This class is for students that want to repair existing clothing. We are doing our part to keep clothes out of the waste stream!

Students will bring in 1-2 garments and will be guided through various methods of repair. Instruction is customized to each student’s skill level. Options can include hand sewing, machine sewing and visible mending techniques.

Mending Examples

shortening a hem
adding an elastic waistband
closing a seam that has opened
reinforcing a weak area
adding a patch
darning a tear
* We cannot repair damaged zippers with sewing. These usually need full replacement.

Instructor Julie Ann Brown
has been teaching Fashion Illustration and Design at The Sewing Room in Alameda since 2019.

Since earning her BFA in Fashion Design at Otis, she worked in Southern California for two decades designing swimwear for labels such as Girlstar, bebe, Lucky Brand, Betsey Johnson, ále by Alessandra Ambrosio, Soluna and Isabella Rose. Her designs have been featured in Vogue, GQ, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Sports Illustrated.

She has been a freelance artist and illustrator since 1994. See more of her work on: juliebrowncreative.com