Do you want to learn how to make clothing by hand? Sew with us and discover why we celebrate this slow, gentle way of making.

Join We Wear The Trousers at our new location:

Find us at:

'The Smithy',

Unit 5 St Saviours Yard,

Norwich,

NR3 1GQ

Why are we hand-sewing our clothes?

" Hand sewing clothing can be a radical act of slow fashion. Reclaim the democratic, accessible, ancient power of sewing that needs no machine."

These inspiring words by Louisa Owen Sonstroem (https://www.louisamerry.com/hand-sewing-clothing-book) were the spark that started our hand-sewing journey!

Intrigued? We'd love you to come along to find out more, including why We Wear The Trousers celebrate the act of sewing clothing by hand, and why it might be easier than you think!

What are we doing?

Join us at The Smithy on Saturday afternoons, for hand-sewing and skill-sharing. You don't need to have ever made a garment, or even sewn anything before, to take part!

These sewcial sessions generally take place on the second saturday of the month, after Mend With Friends- so you can fill your day with hand-stitch, if you fancy it!

The hand-sewing clothes group is part of The Alternative Fashion School from We Wear The Trousers. If you missed the launch of the group, and you would like more information before you come along, send us an email to hello@wastesmiths.co.uk, but you are welcome to just turn up!

What To Bring?

As part of these sewcials, you will need to provide your own sewing pattern, fabric and matching threads, to make your garment(s). When you first come along, we will talk about some recommended garment patterns for hand-sewing and how to access them, and offer pointers on where to get your materials. We also have a small selection of clothing patterns that you can trace off and use for your projects, if you would like to.

If you want to continue with your hand-sewing project at home, you might want to invest in your own basic sewing kit, including pins, needles, measuring tape and scissors, but we will have all of these items available for you to borrow during the sewcial.

If you've never sewn before, we might start you off with something small, like a scrunchie, to get used to the action of hand-sewing- you will be welcome to raid our donated threads and fabric stash for materials to practice with.

If you want to ask any questions or find out more about the hand-sewing group, please send an email to hello@wastesmiths.co.uk.

How Much Does it Cost?

Thanks to support from the Norwich Freemen, during 2026 we are able to run these sewcials on a 'gift' or 'donate-what-you-can' basis.

Sometimes people want to give financially but find it tricky to know how much to give, so we offer some suggested donations depending on your level of financial privilege. We suggest:

£5- for waged adults

£3- for low-income adults / students

Between £1-£3 if £3 would create financial hardship.

FREE for under-16s, and carers/support workers.

If making a donation is not possible without creating financial hardship, we would love you to join us as our gift to you.

Description supplied by the event organiser.