Sewing Basics & Beyond with Ashley Hough 3-Class Set

Team up with instructor Ashley Hough as you learn the foundations of sewing and beyond. Ashley covers topics including stitch lengths, altering and sewing a button down-shirt, and more—you’ll become a master in no time!

For a more detailed summary of each class included in this set, see the “Classes Included” tab below.

NOTE: After purchase, all individual classes within this set will be made available in your Craftsy account. You will be able to enjoy your purchased classes within your library anytime without losing access.

Sewing Essentials (2h 18m)
Sewing is a great skill to have, whether you simply want to hand sew a button on a shirt or you want to design and construct original projects. In this class, Ashley Hough will take you through all of the essentials you need to know to get started sewing with confidence.

Ashley will start by going over all of the important components of your sewing machine, no matter what brand you have. While different brands and models might look different and have different features, they all have the same basic functions that you will need to master. This includes learning how to thread the machine and how and where to insert a bobbin. You will also learn about the different needles and threads available and which is best to use for certain projects.

Ashley will also go over types of fabrics and explain which kinds are easier for beginner sewers to use. You will also learn how to correctly and easily cut out pattern pieces using both scissors and a rotary cutter.

Along the way, you will learn some basic sewing terminology that can be found on many sewing patterns and instructions. While different sewing pattern companies may word things differently or have you construct something in a different order, there are some terms that are used across the board.

At the end of this course you will also get to try out some of the new sewing skills you have learned by constructing an easy sewing-tool pouch. This project will not only let you practice your sewing skills, but will give you a place to store all of the essential tools covered in this class.

Important Pattern Information: The sewing pattern on which this class is based — Vogue 8815 — is not included with your purchase and may be out of print — check with online retailers. This class is rich in essential sewing techniques, so if the pattern is out of print, we encourage you to look for an alternative pattern with similar style details. You might also be able to find the original pattern through a private reseller.

Advance Your Sewing Skills (1h 29m)
Once you’ve mastered your beginning sewing skills it’s time to take it to the next level. In this course, Ashley Hough will expand on basic techniques you already know as well as teach you new techniques that you can apply to both home decor and garment projects.

Ashley Hough will begin by covering several types of stitches as well as different stitch lengths that are commonly used in sewing. You will learn when and why to use each of them and why it is important to use a variety of different stitches throughout your projects, rather than just sticking to the one you may be the most familiar with. In addition to learning what the stitches are and why to use them, Ashley will teach you common names for some of the types of stitching, including stay-stitching and ease-stitching, so you can easily recognize the terms in any sewing pattern.

Darts and pleats will also be covered in this course. You will learn about several different types of darts and pleats, how to sew them and where they are best used. In general darts and pleats are great for adding shaping or texture to your project, depending on whether it is a garments or home decor project, however using the right one can help you better achieve the desired result.

No matter what project you are working on, you are bound to run in to a corner or a curve that needs to be stitched. Ashley will give you tips for confidently tackling both curves and corners, including how to get crisp corners on bulky fabrics.

Ashley will teach several different seam finishes in this course, including ones that can be done during construction of a project and others that can be done after. The seam finishing method you choose to use can depend on both the type of project you are making as well as what kind of fabric is being used. She will explain what to consider when making the right choice of seam finishing technique.

In addition to seam finishes, you will also learn several different hemming methods including no-sew and blind hems. Blind hems are commonly used when hemming pant legs, but can be used on other garments as well. No-sew hems are a great option if you need to quickly finish an edge or if you don’t want to see a line of stitching.

No matter what your next project is, whether it’s a garment or something for your home, the tips and techniques you will learn in this class will help bring that project to the next level.

Alter & Sew a Custom Dress Shirt (2h 12m)
Button-down shirts can be found in nearly every closet. Whether you like a fun print on casual fabric or something more formal with cufflinks and a crisp collar, you can make something unique to fit your style after taking this class.

Ashley Hough will show you what supplies are needed, from your sewing machine to markings pens and everything in between. She will also explain how to measure for and select the right pattern size and how to transition sections between sizes if all your measurements don’t fit into one category on a commercial pattern. You will learn the correct way to positions the pattern pieces on your fabric and Ashley will explain what all the markings on the pieces mean. There are many different variations for creating a unique look to your pockets, and Ashley will show you how to make them, along with how and where to attach them to your shirt.

Ashley will explain what a yoke is, where it goes, ways to embellish it and how to alter the pattern to leave it out if it’s not something you like. She will take you step-by-step through how to sew a placket onto a sleeve for a very professional look, and then show different cuff variations to add to the sleeve and how to achieve them.

You’ll also learn how to create a nice crisp collar and how to attach that to your shirt.

Finally, you’ll learn how to bring it all together with the assembly of the shirt and learn how to finish your seams as you go so the inside looks just as good as the outside.

Ashley Hough
Ashley has sewn for years. Her mother taught her at a very young age. When first starting out, she stuck to mastering commercial patterns before venturing into creating her own. Her patterns have been featured in Sew News, Sew It All, and she has even been on Sew It All TV. Quilting is somewhat new to Ashley, but she dove in head first – coming up with an original design for her first quilt that included curved seams and hand appliqué! She was even lucky enough to have it featured in one of Quilty’s “This is My Quilt” episodes. Ashley loves all things crafty, from sewing to knitting, crochet to quilting, and everything in between. When she isn’t working on a new project or learning a different technique she loves teaching her passion to others.

Each class in this set comes with a helpful downloadable PDF that will add to the fun and success of each class. In total, you will gain access to 3 PDFs containing  23 pages of content, which you can view online anytime or print out to reference.