See the studio

You’ll love our fully self-contained sewing studio, not least because it’s in an adorable converted chapel! We moved here in the summer of 2017, giving us even more space than we had before. We completely refurbished the chapel before we moved in: we asked an award-winning designer to do the interior for us, and we commissioned bespoke furniture and equipment to make learning to sew as easy and pleasant as possible.

The Sewing Shed is bright and modern, but has a lovely heritage feel. It’s cosy in winter and cool in summer, so you’ll always be comfortable. And it’s really tranquil… all you can hear above the whir of machines and chatter of students is birdsong! You’ll love coming here to be part of a small friendly group of fellow craters!

When you come to the studio, you’ll enjoy:

• the use of your own brand-new fully computerised Janome sewing machine, plus an overlocker to share
• if attending Upholstery – a range of tools are available for you to use whilst in class
• plenty of counter space – enough for each student to work very comfortably
• a flood of natural light from huge Velux and feature windows, plus a sophisticated lighting scheme
• a large bespoke table for cutting-out and assembling dressmaking, Roman blinds & curtains, or patchwork & quilts
• designated areas for different types of sewing machine
• ergonomic and super-comfy chairs
• a changing area, so you can try your work on
• a lunch/coffee area, so all-day students have a place to relax
• plenty of parking nearby.

Stock on hand in the studio

We keep a small haberdashery shop in the studio, stocked with threads, zips, interfacing, bias binding, tape measures, seam rippers, pins and pattern paper. We stock dressmaking patterns from a range of quality artisan makers, available to buy from us online or in the studio. We also hold remnants and one-off pieces of designer fabrics.

Why ‘shed’ when it’s a chapel?

Until we moved to the chapel, we were in a purpose-built sewing studio, which looked a bit like a luxury garden shed. It was designed by Halliday Clark Architects, and won a commendation in the Bradford District Design Awards for Architecture in 2006. Although we miss do it, we’re thrilled with our new space and we’re sure you will be, too.