Hand sewing at Tatter

Sewing by hand is a simple activity that purposefully alters the material world.

Whether you are an experienced stitcher or a novice, our hand sewing classes will allow you to grow your skills, to cultivate well-being, and to connect to our shared, ancient past with needle and thread.

In an increasingly digitized world, the slow act of pushing a needle through cloth is surprisingly meditative and joyful. Sewing by hand can be both social and solitary, practical and creative. It is a practice that is–at a minimum–more than 30,000 years old.

Tatter sewing classes intentionally choose hand over machine. When we engage with a sewing machine, we are in dialogue with a machine. When we are engaged with the hand, we are in dialogue with ourselves. Tatter offers beginner series to further everyone’s skills. Our classes, led by expert teachers, offer practical instruction in a supportive environment as they explore how textile structures illuminate the daily lives of persons around the world and across time.

Past workshops have offered instruction in historical seams, taught how to hand sew a t-shirt, and showed participants how to alter existing garments to better accommodate their shapes and preferences. Join us and try hand sewing for the first time, to revive a practice, and to fabricate garments and objects that can be enjoyed with pride!