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Upcycle a Men's shirt into a Women's Top
This workshop explores a fun, sustainable and confidence boosting two day dressmaking experience. Starting with a classic men’s shirt, you’ll learn how to assess its structure, plan your redesign and reshape it into a flattering women’s top. With supportive guidance throughout, you’ll explore techniques such as adjusting proportions, reshaping armholes, refining the neckline and adding darts or gathers to create a more tailored silhouette. You’ll also discover how to make the most of existing features—plackets, cuffs, hems and seams—so the original garment becomes a stylish new piece with a completely fresh identity.
Across the two days, you’ll move from design decisions to hands on construction, practising accurate cutting, pressing and finishing techniques that elevate the quality of your final garment. You’ll experiment with creative details such as sleeve variations, trims or shaping panels, depending on the look you want to achieve. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with a beautifully transformed top and the confidence to continue upcycling at home—turning forgotten shirts into unique, wearable pieces that reflect your personal style.
Prosp User 3
This course is for learners who have a basic knowledge of dressmaking but are looking to further their skills for their own personal development or possible employment.

The course is delivered by a tutor who is also a practitioner in the subject and is on hand to teach by a variety of methods including tutor presentation, varied demonstrations and one-to-one personalised guidance.
Prosp User 4
You will need to bring a men’s shirt and haberdashery to complete the project. We will contact you approx. 3 weeks before the course with more details of what you need to bring.

Sewing machines, overlockers, a cover stitch machine, a steam generated iron and lots of sewing equipment is available at the venue for learners to use. You are also welcome to bring along your own sewing machine, as long as it is in good working order, but please ensure you use one of our PAT extension cables (provided by the venue).
Prosp User 5
Please note, refreshments are not provided as part of the day. There is a café on site that sells refreshments and food, but we recommend that you bring your own packed lunch.

The dressmaking classrooms are on the first floor which can be accessed by lift or stairs.

The course will be fully supported by ‘Padlet’ (best described as an online noticeboard) where demonstrations and other useful material will be uploaded by the tutor. This platform can also be used to keep in touch with likeminded learners to share ideas, we encourage you to upload photos of your finished garment.

As an added feature, we hold a charity Dressmaking Showcase, at the end of the summer term, to celebrate the wonderful work that has been produced during the year, to which all learners are invited.
Prosp User 6

In order to support keeping York moving, consider travelling to your course by bus or bike. Click here to check out the bus routes closest to the venue for this course using the iTravel website, or discover York's cycle routes by clicking here.
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Alongside gaining course-specific skills, you will develop and showcase transferable skills that boost your confidence, employability, and ability to engage in further learning or volunteering.
Alongside gaining course-specific skills, you will develop and showcase transferable skills that boost your confidence, employability, and ability to engage in further learning or volunteering.
Employers highly value these transferable skills because they equip employees to excel beyond their basic job roles.
Employers highly value these transferable skills because they equip employees to excel beyond their basic job roles.
Prosp User 8

Learners who live in devolved authorities

Learners who live in devolved authorities
York Learning receives government funding which allows us to offer courses at a lower cost. The guidelines relating to devolution means that we cannot apply this funding to learners who live in devolved areas such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
York Learning receives government funding which allows us to offer courses at a lower cost. The guidelines relating to devolution means that we cannot apply this funding to learners who live in devolved areas such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
If you live outside of this area, we recommend that, before committing to a course with York Learning, you explore options to study the course in your local area.
If you live outside of this area, we recommend that, before committing to a course with York Learning, you explore options to study the course in your local area.
If you would prefer to continue your learning with York Learning please note that the price of the course could be double the advertised cost.
If you would prefer to continue your learning with York Learning please note that the price of the course could be double the advertised cost.
In this case, please contact us on 01904 554277 to complete your enrolment.
In this case, please contact us on 01904 554277 to complete your enrolment.

Learners under the age of 19

Learners under the age of 19
Please note that Adult Education funding is for individuals who are over the age of 19 on the 31st of August prior to the start date of their course.
Please note that Adult Education funding is for individuals who are over the age of 19 on the 31st of August prior to the start date of their course.
This means that there will be an additional cost for learners who are under 19 who wish to access funded courses.
This means that there will be an additional cost for learners who are under 19 who wish to access funded courses.
For safeguarding reasons, we cannot accept learners who are under 18 on courses except by prior arrangement. This does not apply to programmes which are designed for 16-18s.
For safeguarding reasons, we cannot accept learners who are under 18 on courses except by prior arrangement. This does not apply to programmes which are designed for 16-18s.
If you are under the age of 19, please contact us on 01904 554277 before booking.
If you are under the age of 19, please contact us on 01904 554277 before booking.
AT2/TM8
15/01/2027
22/01/2027
10:30 - 14:30
Friday
4.00 hrs per wk
2 weeks
Kate Unsworth
68.00
A discount of the full fee is available for people in receipt of certain means tested benefits