Participants will receive hands-on sewing machine instruction covering the basics, from setting up the machine to sewing a tote bag. Participants will gain skills to address on-the-spot sewing needs, quick repairs, simple hemming, and unexpected fast fixes that come up on the job when there is not a tailor crew nearby. Instruction will include how to set up a sewing machine, locate a sold surface, find good lighting, and access to power, among other safe machine and power handling tips. Each participant will work at a machine and sew a tote bag utilizing basic sewing machine skills. Experienced instructors will demonstrate and guide each participant through the construction of the totes including sewing on an embroidered patch. From on set or backstage, wardrobe workers participating in the workshop will build the skills and confidence to solve on-the-spot sewing challenges.
Details
Language: English
Format: In-person
Length: 4 hours
Trainer
Austin Pettinger & Maggie Hofmann, IATSE Local 769
Location: Chicago, IL
Austin Pettinger is a Tailor and Embroidery Designer with 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He is a former professor at Loyola University Chicago and has worked as a Tailor in theatre, opera, dance, and TV/film throughout the United States, as well as international tours. Austin is a member of Local 769.
Maggie Hofmann has been working professionally as a costume cutter/draper for theatre and tv/film for over 15 years in the Chicagoland area and is a member of IATSE Local 769. She has freelanced at various theatres throughout the region as well as being a stage draper at several Chicago area theaters and is currently the Head of Costume Technology at DePaul University. Maggie is also a veteran award-winning cosplay maker with 10 years’ experience creating cosplay costumes for herself and others and is the author of Smocking Secrets (C&T Publishing, 2022). She holds a BA in Drama from UC-Irvine and an MFA in Costume Design from UW-Madison.