Handbag Workshop

All proceeds from EcoEquitable's public sewing classes go toward our mission of empowering women with sewing skills and building connection and community; and supporting our local circular economy by redistributing fabric and sewing tools. We thank you for joining and supporting us!

In this class, you will learn sewing basics like how to operate a sewing machine, how to make origami fabric butterfly, and a signature handbag out of mixed and upcycled fabric, designed by Monique! You won't want to miss this opportunity to not only learn how to sew, but to develop your skills with finishing a handbag, lining, installing pocket zippers, along with adding finishing touches including rivets, magnetic clasps, and more! Students will be able to customize features of their bag based on their preferences!

Available Classes:

• Thursdays, June 26 - Aug 7 (no class July 24) from 6-9PM with Monique

Length of Program: 6 weeks 
Location: 404 McArthur Avenue, Unit "D" (end unit in the strip mall under purple banner)  
Max class size: 7
Min class size: 4

Important Notes - Please Read

*Once you register online, you will not receive an additional confirmation email from EcoEquitable. By registering, consider your class confirmed.

*Sewing classes take place in the main building beside our boutique storefront. For this reason, please arrive at our storefront under the purple banner 5-10 minutes before the start of your first class so you can walk over together.

*Any classes that fall on a stat holiday will be rescheduled and extended by 1 week to accommodate.

*In the cold and wet months, please bring indoor shoes.

*We require the minimum number of people to run the class otherwise it may be cancelled. Please see our Refund and Cancellation Policy below for more information.

*If you are purchasing this class on behalf of someone else, please include their name, phone number, and email address in the "NOTES" box of the checkout page.

*Don't see a date that works for you? Please check back regularly as more classes get posted!

About your Instructor(s):

Hi, my name is Monique. I was raised in a family of eleven children and everyone is very crafty. We inherited those talents from my mother’s side of the family.

I started learning how to sew in my early teens from my mom. My sisters and I learned how to make our own clothes and I became passionate about this hobby. I appreciated the value of being able to make my own garments and saving money at the same time.

I took sewing lessons in school and later took home decor private lessons from a seamstress who worked at a high-end home decor store in Orleans. From her, I learned how to make curtains, valences, duvet covers, pillow shams, cushion covers and much more.  I appreciated those skills sets as I could make my own curtains and decor in my home. I later worked part-time for the same home decor business.

Many years ago I took a course in how to upholster antique chairs. I found my sewing skills were very valuable to help complete those projects.

More recently, I have become very interested in upcycling different type of fabric including leather to create and transform ideas into unique projects such as hand bags and pillows. What I enjoy the most about sewing is that there is always something more to learn that allow you to turn ideas into beautiful creations. The sky is the limit. Sewing is wonderful!

You will learn: 

• How to operate a sewing machine
• Sewing terminology and equipment
• How to sew a handbag from start to finish
• Utilizing upcycled fabric and mixing fabrics 
• How to sew a pocket with a zipper
• Finishing touches and installing lining
• How to add rivets, handles, magnetic clasp, and optional embellishments 
• Optional bag closures including: 1) Flap closing with clasp, 2) Clasp closing, or 3) zipper closure

In-Class Project:

In this course, you will learn how to make origami fabric butterfly and a signature handbag designed by Monique out of mixed and upcycled fabric!

All materials included.

Equipment:

EcoEquitable provides access to a sewing machine and most tools during the class duration. Students are welcome to bring their own sewing machine to class however it is not required. Fabric needs to be determined by the instructor.

For students to bring:

• Basic sewing kit
• Notebook
• Students are encouraged to have a domestic sewing machine, iron, and basic sewing kit at home to practice and/or complete their in-class projects. However, this is not mandatory to complete the class.

Refund and Cancellation Policy:

EcoEquitable requires a notice of cancellation via email in order to process a refund. 

• Written notice of cancellation 15 business days before the class start date, EcoEquitable will refund the class fee minus a $20 administrative fee.
• Written notice of cancellation 6-14 business days before the class start date, EcoEquitable will refund 50% of the class fee.
• Cancellations of 5 business days or less before the class is set to start are non-refundable.

If the minimum number of students do not register, EcoEquitable reserves the right to cancel the class, in which case students will be notified via email at the earliest possible convenience and issued a full refund.