Most sewing patterns’ instructions are intended for machine sewing. If you’re eager to stitch clothing by hand, though, you can easily translate those patterns so that they are just right for hand sewing.
In this one-session class, instructor Louisa Owen Sonstroem will guide you through the questions, techniques, and experiments she uses to assess, plan, and convert preexisting patterns. Learn how to interpret sewing pattern instructions, diagram a hand-sewn garment by creating an annotated flat sketch, experiment and assign the right stitches for the right places, plan out the order of operation, and adjust the pattern pieces as needed.
This class focuses on the planning and interpreting stages. In the last part of class, Louisa will share a few versatile, strong, useful hand-sewing stitches that will serve you well on any project. While it is not a comprehensive course in garment construction, students will come away with a clear sense of how to translate preexisting sewing patterns for their hands, and with a beginner’s toolkit of stitches.
Date
Saturday, September 26th, 2026
Time
11:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Cost
$120
Location
Tatter Textile Library: 505 Carroll Street, #2B, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Class Materials
All materials are included with ticket purchase, but if you have a sewing pattern you would like to follow or fabric scraps you want to play with feel free to bring them.
Our Teacher
Louisa Owen Sonstroem is an author, illustrator, and teacher who considers garment-making skills to be deeply empowering. She loves inspiring people to try patternmaking and hand stitching clothing. For most of a decade, Louisa worked in technical design and patternmaking, most recently for Macy’s and Eileen Fisher. She is author-illustrator of Hand Sewing Clothing: A Guide (Louisa Merry, 2021), The Handsewn Wardrobe: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own Clothes, from Patternmaking to the Finishing Stitches (Storey Publishing, 2025), and various zines. Louisa also started “Patternmaking in Public Places,” an outreach project to democratize access to patternmaking skills. You can find more of her work at louisamerry.com and on Instagram @louisaowensonstroem.