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Picture this: you’re sitting at your sewing machine, confident, excited, and ready to tackle your next project. There are a few new sewing techniques in this new pattern you’ll be sewing, but you’re not worried—you got this.
The secret to getting there? Picking the perfect tools that match your learning style.
Online sewing classes are a game-changer for anyone looking to learn or improve their sewing skills. They’re more accessible than in-person classes, and you don’t need to spend hours piecing together different YouTube tutorials to get all the information you need to finish a project.
Here are some tips for finding the right kind of online sewing class for you.
Step 1: Identify Your Skill Level
The first step in choosing the right sewing class is understanding where you are on your sewing journey.
Classes are often tailored to specific skill levels, such as:
- Beginner: Perfect for learning the basics, like threading your machine, understanding fabric types, and sewing simple projects.
- Intermediate: These classes will help you expand your skills with techniques like installing zippers, sewing darts, or creating more complex garments like lingerie, swimwear, or outerwear.
- Advanced: If you want to refine your expertise even more, explore advanced fitting techniques, try pattern making, or tackle couture-level details. Since you’ve got all the fundamentals down, you can search for your specific interests.
The thing about skill level ratings is that they aren’t standardized—at all. You also have to rate your own skills, which is something some of us have trouble doing.
That’s why you should take the skill level rating with a grain of salt. Instead, think about the skills the class offers and how they relate to the skills you want to learn.
Step 2: Define Your Sewing Goals
Since it’s not always a good idea to take a class based on skill level alone, ask yourself what you want to achieve with your sewing. Are you looking to:
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Learn the basics? If you’re totally new to sewing, you might want to start from the very beginning. But this might look different if you are looking to start sewing clothing rather than quilting. Think about your goals from above. Do you want to get really good at using your machine and sewing straight stitches before attempting to sew a dress? Or would you rather take a beginner’s class specifically for making garments? -
Learn new skills? Try technique-focused classes, like how to sew buttonholes or insert elastic. You can search for these specific terms. -
Explore creative projects? Look for fun, one-off projects like bags, home decor, or accessories. -
Work on specific patterns? Many pattern companies offer sewalongs tailored to popular patterns. These might be video sewalongs or step-by-step sewalongs on a blog. -
Build a handmade wardrobe? Focus on classes that teach general garment construction, broader fitting techniques, as well as other skills like planning your sewing, sketching your ideas, and working with different fabrics.
Understanding your goals will help pinpoint the topic for the class you want to take. Once you have a goal or a general topic in mind, it’s time to consider the format of the class and what works for your learning style.
Step 3: Consider the Class Format
Think about the format that works best for your learning style. Here are some things to consider.
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Pre-recorded video classes: These let you learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as many times as you need to. -
Live virtual classes: These are more similar to in-person classes. You can interact with instructors and ask questions in real time. -
Sewalongs: If you like to follow along with step-by-step tutorials, it might be best to search for individual sewalongs designed for specific patterns. They often are a combination of tutorials, fabric ideas, and fitting adjustments. (Seamwork’s sewalongs are great for this!) -
Comprehensive courses: If you like to dive deep into a specific topic, such as pattern drafting, using a certain machine, or fitting, then you might want to invest in a more comprehensive course that covers all the details. You can also consider enrolling in online schools, as you might be able to get certifications along the way.
Step 4: Check the Resources Provided
A quality online sewing class should include helpful resources. Look for classes that offer:
- Downloadable PDFs or guides so you can revisit the material. All Seamwork courses have these.
- Supplies lists and pattern instructions. Sometimes these cost extra but you can also find some included in the cost of the class.
- Access to community support, like forums or social groups, in case you run into questions.
- Lifetime access to the class materials for ongoing reference.
Seamwork classes include most of these benefits, making them a great option for building your skills at your own pace. If you’re a member, you can ask questions about any course or sewalong and get expert help from the team.
Seamwork classes include most of these benefits, making them a great option for building your skills at your own pace. If you’re a member, you can ask questions about any course or sewalong and get expert help from the team.
Step 5: Read Reviews and Recommendations
Before committing to a class, read reviews or ask for recommendations. Look for feedback on:
- The instructor’s teaching style. Are they very detail oriented? Do they assume knowledge or explain every step?
- The clarity of the instructions.
- The quality of the video and materials.
Step 6: Start Small and Build Confidence
If you’re unsure where to start, choose a class focused on a small, achievable project. Completing a simple project will give you the confidence to move on to more complex techniques.
Explore Seamwork’s Classes and Sewalongs
We have a bunch of classes and sewalongs to help you build your skills. Which class is best for you?
If you’re a total beginner… Our Learn to Sew Clothing For Absolute Beginners course will teach you how to sew, from the very beginning. By the end of this comprehensive class, you'll know how to use your machine, work with different fabrics, and you'll make two patterns—a dress and a jacket. This class comes with a bunch of downloads and access to our private community forum to ask questions. Plus a really great deal on a membership!
If you want to learn more about your serger… Dive into an exciting, hands-on class that gives you all the information you need to get started with your serger. Ready, Set, Serge: Serger Basics will empower you to thread, operate, and troubleshoot your machine, and you’ll learn tricks for working with different fabrics and stitches. Plus, you'll leave the course with a stylish new T-shirt you created yourself.
This course is FREE for Seamwork members.
If you want to learn how to sew clothes that fit your body… Get comfortable fitting your me-made clothes with this fun, helpful video class. How to Fit With Confidence teaches you how to “fit what you see.”
You’ll learn several fundamental concepts to help you understand fitting as a whole, such as diagnosing fit issues on a muslin, lengthening and shortening, increasing and decreasing width, pivot alternations, fullness alterations, and how to adjust darts.
This class is also free for members!
If you want to learn more about your style… Take our beloved Style Workshop—which is also free for members!
In this hands-on workshop, you're going to pinpoint your core style so you can fully express yourself through the clothing you make. We're going to dig deep with exercises and worksheets that help you explore who you are and what you want to wear.
In under 90 minutes, you’ll have exactly what you need to craft clothing you’ll love to wear every day. Learn more about the Style Workshop here.
If you want to Design Your Wardrobe full of clothes you love to wear… Our super-popular Design Your Wardrobe course a great cobination of recorded videos, a downloadable ebook, and interactive, live events.
In this hands-on course, you’ll get videos, a workbook, creative exercises, and access to a private community to help you create a personalized queue of sewing projects.
We all go through Design Your Wardrobe together each season—fall, winter, spring, and summer. You can watch the video lessons whenever you want, but going through it together is such a fun community event. You get to chat with hundreds of other people all over the world, share ideas, and see what everyone is making.
Design Your Wardrobe is only available for members. Learn more here.
If you like sewalongs for individual patterns... If you’re looking for pattern-specific guidance, we have dozens of sewalongs you can browse here. These step-by-step tutorials are designed to help you sew with confidence, even if you’re new to a particular technique or pattern.
More Tips for Learning How to Sew Online
Here are a few additional tips when you’re looking for online sewing resources.
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Follow your favorite brands and creators. They often have classes even if that isn’t their main focus. -
See if there’s a trailer for a video class. Check if the platform offers a preview to ensure the class format aligns with your preferences. -
Assess accessibility options: If you prefer subtitles, transcripts, or mobile-friendly platforms, check if the class offers those features (All Seamwork classes have captions you can turn on). -
Explore bundled packages: Many online sewing platforms offer membership plans or bundles that include multiple classes, which can make it more cost-effective for you to explore different topics. -
Here’s an important tip: Look for classes that match your comfort level but also challenge you to grow.
Choosing the right online sewing class doesn’t have to be complicated. By considering your skill level, goals, and learning preferences, you can find a class that inspires you and helps you grow.
Whether you’re sewing your first tote bag or tackling advanced tailoring, the right class will make the whole thing enjoyable and rewarding.
And if you didn’t notice, these same steps apply to almost any class you might want to take—cooking classes, knitting classes, even classes for learning a new langauge.
If you’re someone who wants to sew, you’re clearly a creative person, so you just need to find the right resources to keep you motivated and curioys so you never stop learning.
