Winter/Spring Classes

We are so lucky to have the most amazing, talented, cool, creative, and thoughtful teachers you could ever ask for at The Make Den. Cat Essiambre of The Deadly Nightshades, Linda Varekamp (who made the bicycle quilt above) Sissi Ke (who does alterations at Holt Renfrew), Theresa Aqui (who also makes custom mens shirts) and many others who bring their combined expertise and skills to inspire and educate during their classes. And with 2 new studio spaces upstairs from 69 Vintage Collective, we have the space and skillz to bring you some rad Winter/Spring workshops in 2012!

Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register.

Intro to Sewing
Learn everything you'll need to start sewing on your own. From using our awesome Janome 625E machines to sewing your own pencil skirt or lined bag, you'll never regret learning how to sew! (6 weeks, $220~)
Sunday Feb 5th, 10am-1pm
Wednesday Feb 15th, 2pm-5pm
Wednesday Feb 22nd, 6-9pm
Thursday Feb 23rd, 6-9pm
Sunday Feb 26th, 10am-1pm & 1:15-4:15pm
Wednesday March 15th, 2-5pm & 6-9pm
Sunday March 18th, 10am-1pm & 1:15pm-4:15
Monday March 19th, 6-9pm
Wednesday April 4th, 2-5pm & 6-9pm
Sunday April 15th, 10am-1pm & 1:15pm-4:15pm
Thursday April 26th, 6-9pm

Designer Dresses
Design, Draft and Sew your own Party Dress! Use your new sewing skills to draft your dream dress. Learn how to fuse, add boning and lining and sew in an invisible zipper. (8 weeks, $310)

Saturday Jan 28th, 4-7pm
Saturday March 31st, 4-7pm
Saturday May 26th, 4-7pm

Intermediate Sewing I - Shirt-making
Learn to draft and sew in collars, sleeves and cuffs. Sew darts to create a shirt that fits to a T! (8 weeks, $310~)
Saturday May 12th, 1-4pm

Intermediate Sewing II
Learn to sew your own pants! Sew up a fly front facing, western style pockets and a waistband with the perfect fit.
Saturday March 10th, 1-4pm


Serger Basics
Use the Serger to sew stretchy, comfortable and soft clothing. Start with an easy pair of tights using the serger and coverseamer, and then try underwear, t-shirts and more! (5 weeks, $220~)
Sunday Feb 19th, 4:30-7:30pm
Sunday April 1st, 4:30-7:30pm
Sunday May 6th, 4:30-7:30pm

Sew by the Hour at The Make Den!

Hooray! We're expanding. And after many, many requests from students and friends we are SEW excited to finally be able to offer sewing space by the hour. Our new open studio is down the hallway from the main studio and is equipped with 3 SUV1108 Janome machines (not the machine pictured above - that's the 625e) drafting table and basic sewing tools (we have scissors, bobbins, stitch rippers, rulers and chalk - you'll need to bring your own thread!). Space is available Saturdays and Sundays from 12-7pm and must be pre-booked. Studio time is $7/hr, or 10hrs for $60~.

If you would like to book studio time please email themakeden@hotmail.com

Crocheted Cupcakes with Linda Varekamp - Feb 6th

Have you ever seen that genius VICE TV creation, "The Cute Show"? The one where they scour the earth for the worlds cutest baby animals and other assorted cute things? Like the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, or the lady who rescued the red squirrel orphans from Hurricane Katrina?

Well, they should come and visit us on Feb 6th because Linda Varekamp is taking cute to the next level with her little crocheted Amagurumi cupcakes. Learn to crochet while fashioning the most adorable stuffed cupcakes you've ever seen!

They make awesome gifts for kids birthdays, Valentines or International Cute Day. Okay that's not a day but it should be. I'll get right on that. The Crocheted Cupcakes workshop runs from 1-4pm on Monday Feb 6th. Materials are provided unless there is a specific yarn colour that you'd like to bring with you. Beginners are welcome! The workshop fee is $35~. Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register.

New Year's Belle!

Wow! Happy New Years to everyone, especially to Courtney - who worked SO hard to make this awesome NYE party frock! I can't imagine a better way to ring in the new year than by wearing a stunning dress that you've made for yourself. Courtney used black satin, black lace, satin bias tape and put in HOURS of hard work both at the studio and at home to finish this stunning piece. The lace is very delicate and fragile, so everything was hand stitched before it was machine sewn. It is a perfect fit, and taking the extra time to sew up a muslin for yourself is totally worth it when you get that 'custom' look at the end. Even the bias tape was hand-made AND hand-stitched to match the satin of the dress. Courtney was so patient and careful with her beautiful dress, and it was obviously worth it - this really is a couture garment and I can't wait to see what she whips up for herself next!

Courtney also runs an Etsy shop called Woolly Bully where she sells her own crocheted scarves, shawls and even coffee cup cozies! They are the most adorable things ever, and I was lucky enough to get one for Christmas this year! I use mine all the time. Congrats on your awesome work, Courtney!

Make (Den) it for your Mate with Cat Essiambre

Rock your own adorable and totally matching DIY accessory kit - or give the BEST handmade Valentines Day gift ever!
This winter, The Make Den is your one stop shop for Wallet-Making, Lined Leather Laptop Covers, Lined Make-up Cases (which also double as awesome shaving kits), Beer Cozies, and Handmade Bowties! Make it green by using recycled leather pants, old denim, unloved leather jackets or vintage wool. Then decorate with applique or reverse applique and Voila! Your status as a DIY Queen is undeniable once you've got these beauties under your belt.

We are SO excited to be offering a workshop series with the one and only Cat Essiambre (as seen in Teen Vogue, BBC World and voted one of Toronto's Fashion Hero's by NOW magazine) Cat has also worked with Philip Sparks, Thomas and is a member of the very awesome Deadly Nightshades.

Here's how it works: All through January and February, you can take an accessories class every Friday from 1-4pm or 1-5pm.
Make one, or make all 5! Receive a 10% discount if you sign up for more than 3 classes. Beginners are welcome.
To register, email themakeden@hotmail.com

Wallet-Making
Jan 13th,
1-4pm.
$45~

Laptop Covers
Jan 20th
1-5pm.
$55~

Make Up Case (or Shaving Kit)
Jan 27th
1-5pm
$55~

Beer Cozies
Feb 3rd
1-4pm
$45~

Leather Bowties
Feb 10th
1-4pm
$45~

Intro to Sewing Classes - 2012

There have been some really beautiful skirts made in the beginner sewing class recently and I can't wait to share the photos with you. Until then, enjoy this quilted satin mini from L'Agence. This is a relatively simple pattern (gathered skirt with a zipper and a waistband) but sewn up in this beautiful quilted fabric it looks stunning.

Our beginner sewing class covers all the basics: Working with patterns, hemming pants, sewing 1/2" seams, 1/4" seams, French seams, gathering, basting, sewing darts, inserting zippers and waistbands, and finally - drafting a custom pattern for your own personalized fit skirt! You'll go home with your own pattern, skirt and a whole bunch of handouts and samples to help you sew whatever you want to do next. You will definitely leave this class with confidence. Students also have the option of sewing up their own bag in this class.

We still have space left in 2011 classes! We have also added new 2012 classes. Classes run for 6 weeks. Each class is 3hrs long.

Intro to Sewing Start Dates:

Sunday Dec 11th, 1-4pm
Wednesday Jan 11th, 6-9pm
Thursday Jan 12th, 6-9pm
Sunday Feb 5th, 10-1pm, 1-4pm
Wednesday Feb 22nd, 6-9pm
Thursday Feb 23rd, 6-9pm

Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register. Get sewing now! Gift Certificates are available.

Tailored Jackets at The Make Den

Finally! We've had so many requests for a class on Tailoring. It really is an art and I'm so excited to be able to offer it this January! I remember the first time I sewed a jacket; It was a black wool winter coat for my boyfriend, with red chinese brocade lining. I learned so much while I was making it; welt pockets, easing in a sleeve - I still remember being so nervous while I was bagging the lining, wondering if it would look alright! Happily, he still wears it nearly 5 years later.

Tailored Jackets starts on Tuesday Jan 17th, Tuesday March 27th and Tuesday June 5th. All classes start at 6pm, and run for 3hrs. Class runs for 10 weeks. Students will learn how to properly fit a muslin, fuse fabric, sew in welt pockets, insert a collar, facing and sleeves, use a sleeve press, cut and bag a lining and then professionally press their garment. This class is recommended for students who have some previous sewing experience and are looking to take their skills to the next level.
Garments completed in this class will be appropriate for portfolio images if you are applying to FIT, Parsons, George Brown or Ryerson. The course fee is $350~. To register, email themakeden@hotmail.com

BBC News with The Deadly Nightshades

Some of you guys know that I am living a secret double life. That's right - when I'm not teaching sewing classes, I am a member of the very deadly and dangerous Toronto Bicycle gang, The Deadly Nightshades. The Nightshades and I run a fantastic bicycle tour of local designers studios in Toronto once a month in collaboration with the Drake Hotel.

A few months ago, on our final Style Spin of the season, Fast Track's Theopi Skarlatos came along and showcased the Deadly Nightshades in a piece for BBC World titled: Toronto's Competitive Vintage Scene

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Thanks to Kealan from Vintage 69 for lending us such awesome outfits!
(Too bad we don't have more pictures of them)

Couture Techniques Series: Installing Perfect Zippers

Our awesome Couture Techniques workshop series continues in December with 'Installing Perfect Zippers'. Learn how to sew in an invisible zipper, a lapped zipper, a centered zipper and a fly front zipper in this one day intensive workshop. Learn the correct presser feet to use, how to hand-baste a zipper to perfection, clean finishing linings and more. This is a must for design students and serious seamstresses everywhere who want to improve their sewing skills.

INSTALLING PERFECT ZIPPERS
3 one-day workshops are available:
Saturday Jan 21st
Saturday Feb 25th
Saturday March 17th

11am - 5:30pm
1207 Bloor St. W
$90~

Email Themakeden@hotmail.com to register!
Spaces are limited.

Couture Techniques Series: Bound Buttonholes and Welt Pockets

We are SO excited to be bringing back "Couture Techniques" workshops at The Make Den. We are offering some new classes as well, but "Bound Buttonholes and Welt Pockets" was such a hit last year that we will be offering it 4 times this winter! This is a one day intensive workshop that will teach pocket and handmade buttonhole making secrets of a European Couturier.
Learn the proper method of marking, cutting and hand stitching a welt pocket so you have perfect edges every time! This is a must for design students and serious seamstresses everywhere who want to improve their sewing skills.

BOUND BUTTONHOLES AND WELT POCKETS
Saturday Dec 3rd
Saturday Jan 7th
Saturday Feb 11
Saturday March 24th

11am - 5:30pm
1207 Bloor St. W
$90~

Email Themakeden@hotmail.com to register!
Spaces are limited.

Christmas Gift Giving: Jewelry with Fredrick Prince!!!

The first time I heard about Fredrick Prince was after my friend and stylist Desire sent over these awesome pics (the dresses were made at The Make Den). I was so impressed by the beautiful jewelry that he had shot, that I knew I had to ask the designer if she could teach a class!

Well, lucky us - Melissa De Luca agreed and I'm so excited to be offering jewelry-making classes just in time for Christmas!
Use new and upcycled materials to create showstopping wire and crystal conversation pieces. Make multi-strand
bracelets, matching earring and necklace sets and more. Keep them all for yourself or make doubles for the gift-giving season!

1st class: Wire wrapping teardrop crystals to make necklace and matching earring set.
Materials: Faux crystals, artistic wite, jump rings, chain, earring base.

2nd class: Multi strand bracelet made with chain, crystal and beads with matching necklace with peace sign pendant.
Materials: 5 strand bracelet base, faux crystals, fish wire, pearl/beads, chain, metal pendant, lobster clasp, jump rings, head pins

3rd class (elastic): 10 strand pearl bracelet with rhinestone connectors and charms, scrunchie ring, bracelet made with elastic and chain combined.
Materials: faux pearls, rhinestone connectors, charms, jump rings, spacers, chain

4th class: Refurbish old jewellery. Students bring in old jewellery and have fun tearing it apart and turning it into something new using the techniques that they learned in classes 1-3. All materials from classes 1-3 will be available for them to work with.

(Max 5 students)
Classes start on Thursday Dec 1st at 6pm. Each class is 2hrs long. Class fee is $135 for a 4 week session, plus a $35~ material fee. Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register!

Christmas Gift Giving: Knitting with Dylan Uscher

I promised myself that I was going to finish all of my Christmas shopping by the end of November this year. I'm not there yet, but I started back in October and it feels SO good to be about halfway done. I won't tip my hat as to what I'm getting anyone yet, but you can bet that at least one lucky person will be getting a pair of these fingerless armwarmers.

If you want something to kick start your Christmas crafting this year, Dylan is teaching the Intro to Knitting class again starting on Nov 12th. His fingerless fall gloves with customize-able details like colour, gauge and stitch patterns make awesome stocking stuffers - or get someone a gift certificate and give them the gift of learning how to knit! Learn the essential skills like how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off. His 4 week beginner class will teach all the tips on needle size, yarn selection, gauge, measurement and more. Classes run for 4 consecutive weeks. Each class is 2 hrs long and the class fee is $96~ + $15~ materials fee. Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register!

Roxanne in Washington DC

Huge congrats to Roxanne for finishing this awesome lavender chiffon beauty! It took weeks (okay, maybe months) of hard work -
but WOW was it ever worth it! Roxanne wore this to her cousin's wedding in Washington DC and surprised her whole family with her new sewing skills. After fitting the dress lining in muslin twice to account for the gaping that sometimes occurs at the neckline when a dress goes from symmetrical to asymmetrical, Roxanne draped the chiffon directly onto the dress form and then gathered the excess at the shoulder to create a chiffon flower. The draped shoulder was then finished using a rolled edge. Look out Michelle Obama!!!

Esther and the Sweet Sixteen dress!

Here's Esther, wearing the Sweet Sixteen dress that she made for her friends birthday party! There were a few bumps in the road on the way to finishing this awesome dress (the first bodice was murdered by the iron and had to be recut!) but Esther DOES NOT GIVE UP and Voila! The most adorable sweet-sixteen dress you've ever seen! She used poly microfibre for the bodice and the skirt, and silk chiffon for the halter ties at the neck. She used a rolled hem for the skirt and there is an invisible zipper in the back of the dress. What isn't awesome about this outfit?!

Fall/Winter Sewing classes at The Make Den

Learning how to sew is empowering, exciting and really fun. New classes are starting all the time. We'd love to have you!
Send your name and the start date you're interested in to themakeden@hotmail.com to register.

Natural Dying: Cochineal

The red colour from Cochineal beetles (pronounced Koch-i-neel), called carminic acid, has been used in South America since the time of the Aztecs. We ordered ours from Maiwa in Vancouver and used an ice cream scoop to crush the shells into a powder. The top picture is of silk yardage dyed with cochineal and Becca will probably use it to make herself a new tank top or a scarf!

Natural Dye Workshop: Indigo Dying with Paper People Clothing

We had such incredible results from the natural dying workshop on Friday. Here is Jenn, my awesome and talented friend, dying some silk shirts using Indigo dye. Jenn is a designer at her own label Paper People Clothing and hopefully some of these dying experiments will become part of her next collection! Jenn and her assistant Siv used some silk shirts and wool sweaters to test each of the dyes. Indigo is like nothing I've ever used to dye with before. The Thioureadioxide and Sodium Carbonate created a reaction that caused the Indigo to heat and foam up, turning a brilliant kelly green mixed with foamy deep blue.

I'd really like to dye some heavy cotton canvas with Indigo dye and sew it into a cropped bolero jacket before spring next year, or maybe a new canvas bag... Keep checking back for the next dying workshop dates!

Natural Dye Workshop: Walnuts

We had SO much fun at the natural dye workshop here at the studio on Friday. With so many different colours and smells coming from the bubbling dye pots, I was reminded just how awesome mother nature really is. The walnuts that have been decomposing in water on the back patio all month... Siv is dipping the wooly sweater into the dye bath here, wrapped in nylon mesh to protect it from all the walnut husks. When the husks started to rot, they turned the water into the most amazing inky brown colour. The dye bath looked like a witches brew, but when we started to warm up the walnuts on the stove, it smelled like baking bread - warm and spicy, with no chemical smells at all. The final colour with walnut dye is actually more of a golden brown rather than deep chocolate like the dye bath, but still amazing that they can turn water such an intense shade of brown!

Style Your Own Magazine with Jenn Nouveau!

Ever imagined yourself editing an issue at Vogue? Art directing at ID? Here's your chance to make it happen while you channel your inner Grace Coddington. Be the creative engine of your very own magazine - learn colour theory, styling tips and then develop your concepts into a photoshoot with real models. The final project will be a collaborative mini-magazine featuring your own photography, concept and styling! Taught by Jenn Nouveau, Art Director at Atelier Magazine

Starts on Saturday Nov 19th, 11am - 2pm
Ages 14-17
Class runs for 6 weeks
Class fee is $220~
(Max 5 students)

Untitled from Magazine Atelier on Vimeo.

Which Craft Series: Vegetable Dying 101/Friday Oct 28th

Double, double, toil and trouble... Muahahaha! Nothing like stirring a big cauldron of inky black walnut dye right before Halloween. I love the smell of a big pot of walnut dye, it is like baking walnut bread or even buttertarts except you won't be eating these buttertarts - you'll be wearing them! The photo above shows how many different ways there are to tie fabric before dying it. Witchcraft seems to be in the air right now, with Madeline sewing a pentagram and red tail onto her bathrobe right before Dentata played the Pop Festival in Montreal - not to mention Karen Palmer and her amazing new book, Spellbound - the story of her travels to a West African Witch Camp.

Karen is learning how to sew at The Make Den and sewing is it's own kind of magic - crafty and clever, it never gets boring and weaves a kind of spell over you. The more you do it - the more you want to do! So the "Which Craft" series is named for Karen and Madeline and their Witchy ways.

Vegetable Dying 101 uses Walnut dye, a South American insect (called the Cochineal) and Logwood to create simple but beautiful patterns on silk and wool. Simple mordanting procedures are used to ensure your fabric is colourfast after dying it. Vegetable Dying runs from 11am-2pm and the class fee is $45~. Fabric is not included. Fabric must be delivered to the studio 1 week prior to class for pre-mordanting. Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register.

Designer Dress Inspiration: Erin Fetherston, Spring 2012

Erin Fetherston is my pick from the seemingly endless stream of delicious new collections on Style.com right now. She makes everything look so simple and effortless - it reminds me of Chole back when Pheobe Philo and Stella McCartney were designing for them. Party girls everywhere will want these pieces come spring 2012 (but you can make your own well before that - shhhhh!)

Living in Jersey (Serger Basics, Sundays 4-7pm)

Mmmmm.... Jersey. And not the kind from the Shore, either. Soft, stretchy comfortable rayon or bamboo jersey. The kind that makes you feel like you can run a little faster and jump a little higher.

Serger Basics runs for 5 weeks, and each class is 3 hrs long.   In the first class, we cover "the basics",  like learning how to thread and adjust the settings on your serger, how to work with knits and how to use a coverseamer to professionally finish your garments.  Then we develop and sew a set of stretchy pant blocks for ourselves in the first class.  You'll need to bring a yard of 4-way stretch cotton fabric to the first class to make your tights.   Once the tights are finished, there is a coverseaming demo for hemming tights and t-shirts.  In the next class, we develop and sew a stretchy turtleneck dress or top.  Class 3 covers the tricks for making underwear and finally classes 4 and 5 are dedicated to developing our own patterns for an independant final project.  The fee for 5 weeks is $220~, which includes HST and covers all patterns, notions and the use of our machines. 

Intro to Knitting - Oct 15th, 2-4pm

Fall is here, and while I'd rather summer last forever... there's nothing I like better when the weather turns colder than to curl up with a cup of tea and a nice full bag of yarn. Enter Dylan Uscher, the brains behind Dylanium Knits. I knew as soon as I met him that he was the perfect person to teach knitting classes at The Make Den! His fingerless fall gloves with customize-able details like colour, gauge and stitch patterns are the perfect beginner DIY project. Learn the essential skills like how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off. His 4 week beginner class will teach all the tips on needle size, yarn selection, gauge, measurement and more. Classes run for 4 consecutive weeks. Each class is 2 hrs long and the class fee is $96~ + $15~ materials fee. Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register!

Intermediate Sewing Part I & II

Intermediate Sewing I is a tailored shirt-making class.   Week 1 covers the basics of drafting bodice blocks and convertible collars, collars with a stand and mandarin collars.  In week 2 students develop their blocks to fit themselves and in week 3 we begin to assemble the body, collar and sleeves of the shirt.   Sewing in sleeves in the round and flat felled sleeves will be demonstrated.  Week 4 and 5 will be spent reviewing cuffs and plackets for both the front of the shirt and the sleeves, and week 6 is spent making button holes and sewing a narrow hem. This is an awesome class if you have mastered the basics and want to learn more traditional tailoring techniques.

Intermediate Sewing II is a shorts or pant-making class. Learn how to sew in a zipper with a fly front, western, slash and patch pockets, waistband and belt loops. Most importantly, make yourself a pair of pants or shorts that fit you perfectly!
Both classes do require basics sewing skills but do not need to be taken together.

The fee for 6 weeks is $250~, which includes HST and covers all patterns, notions and the use of our machines. Classes run for 3 hours. Intermediate Sewing II is starting on Saturday November 5th at 1pm and again on Saturday February 18th, 2012 at 1pm . Intermediate Sewing I is starting on Saturday January 7th at 1pm, and again on Saturday April 7th, 2012 at 1pm.
Email themakeden@hotmail.com to register

Fall/Winter Sewing Classes at The Make Den

Learning how to sew is empowering, exciting and really fun. New classes are starting all the time. We'd love to have you!
Send your name and the start date you're interested in to themakeden@hotmail.com to register.

Summer at The Drake Hotel

Here are more final images from Chelsea and Andrea's final photoshoot from Summer Portfolio Camp at The Drake Hotel. Many thanks to Kiki for helping set up the shoot, and to Desire for arranging make-up.

Final Portfolio Images for Kayla and Cal

Some students spend their summers eating popsicles and playing video games. Not Kayla and Cal, though. They spent their summer this year pinning, stitching, drawing and sewing up a storm at the Summer Portfolio Camp. They paid visits to the fabric district on Queen St. W, developed trend boards, practiced fashion illustration - and most importantly - sewed their own clothes!
Here are the final results, in photos taken at The Drake Hotel on Queen St. W. Cal is wearing a hand-draped, taffeta mini-dress with an orange sash and exposed metal zipper at the back. Kayla is wearing a lace 70's inspired maxi-dress with draped chiffon over the sweetheart neckline.
Photo credit: Jenn Nguyen

Chelsea Girls...

Here's Chelsea, making some last-minute changes to her pink glitter cage dress, which she finished as part of the summer Portfolio Prep Camp. If you missed out on the summer portfolio camp, catch it again as part of a 12 week session that starts Tuesday Sept 27th. Email themakeden@hotmail.com if you'd like to register!

Cal-ifornia, here we come!!!

Cal, in her one of a kind, gathered, kelly green dress. Cal worked hard for two full weeks as part of the portfolio prep camp for students. She finished her custom fit, couture quality dress with time to spare. Congrats Cal, it looks great!!! Stay tuned for more pics...

Fall Sewing Schedule out now!

We've added 2 new intermediate sewing classes on Saturdays, plus the ever-popular 'Draft a Designer Dress' which starts on Saturday Sept 24th from 4-7pm. Sign up early to avoid disappointment!