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.