Let's start at the beginning...
After several years of watching Sewing Bee and various sewist Instagram accounts, I was finally going to learn how to make my own clothes.
It doesn’t usually take such a long stretch of yearning to begin a skill. Generally, the discovery-to-fixation pipeline is a matter of days. I see a video about polymer clay and by the end of the week I’ve sunk a bunch of cash, called in sick to spend the entire day crafting, grown bored and moved on to the next thing.
But when it comes to sewing, the barriers to entry are a little more frightening. It’s one thing to drop £30 on clay you’ll end up giving away. It’s another to invest in a sewing machine.
Not only that, but how do you know what fabric to buy? How do you measure your body? What does ‘cut on a bias’ mean, and wtf is selvedge? Even if you were to take the risk and buy everything you need, hoping you could work out how to use it on YouTube, where do you fit all this paraphernalia in a tiny London flat?
But Insta kept sending me sewing videos, and I kept eating them up and saying more please, yum yum yum. So I decided it was time. That’s how I ended up roaming the streets around Make Town because in my eagerness I’d arrived 20 minutes early to my ‘Learn to Sew’ class.
Sewing classes offer a set of projects on which to learn the basics, so I wanted to find a class in which I’d make something I’d actually use. Sustainability is a primary driver of why I want to learn to make my own clothes, so I didn’t see the point of starting the journey making something that would end up in the back of the cupboard. I have enough cushion covers, and the perfect capacious tote bag – I don’t need anymore, thank you. Brooke’s class said we’d make an apron and project bag; much more useful; sign me up.
Everything we need would be provided, so I showed up with nothing but a positive attitude, made some small talk with the other students, and then Brooke laid out pre-cut fabric samples for us to choose from for our project bag, I selected a pink pinstripe, a forest green, and a purple paisley number for the lining.
First, we had to learn how to thread a sewing machine (something I’ve had to relearn each time I’ve sat down at a machine, like I’ve never done it before) and then we were off, each tinkering away with our work while Brooke ran around the room getting us out of whatever trouble we’d sewn ourselves into. We pinned and ironed, made linings, flipped things inside out, pulled drawstrings through special channels, and all of a sudden, like some kind of alchemy, we each had a bag in our hands. What witchcraft was this? Those three squares of fabric and a bit of rope had become a thing; a perfect little pouch.
Brooke posted this photo of the whole class looking cute and me looking insane, but I do feel it captures the joy I felt.
Look at my claw hand. That’s a claw of pure delight.
I’m a skincare girlie, so as soon as I got home, I filled the bag with all the various creams and tinctures that were littered around the house, and I’ve used it every day since. I still get as much satisfaction from this little bag as I did that first night, staring at it fondly on the ride home, this thing I’d made from scraps and string.
For the second and third weeks of this three-week course, we used the same principles we’d learned for the bags but on a bigger scale, and this time we cut our own fabric. I chose a mustard-yellow linen for my apron and rolled it out on the cutting table. Cutting fabric is terrifying because a mistake can ruin a huge swathe of linen. Brooke told us that to avoid janky little snips and messy edges we should ‘cut with conviction’, meaning to slice away bravely, using the full blade of the scissors. Cut with conviction I muttered to myself, as I sliced a single clean stroke before losing my nerve and proceeding to cut like a toddler, in jagged, uneven lines that barely aligned with the actual pattern. BUT because sewing is magic, all those raggedy ends got nicely folded into hems and you’d never know they were there.
It’s done! And Brooke gave me a ham to hold for the photo because I didn’t know what to do with my arms. (What’s a ham, you ask? No idea. Perhaps we’ll find out later in this sewing journey.)
I don’t actually use aprons, preferring to splatter food all over myself like a messy bitch, but I plan on adding embroidery to my apron and giving it to my parents for Christmas (two Christmases have passed and I’ve still not done this).
And that’s it for the first part of my sewing career. I can cut things, I know the importance of ironing, and can sometimes thread a machine if I do a quick Google while Brooke isn’t looking. Most importantly, I’m now qualified to book in for late night sewing sessions where I can start building the wardrobe of dreams.
The world of patterns is now available to me and I can’t wait to figure out what’s next.
Alie Benge
I met Alie in London, through friends of friends because all expats eventually find each other and realise they are indeed all connected and get along like a house on fire.
Alie is a published author and I highly recommend you grab a copy of her book Ithaca and also Otherhood, which Ali co-edited and is a must read!
You can find more of her writing at Burnt Toast.
Follow her journal about learning to sew at Make Town. She is gonna be dropping these entires like hot potatoes x
📸 photo credit Ebony Lamb
Feel the love
Zoe BWe booked four hours and it flew by.
Amazing experience doing the beginners weaving workshop on the floor looms. Such a beautiful studio, Brooke was amazing and we had so much fun. Highly recommend to budding creatives and people who never considered doing this - a wonderful afternoon.
Yasmin BocarisaThe Learn to Sew course was such a fantastic experience for me over the past three weeks. Ali was SUCH a great teacher - calm, encouraging, patient and explained everything brilliantly - and the whole thing has made me really love sewing and want to do more. I would definitely recommend MakeTown and will be back again soon!
Charlotte HeathcoteI love Make Town so much - I've learned to sew, I've learned to weave on a floor loom, and I've met so many friendly people, all in an incredibly well-organised environment, with brilliant Brooke on hand to answer every question and solve every problem with good humour and tireless energy. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Lucy CThis is the best making and crafting place I’ve ever been to. Brooke will teach you a thing or two, the other punters are really great and friendly and talented, and your soul will be nourished beyond your woolly dreams. DO IT x
Georgia WatkinsStill beaming from the loveliest day in this studio which I am certainly going to be coming back to - thank you Brooke x
Megan CunninghamHow fun is Make Town? That’s rhetorical, because the answer is obviously “so much”.
Such an incredible gem for crafters of all kinds and experience levels. Brooke, Ali and the team are endlessly patient - fantastic at explaining (and re explaining when your face can’t hide the confusion - trust the process). You’ll want out of the place absolutely chuffed with your new scarf/jacket/dress/jumper/bag/apron/wall hanging and scheming up your next project. I’d give the place 10 ⭐️ if I could
Jules TierneyCrafting with Brooke was brilliant. I was a complete beginner and felt totally safe and unjudged in her pro hands! Biggest thing she taught me is that any and all (crafting) mistakes can be mended or made into something more beautiful. Her patience, kindness and craic seeps into the work, I loved every minute!
B_SuperorganismWhen I approached Brooke to sew a stage outfit for me, I was confident she would deliver a perfect product by the looming deadline. She was great at following my brief while also advising me on what design and fabric would work best. The result exceeded expectations; I have had endless compliments on my silver sequinned cape!
Lewis of ArabiaBrooke is one of those magical people you meet for a second and feel you've known all your life. She's so insanely talented and shares it with such grace you also feel like you can accomplish such technical skills with her around. As a teacher she is knowledgeable, interesting and engaging and most importantly FUN!
Therese LaneHad a whale of a time!! We loved every minute of our weaving workshop at Make Town. Brooke was super friendly, approachable and made the whole experience easy and lots of fun.
Sara LEveryone should try floor loom weaving as it's absolutely brilliant and not too tricky. I've been to these sessions a number of times now and I love them.
Claudia ZanonThis is great for beginners to learn weaving basics but very satisfying as I managed to experiment with colours and have a little project completed, I highly recommend it!
Jo HIllI absolutely LOVED my freestyle loom weaving session at Make Town. A perfect combination of being helped to learn and being left to experiment! It was my first try and in just one session I came home with a beautiful tapestry that I felt so proud of! It was great fun, and is a beautiful and relaxed space to be creative in.
Therese LaneHad a whale of a time!! We loved every minute of our weaving workshop at Make Town. Brooke was super friendly, approachable and made the whole experience easy and lots of fun. We learnt to weave on the floor looms, and were surprised by how big our finished pieces were at the end of the 2 hours.
Chloe S-LHad a fantastic time at Make Town for Knitters Anonymous!! I’ve been looking for a new knitting group ever since I graduated and had to leave my university knitting society 5 years ago, and this one was amazing. Really cool to have a complete mix of abilities in the room, and it’s reassuring to know I could come back with any knitting quandary and have help!
Tyler RoseMake Town, Make Town, MAKE TOWN!
What an incredible place to learn so many craft bits, I have been there a couple of times now and honestly learnt so much.Brooke is an absolute delight and really takes the time to get around to everyone and show/explain how everything works. It also is super colourful (which I love)! Anyways, go check it out, you won't regret it!
Maddy EmbletonI recently took a weaving class with Brooke - cannot think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Brooke's a great instructor, very calm, relaxed and knowledgeable. I would happily spend many more Sundays depleting her instagram-worthy yarn wall! Also weaving is easier than it looks and very therapeutic and absorbing. Do it!
Emily ZachryWhat a gem of a place! Beautiful, bright, and easy to book online. They are so helpful and encourage you to be creative in your work. We went as newbies and left feeling more confident. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for some creative fun or wants to build on their skills.
RochelleMake Town is fantastic. I'm in London for a few months and needed to use a sewing machine to finish a project, and it was exactly what I needed. The atmosphere was informal, relaxed and friendly, and Brooke let me get on with things but was available if I had questions. I highly recommend checking it out if you have any interest in fabric crafts: I'm going back for a mending evening!
Maia KennedyI love this shop and the knitting course I did at Make Town was fabulous. Brooke brings so much joy to knitting and was on hand with loads of tips and tricks about knitting, craft and lots more! Highly recommend a visit to Make Town!
I did a second course at Make town, tufting! As expected, it was amazing!! Well organised, great teaching, great facilities. Can't recommend enough!
Filipa do CarmoWould highly recommend the beginners workshop if you want to have a go at machine sewing. I ended up with a super cool bag, no fear of sewing machines and a burning desire to start making my own clothes. Brooke totally rocks and is awesome at empowering people!
Dylan PriceI had a fantastic time at the beginners learn to sew workshop recently, Brooke is the most wonderful teacher who really knows her stuff, the techniques were demonstrated clearly from start to finish and the logic behind them thoroughly explained. I arrived unsure if I could sew a straight line and left with a project bag that I love!. I feel confident with the basics of sewing now and I'm inspired to see what else I can create. I can't recommend Make Town enough. Thank you Brooke!.
Susan RBrooke took us from ground zero to sewing a useful and tasteful bag. She’s kind, quirky and patient. She has so much creative experience. Next she is guiding me on a recycled jumper project.
Joshua HillDid both the beginner knitting and sew workshops. Loved them both and even as a very heavy handed clueless starter it was easily manageable! The time flew by on both occasions.
The groups I worked with were all very sweet and we got plenty of individual attention.
Brooke is an excellent teacher - as well just being an all round awesome human being. 10/10 would recommend and I definitely hope to attend some more classes in the future.
Giana SoiniLoved this place! Highly recommend! The owner Brooke really takes care of you, and takes the time for you to learn everything in the proper way, she is so lovely 😊
Sarah CotterillThe weaving class was the best thing we did during a weekend in London with my daughter. The tuition by Becky was excellent and the place is very comfortable. Within minutes we were able to get the hang of it and we each brought home a piece of weaving.
Tanya BorisovaFantastic place to learn sewing! I went to a beginner course with no prior experience and made this cute bag! Brooke is such a lovely person, was always there to help, explain and fix any problems. And the venue itself just invites you to think creatively. Will definitely be back :)
Elodie ToulemonI went to a Craft Cult event, it was super friendly and nice, great to meet and discuss with other crafty people surrounded by beautiful thread and textile. Very inspiring!
I've already booked another workshop and can't wait for next month Craft Cult
Christopher KramaricI feel so lucky to have visited Make Town. It was the highlight of my trip to London for sure. Brooke, the shop owner, was incredibly welcoming and helpful. She handled all of the loom setup for me and gave me free range to select materials from more yarns and felts than you can imagine.
Jonathan DayI went to Make Town to do the Beginners Sewing class and I couldn't have had a better time. It was great fun and I feel totally empowered to do more sewing. Can't recommend Brooke and this gem of crafty goodness more, whether you're starting out or old hat there's something to be found and take part in at Make Town.
Charlotte HeathcoteCan't recommend this highly enough - I went to Weave Club where I could take my pick from a wall of colourful yarns to make a hanging, with Brooke on hand to share expert advice and offer new tips and techniques. The atmosphere is relaxed and the people friendly. I will definitely be back.
Rebecca BlainI went for the absolute beginners knitting workshop. Brooke couldn't be more helpful and demonstrated things in a super straightforward way.
Thoroughly enjoyed the class, met some great people and I will be going back.
Recommend Make Town and Brooke's workshops to anyone who's looking to learn how to kraft, wants to improve their kraft or just wants to hang out with some like minded folk!
Nell CameronThe BEST! Brooke is such an amazing teacher: knowledgeable, calm, patient, super-super-super skilled and generally brilliant. From never having been in the same room as a sewing machine to making trousers and dungarees, couldn’t have done it without Brooke (and wouldn’t have wanted to!). Can’t recommend Make Town strongly enough.
Oh! And you’ll laugh. So much!
Lynda MacInnesSuch a fab space to get crafty in. The weaving was great ... Brooke was a great teacher - really clear and encouraging but gives you space to have a play too. 100% recommend.
Alie BengeThe best sewing class in London! I learnt how to use a sewing machine and patterns at Make Town. You can hire a cutting table and everything else you need to start making your own clothes.