Sewing courses

LizD_2

Can anyone suggest where to look for courses that could get my skills up to a professional standard?

I was thinking of C&G Level 2/3 Fashion, but can't seem to find anywhere that does it. Needs to be in the Bristol area or distance learning.

Posted here because I know there's lots of sewers on OS (I'm one of them).

kippers

I'd love to improve my skills too in Leicester...Where to find courses?

csarina

Kippers you need to look at the local colleges for a course, I think Hinkley and Bosworth may do a course and I know they do one at Wellington Street.....you need to ask for a nightschool prospectus, they do day tie courses as well.

Yategirl

LizD - get hold of the part-time courses prospectus... there were some courses in there and I am sure there is one in the full-time prospectus. I did a part-time course before christmas

sairy2005

Try the local library they usually have a list of courses at schools and colleges. (not sure with the cuts whether they still do this) I went to a local school (Cambridge) and did basic sewing and tailoring.

The man who taught me tailoring used to make the jockeys silks at Newmarket. He was fab. I made jackets and coats and all sorts with him.

Also we have a shop in town which does one day workshops so worth seeing if you have any thing like that in your area.

Addiscomber

I am having the same problem. It appears that changes to government funding are at the root of the problem. Money has been diverted to basic skills courses for young people (who have just left goodness knows how many years of schooling and yet cannot function enough to get work) and away from so called "leisure" courses for older people. Our local Adult Education course used to do the City and Guilds courses within walking distance for me. I do wish I had known that years ago, I would have done it then like a shot. Once I heard about them, once we had Internet access , I was ill and couldn't commit to attending, now I am in a position to do so everything has changed and the courses have vanished. What happened to life long learning and all that? RANT RANT

I have heard of someone who has completed this distant learning course, but I have no personal knowledge of the course content.
http://www.regentacademy.com/courses.aspx?courseTypeID=2&courseID=211

I have heard of another one where the course materials gave incorrect methods of doing things, so clearly care needs to be exercised, which is difficult when you cannot see the material until after paying, and you may not spot such errors anyway - or else why would you be doing the course? I am not prepared to name the provider on a public forum for obvious reasons.

Searching on the City and Guilds website I found this
" The registration end date for Design & Craft qualifications has been extended, with registrations now open until 31 August 2008. This extension applies to the following Design & Craft qualification numbers; 7722, 7822/3, 7922, 7923. "
So I wonder whether the whole thing is coming to an end anyway? Great shame if it is, but then if Further Education colleges cannot provide the courses at a price that ordinary folk can afford, what would be the point of City and Guilds maintaining the examination structure?

LizD_2

Well, I emailed City & Guilds, so hopefully they'll let me know what's around.

Jo_anne_2

There are some sewing courses listed here http://www.craft-fair.co.uk/teachers.cfm?subcatno=301&category=Sewing
Probably not suitable for the OP but other folks may be interested.