To your needles!

Whether it is to learn how to use the sewing machine, slide the scissors through the fabric for a very simple dress or start from scratch and design complex patterns, sewing schools offer training courses capable of answering to all needs. From those of the amateur to those of the future designer.

Taming the sewing machine

They chose to teach sewing. Not necessarily in professional schools in front of future great designers, but rather to a clientele for whom sewing is a hobby, whether you practice alone, in a group or even with your children. And if the passion turns into a career, why not?

Camélia St-Cyr Robitaille, who also works as a seamstress with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, founded Atelier Espace Fabrik in 2012, primarily targeting a clientele of children, teenagers and new mothers. Its course schedule includes parent-child, mother-baby courses, a day camp, private lessons and even group activities to celebrate a child's birthday.

“I started sewing at the age of 11, where every Saturday morning I went to sewing class, until I decided to enroll in fashion design at LaSalle College. So for me, it was important to choose to teach the youngest,” explains the seamstress. Classes for children, parent-child or mother-baby are given above all for fun. “We start by getting familiar with the sewing machine, then we move on to personal projects,” adds Ms. St-Cyr Robitaille.

As for adult classes at the Espace Fabrik workshop, people come here to learn basic tricks, but also for more complex creations.

“Students are here to give free rein to their creative side,” says Camélia St-Cyr Robitaille, of Atelier Espace Fabrik.

It is mainly women aged 25-35 who sign up for sewing classes. “Young mothers, young professionals. There are men too, sometimes,” notes Sonia Paradis, founder of the Ethics Factory and author of the book Bringing Change.

According to her, there is a lot of know-how that is disappearing and sewing is one of them. “People of my generation haven't necessarily learned to sew, can't always recognize a good piece of clothing or do basic repairs. They come here to learn about the sewing machine and explore the creative possibilities.” Doing things yourself, equipping yourself to be more autonomous and independent, sewing is a creative hobby with a certain usefulness.

Swimsuits, dresses and...lingerie

While most schools offer programs that aim above all to provide students with a good toolbox to do simple things in sewing , others have chosen to go there in a much more specific way and offer courses based on projects determined in advance. La Fabrique Éthique offers a series of workshops in which people all make the same accessory or garment. Swimsuit workshop, stretchy dress, circular skirt, stuffed animals, we come here for a very specific reason.

Marie-Andrée Legault is a burlesque artist who has been performing for seven years under the name of Miss Lipstick. Graduated in haute couture, sewing teacher and with experience in the field of corsetry and costume making, she founded her school Couture and lipstick in 2015.

She offers classes to fans of burlesque and vintage clothing. Miss Lipstick also adopts a project-based approach: raincoat, Monroe-style swimsuit, capri pants, panties, bra, corset, etc.

“In schools, it's often lessons over several weeks, when I was asked for specific techniques. So I started giving lessons on basic techniques often used in burlesque. And since I dress vintage and love the pin-up look, I added vintage dress and skirt classes, then lingerie. I chose the glamorous and the sexy,” explains Miss Lipstick. In her class, there are women who take responsibility for their sexuality and their beauty. “These are women who want to show off their curves,” explains the burlesque artist.

Increase in interest

According to the teachers interviewed, there is an increase in interest in sewing classes among the population. “There is a real enthusiasm, and it attracts a very varied clientele. Whether it's people who have never sewn, people who are at the professional level or people who want to change careers,” lists Pauline Cossette, from the Zig Zag cutting and sewing school.

After the introductory sewing courses, many decide to continue their learning with advanced training or with personalized support in private lessons. Some will also want to give a new direction to their career path and will go into business or enroll in more elaborate training programs.

Even if the world of fashion is not necessarily a world where it is easy to find your place, Ms. Cossette remains positive about the professional opportunities that await those who decide to make a career out of it: "I encourages them to do business directly with customers rather than trying to sew for the boutiques. People who make tailor-made, high-quality tailoring with beautiful fabrics, do not lack work, there is a clientele for that. The problem is when you want to compete with clothes that are made in China, for example, with cheap fabrics.

From student to designer

The entrepreneur Julie Dumais, who went through the school of Pauline Cossette, was destined for a completely different path than that of founding a business making bikinis. By the time she took pattern training at the Zig Zag school, she already had a degree in international studies in her pocket. "I was in Montreal to work in the events sector, mainly sports-oriented, and I took advantage of a break between two contracts to undertake a sewing course with the aim of being able to make patterns myself, to make and adjust my own clothes.” Back on the school benches, she made a few songs for a pregnant friend. The comments were more than positive. “Sewing has always been part of my life. From the age of 6, I sewed with my mother or my grandmother. However, it was only at school that I realized that I could perhaps live off it, ”she continues. After two jobs in the clothing industry, she decided to create her own company: June Swimwear. Six years later, the swimsuits designed by Julie Dumais are sold in Quebec and online, abroad.

Courses for all tastes

Whether with a project-based approach, lessons given as part of a program that spans several weeks or escape days at the campaign to learn to sew, the diversity of the training offered reflects the interest that we attach to the making of clothing and accessories. Here is a non-exhaustive list of different courses offered to beginners and advanced people who wish to improve their skills.

Sewing school and lipstick

> Haute couture lingerie: Making a lace/guipure bra and garter belt using haute couture techniques. 12 p.m. - $160

> Copy/Paste: Reproduce the pattern of your favorite garment and make it in another fabric. 12 p.m. - $160

> Miss's panties: Make three different models of panties and become familiar with lingerie materials such as lace, mesh, lycra and various specialized elastics. 12 p.m. - $160

Atelier Espace Fabrik

> Classes for children: Learn the basic notions of sewing: how the machine works, how to read a pattern, specific sewing vocabulary. 24h - $370, 10h - $155

> Parent-child: Discover sewing and its advantages with your child. Making a pouch and a reusable bag. 8 a.m. - $170

> Free space - Troubleshooting: To rent a machine or seek advice from experts for any sewing project. Sewing machine: $15/hr, Project tips: $15/30 min, $7.50/15 min

Zig Zag -Cut and sew

> Sewing: In two parts: from a commercial pattern, learn how to fit and assemble a garment, and a technical part where the student makes several samples using industrial processes or haute couture. 30 hrs - $375

> Pattern drawing: Learn to draw a pattern to your measurements. Skirt, bodice and pant template. For production, tailoring or simply to make personal creations. 30 hrs - $375

> Personal adjustment: Learn to take measurements and correct a pattern based on these measurements. Analyze the different shapes and postures of the body and make the necessary corrections and adjustments to the patterns. Learn modification techniques on miniature patterns. First session: 45 hrs - $675, Second session: 30 hrs - $450

Courses at the Zig Zag cutting and sewing school are given in Montreal or in the countryside, in Frelighsburg.

The Ethical Factory

> Make my projects: Adjust your patterns, make clothes and accessories or adjust existing clothes. 3 p.m. - $130

> Pattern drawing course/Initiation: Introduction to the techniques that allow you to create a pattern from standard measurements or personal measurements, therefore without using a tissue paper pattern. For those who want to create a basic template that can be stylized using various pattern techniques. 24 hours - $300

> Various one-day do-it-yourself workshops are offered, as well as conference-workshops.