Even if you don’t plan on becoming an expert, taking sewing classes to learn some essential skills is imperative for anyone leaving home for the first time. After all, there will always be a need to sew or mend something from time to time, whether it’s a ripped pair of pants or a shirt with a missing button. As you prepared to move out on your own, keep in mind a few particular skills that you should master, either on your own or with the help of a teacher.

What Sewing Skills Should College Students Master?

1. Attaching Buttons 

Shirts, pants, coats, and bags all lose their buttons sometimes. Fortunately, it’s usually an easy fix. After threading a needle and then tying a knot to prevent the thread from slipping out, stick the needle through one of the holes on the button. From there, insert it into the fabric. Bring it back up and through the other hole on the opposite side of the button. Continue going back and forth between the material and buttonholes until the button is firmly attached, then tie a knot to keep it in place. 

2. Fixing Drawstrings 

After a long day of class or work, you might want to sit in your sweatpants, pajama pants, or sweatshirt and be comfortable, but broken drawstrings can make that more difficult. For this type of fix, you’ll need a bodkin, a thicker needle that’s blunt on one end and has a big hole on the other. Push the drawstring through the hole in the bodkin, then lead the bodkin through the casing. This will allow you to realign the drawstring inside the elastic.

3. Hemming 

If your pants, skirt, or dress are too long, you can resolve the problem by hemming these pieces. Put on the item of clothing in question and use pins to circle the area where you want the length to end. Then, place another set of pins about three centimeters beneath the first set. That’s where you will cut off the fabric. Fold the excess material underneath the hem to sew it. This skill can be trickier to learn, so it may be helpful to attend sewing classes to perfect it before you attempt it on any clothing you like. 

4. Stitching 

As one of the most common techniques required in sewing and mending clothing, stitching is essential. Hemming, repairing seams or pockets, patching up gaps, darning socks all need stitching. Since there are many variations of stitches, seek the guidance of a teacher through a sewing class to help you learn what types of situations call for which kinds of stitching. 

 
To be more independent and knowledgeable as you start college, learn these necessary sewing skills and more through the sewing classes offered by Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska, WI. Should you decide to learn more advanced techniques, they’ll help you learn to use sewing machines. Their quilting classes are open to anyone with interest in creating quilts, which would allow you to make great holiday or birthday gifts for your loved ones. To find out when they’re available, call them at (608) 782-3257 or check out their schedule online.