choosing your size

• Prewashing your fabric

• Cutting your pattern pieces

• Applying interfacing

This allows the workshop to focus entirely on sewing and learning construction techniques.

Optional sewing kit:

For convenience, optional shirt sewing kits are available to purchase alongside the workshop.

Each kit includes:

• Fabric

• Matching thread

• Buttons

• Interfacing

• A printed pattern

Kits are sent in advance so you can prewash and cut your fabric before the workshop.

Workshop participants will receive a discount code removing the pattern price from the kit. Please use code: WORKSHOPKIT at checkout if you will be using your kit in the workshop.

Accessibility? 

The container studio has ground level access and there are no stairs. There is a step up into the container though, so please bear this in mind. We have public toilets accessible on site, again at ground level. These do also have a step up to enter.

If you have any additional requirements, please drop us an email at tash@nhpatterns.com before booking a class or workshop and we will do what we can to accommodate.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email tash@nhpatterns.com

Age requirement

This is an adults-only class and all participants must be aged 16 or over for insurance purposes.

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If you’d like to hear about future workshops and events, you can sign up to our mailing list or email us and we can add you with your permission.

Cancellation policy:

A £40 deposit for your place on this workshop is non-refundable in the event of cancellation.

Cancellations made less than 7 days before the workshop are not refundable.