Fashion & Textiles Courses in London
Our wide range of fashion and textiles courses offer students both practical guides and bags of creative motivation, providing opportunities for learners to explore the traditional and contemporary. We offer beginner courses for learners who want an introduction to sewing through to intermediate classes that focus on specific techniques such as shibori and creative machine embroidery. Our classes support experimental approaches as well as more traditional skills.
Our team of experienced artists and expert tutors work with learners, supporting you to overcome barriers and realise personal ambitions. Our purpose built studio provides access to industry standard equipment, height adjustable tables and chairs and good natural light. Just down the hall learners can combine their hand making with digital design by joining one of our textile design courses.
The textiles community at City Lit is very strong, don’t be surprised if you join a class with someone who has attended that class before. We value all our learners and welcome new students to contribute and diversify our burgeoning community.
All of our courses have basic materials provided but please read the full course outline before you book as the tutor will list anything you need to bring along.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk
- Clothes making II
Course start date: Mon 2 Feb 2026 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Silvia SacrestanoPractice working with a jersey / stretch fabric & sew a comfortable & wearable top from a pattern which can be adapted into a dress. Learn how to cut, sew and work neatly. Suitable for those with some sewing experience.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Textiles: experimental hand stitch Course start date: Tue 3 Feb 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Amarjeet NandhraA contemporary approach to hand stitching and embroidery exploring a variety of traditional stitches and techniques. Create experimental and expressive samples using traditional and non-traditional materials.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Quilting: cathedral window Course start date: Fri 6 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Beverley SellLearn how to design and make a Contemporary Quilt using the Cathedral Window technique. You will explore the range of Quilt construction and embellishment techniques involved with the Cathedral Window templates. You will explore using fabrics, pattern, colour and texture to create a rich Quilted surface to create a personalised Art Quilt. Suitable for beginners.
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Textiles: sustainable bundle dyeing Course start date: Sat 7 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Renata MinoldoUse flowers, leaves, food waste and natural dyeing extracts to make exciting and unpredictable patterns on fabrics adopting sustainable techniques.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Sewing on Sundays II Course start date: Sun 8 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SelormeyThis is a follow on from Sewing on Sundays I where you will use what you have learnt to cut and sew a unisex Tunic or Kaftan. This course is also suitable for people with basic sewing skills or, those who wish to refresh their skills.Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £201.00 - Designing textiles with Adobe Photoshop for beginners Course start date: Thu 26 Feb 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selina LatourThis digital textile design course covers the basic technical Photoshop knowledge required to create patterns and motifs with this popular software. The course is ideal for textile students or designers who would like to explore the possibilities of digital design.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - Textiles: printing with natural dyes Course start date: Sun 8 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lara MantellDiscover contemporary techniques of printing onto fabric with natural dyes.
Through demonstrations, personal exploration, and individual tuition you will learn how to use mordents and natural dye colours, and transform your textile designs into prints.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Textile design using Adobe Illustrator Course start date: Tue 10 Mar 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Freya ProudlockExpand your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, creating intricate and decorative elements for textile design. Use a range of drawing and brush tools, refining your skills, developing colour, contrast, and pattern. Ideal for anyone interested in vector based repeat patterns.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Textiles: Japanese Boro and Sashiko stitch Course start date: Thu 12 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lara HaileyOn this online course, you will be introduced to the traditional Japanese mending methods of Sashiko and Boro to create samples that can be developed into further projects.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Textiles and surface pattern: understanding repeats Course start date: Sat 14 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Janie MurphyDiscover the basics skills of repeat patterns including straight repeats, drop repeats and complex repeats in this fun and hands on course. Build repeats using drawing and printing, then move onto creating hand printed textile samples. Suitable for all levels.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Introduction to using the sewing machine Course start date: Sun 12 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SelormeyIdeal for beginners, you will learn how to use a sewing machine, its different components, how to troubleshoot and look after your machine. You will also learn different basic sewing techniques to start your journey into the world of sewing.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - Introduction to pattern cutting II Course start date: Tue 14 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SelormeyLearn introductory skills and techniques of pattern cutting to understand how to draft your garment from a
design. Expand your knowledge as you learn how drape, adapt blocks, manipulate patterns and
understanding garment fitting and shape.
This course is suitable for learners with some pattern cutting knowledge.
For learners who have already completed this course, you can try a more advanced dress featuring detailing such as pleats, ruffles or gathering.Full fee £439.00 Senior fee £351.00 Concession £285.00 - Textiles and surface pattern: drawing and digital print Course start date: Thu 16 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore drawing and printing in the studio, before digitising and manipulating your designs using Photoshop. Suitable for students with a creative background. Photoshop experience would be beneficial but not essential.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - Textiles: block printing with lino Course start date: Sat 18 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lara MantellOn this course students will learn to translate initial drawings and mark-making into designs for lino-cut blocks. These blocks will be used to print dye onto fabric, making expressive patterns, exploring repeats and colour combinations.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Clothes making III Course start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Silvia SacrestanoPractice working with silk or fine or any luxury fabric & sew a summer dress or party wear from a pattern. Learn how to cut, sew and work neatly. Suitable for those with some sewing experience.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00
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