Sewing classes

We welcome students aged 10 or over. 

We welcome students with SEN and have particular experience teaching children and adults with Autism in 1:1 and small group settings. Sarah's son has SEN and it's important to us that we are as welcoming and accessible as possible.

This depends on the type of class.  For a children's learn to sew, for example, we limit the workshop to four people.  We can cater for larger groups and create a project/skills programme specifically to meet your needs.

We will tell you what is provided as part of the workshop such as patterns or hardware.  When there are items you need to bring with you (such as fabric, yarn, haberdashery and hooks), we can advise on good places to shop and guide prices.  We have contacts with local suppliers who may be able to offer discounts too.

We can provide sewing machines or you can bring your own.  

Yes! We have a number of students who we teach on a regular basis. We offer lessons at a time and frequency that suits you, including day times, after school and evenings.

Our private lessons start at £25 per hour for a 1:1 lesson but we can also accommodate 2:1 lessons on enquiry,

Yes we can teach in pairs in Urban HQ. Please contact us for more information.

We have no set duration for private lessons however the minimum we offer is 1 hour. We will discuss your needs and agree a duration with you.

Our aim is always to be as flexible as we can. You can arrange a one off lesson or a series of lessons at a frequency that suits you.

At the moment we offer private lessons in Urban HQ Downend. This is Sarah's family house and we use the cheerful sewing room for our lessons. We will also travel to you if that is easier. We hope to bring private lessons to Countryside HQ in the Chew Valley in the future.

Yes, we have a number of children and young adults who have private tuition. Our minimum age is 10 years old.

Just call us or WhatsApp us on 07446 206036 or email us at makers@institches.shop and we'll get back to you.

Rachel and Sarah usually work together as a team so that you get 1:1 input as much as possible.

Yes.  Please email us at makers@institches.shop and we'll send over copies.  They are:

• Safeguarding Children
• Safeguarding Adults

Where possible we source materials from within the UK however there may be instances where this is simply not possible or financially viable. We love using natural fibres, hand-dyed yarns and sustainable materials when we can. We also support local and national businesses like West Yorkshire Spinners and Clare and Mr B of Birdstreet Yarn in Bristol. 

We are sorry to hear that, and we really think this has to be your decision entirely. Boot the Labrador and Biscuit (the secret three-legged ginger Tom) reside at Urban HQ and Treacle the Patterdale Terrier lives at Countryside HQ. This means we are unable to 100% guarantee that a teeny bit of pet hair hasn't wafted its way on to your product.  However we will do what we can to ensure that doesn't happen. 

One day, we'd love to have more people at In Stitches to help us, but for now, yes. 

Urban HQ is in North Bristol in Emmersons Green and Countryside HQ is in the Chew Valley on the edge of the Mendip Hills. 

We care about using natural, sustainable materials as much as we can.  We often up-cycle materials and when we do buy materials that are less environmentally friendly (for example acrylic) we'll make sure we buy from British suppliers to ensure that we're doing as much as we can whilst also meeting the needs of our customers.

Sadly we don't specialise in drapes and curtains or re-upholstering furniture. However we are able to re-cover tired cushion pads or some seat covers. Just drop us a line and we will let you know if it's something we can help with. Some super thick fabrics like thick leather can be a challenge for our sewing machines but there are many ways we can modify bag construction or provide alternative fabric options to suit you. If in doubt just ask.

This will vary depending on the complexity of the product we are making for you.  We want to guarantee your happiness so will spend just the right amount of time working with you to understand your ideas, style and any specific requirements. This way we can then focus on creating your perfect item as efficiently as possible. As a guide a custom bag may take up to 28 days depending on the availability of the fabrics and hardware involved. A custom crochet blanket may take considerably longer due to the sheer number of hours required. On the other end of the scale we can probably pop a DYO woolly hat in the post within a fortnight. 

This is entirely up to you! Some customers like the surprise factor and would rather wait for their parcel to arrive in the post.  Other customers love to see their items evolve over time and we will happily send photo updates to build your excitement. Or you can follow us on Instagram where we will often show photos of work in progress.

Unfortunately there is no clear cut answer to this.  If you have a set budget we will be honest with you about what is achievable. You are under no obligation to proceed with a purchase until we have come to an agreement on design, fabrics, final cost and lead time. Handmade quality items do take time and skill and we are not into cheap, cheerful and fast! Every stitch matters and we want to make something that you will treasure and feel happy to own or gift.

Sorry, at the moment we only deliver within the UK. 

We will post your item using either Royal Mail 1st Class or Evri Next Day Delivery depending on the size and weight of the item.

Postage costs are set within each product listing. If you spend over £70 postage is free.

If you purchase one of our 'off the shelf' limited edition items it will be dispatched within 2 working day wherever possible. Dispatch times for custom orders will vary depending on the materials required and the complexity of your order. We will discuss this with you at the time of order.

Please allow up to 7 working days for delivery. If your package hasn't arrived within 7 working days please contact us at makers@institches.shop.  We can't be held responsible for any errors or delays of others in delivering your package, but of course we will absolutely do what we can to help reunite you with your package in the unlikely event it goes missing. 

In the unlikely event that there's something wrong with your new item within 30 days of purchase, please email us at makers@instiches.shop (please include photographs where appropriate) and we'll do all we can to put the happiness back on your face.

Sadly if you simply change your mind we do not offer refunds. This is why we ask you to make sure you double check measurements and read product details thoroughly before making a purchase.