Machine Sewing: Tailoring & Clothing Alterations
Adult Class | Registration opens Monday, July 6, 2026 8:00 AM EDT
This class focuses on practical sewing techniques for tailoring, repairing, and altering clothing. Students will learn how to achieve better fit and finish garments while building confidence using the sewing machine for everyday clothing adjustments. Through demonstrations and guided practice, participants will explore common alteration methods and basic tailoring techniques that can be applied to both handmade and ready-to-wear garments.
What You Will Learn:
- Basic clothing alteration and repair techniques
- How to improve garment fit through tailoring
- Machine sewing skills for hems, seams, and adjustments
- Notebook and writing utensils for notes
- Pencils, erasers
- Ruler (clear is ideal)
- Seam ripper or Stork scissors
- Thread
- Bobbins (to fit a Singer Heavy Duty Machine)
- Fabric scissors
- Tape measure (soft, vinyl type)
- Straight pins
- Clothing in need of alterations
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Martina Taylor
Martina Taylor is a textile artist and educator from Boston, now living in Philadelphia. She creates art quilts that explore connections between urban landscapes, place, and memory by combining screen print and image transfer processes with surface design techniques. Martina holds a BA in Studio Art from Oberlin College.
Prior to moving to Philly in 2024, Martina co-founded Arom Gallery, a pop-up art gallery with a three month residency in Budapest, Hungary. In Fall 2025, she completed a residency in the Apprentice Training Program at the Fabric Workshop and Museum, where she designed and produced two sets of large scale repeat pattern screen printed yardage. Martina teaches fiber arts classes at Fleisher and Philly Art Center.
www.martinataylor.com