Here you can learn to sew in NYC

Whenever the Christmas season rolled around, the fat Macy’s catalog arrived in our mailbox (’90s kids, stand up). My siblings and I passed it around, circling what we wanted for the holidays, whether it was clothes, shoes, or the latest toy. Every year I circled one specific item: a sewing machine.

Did my mother already have a sewing machine? Yes. Have I used it? No. Did I circle the machine just because it was pink? A hard yes. Although I never got one as a child because my mother was a reasonable person, I did eventually take up sewing, but only very briefly during a month-long stint at my school’s costume shop. Ten years later, I have vague memories of how to thread a machine. So when I saw that Bobinage was teaching sewing boot camp classes in Industry City, I knew I had to sign up for our “Back to Class” series about fun classes in NYC.

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Located above Japan Village in Industry City is Bobinage, which is part retail store and part creative space. Here, creatives of all levels (including those of us who haven’t touched a machine in years) can take classes, learn new skills or even book an open sewing session to work on their latest project. A few months ago the studio started Sewing Summer Camp. Due to its popularity, Bobinage expanded the series and is now offering fall day camp classes from now until the end of October.

When I arrived I saw that the store was split into two parts. One half is dedicated to fabrics and sewing machines in all colors for sale. The other is a classroom space, clearly visible by the #SewingParty banner hanging above the door. In the middle of the room was a black table with sewing machines, Janome machines, to be precise. Once I checked in, an instructor looked over the projects available for the class: a beanie, a drawstring backpack, a pillowcase, a boxy pouch, and a basic skirt. Everyone could choose their own adventure, so I went for a skirt.

After everyone had chosen a station, we immediately started threading the machine. While one instructor talked through the process, another teacher made his rounds to each person. With only eight participants in each class, it was relatively easy for the instructor to move around the table and provide tips along the way. Once we were set up properly, we were each given a small piece of fabric to practice, starting with a basic stitch, turning the fabric and closing the loop with a running stitch. I wouldn’t say it was like riding a bike, but with a few practice stitches and operating the pedal it was a fairly simple process. Have some of my stings strayed from the right path and gone their own way? Of course, but that’s just part of the learning process.

After a few stitches under my belt I got my fabric to start sewing my skirt. I will say that the skirt was one of the more involved projects, and the instructors assisted a lot, including cutting the fabric, pressing the seams, and pinning along the stitch line to guide the process. But with their help I was able to sew the seams and even thread them through the elastic. And at the end of the hour and a half class, my closet had one more skirt, a red knee-length number that is perfect for fall. Is she perfect? Because she’s mine, yes, yes she is.

Should I now say that I’m ready to start my solo sewing project? Not quite. But luckily, the studio offers classes throughout the week and weekend, which has helped me become a more confident seamstress in no time.

Bobinage is located at 934 3rd Avenue in Industry City on the second floor of building four. Bobinage’s fall day camp classes are available from now until the end of October. The class costs $60.