Classes & Workshops

Comprehensive Pant Fitting & Construction at Notch Sewing Studio

Date & Time: Thursdays, January 7 – 28, 2027 (4 sessions), 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: 4021 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, IL 60618
Teacher: Jonnie
Registration opening soon!


Description:
Take your sewing journey to the next level by learning a repeatable methodology for fitting pants and the detailed construction process for assembling them. During this focused workshop, students will work with one of the zipper-fly pant styles from Open Studio Patterns. With hands-on guidance, students will dive deep into the fitting process by learning how to customize pant patterns for their own bodies.


This course is ideal for sewists who want to eliminate the guesswork of pant fitting and build foundational skills they can confidently apply to any future pattern. Participants should have basic sewing machine experience and familiarity with simple garment assembly. By the end of the workshop, each student will leave with a personalized, perfectly fitted paper pattern ready for their final fashion fabric, alongside the technical know-how to sew them together with confidence.

School of The Art Institute of Chicago: Sewing Techniques Below the Belt

Date & Time: Tuesdays, February 9 – April 20, 2027 (10 sessions), 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class on March 16th)
Location: Sullivan Building 36 S. Wabash Ave. Chicago, IL 60603
Teacher: Jonnie
Register on the SAIC website (registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2027)

Description:
Jonnie will be teaching this Continuing Studies course in her role as faculty at SAIC (Note: This is an SAIC-administered course, not an Open Studio Patterns workshop).
In this course, students learn how to assemble garments covering the female form's lower half. Instruction will focus on developing skills to create flies, hems, and waistbands. While learning industry standard techniques and tips, students sew pants and a lined skirt. Students will leave with the ability to transfer their skills to commercial patterns or their designs. Previous sewing experience is required. The SAIC ACE course Sewing Techniques: Fundamentals would provide you with an introductory experience.

Choice Pattern Workshop at Notch Sewing Studio

Date & Time: Saturdays, February 13th – March 6th, 2027 (4 sessions), 9 am. – 1 p.m.
Location: 4021 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, IL 60618
Teacher: Jonnie & Abigail
Registration opening soon!

Description:
Transform a single shirt pattern into several variations with guidance from the designers themselves! Together, Open Studio Patterns co-founder Jonnie Rettele and SAIC fashion professor Abigail Glaum-Lathbury will empower you to create your own clothing designs. Over four weeks, you will learn the fundamentals of custom fitting and pattern manipulation, using their Choice Pattern as a foundational block to create unique garment variations.


Throughout the course, there will be hands-on guidance as students cut a muslin test garment, establish necessary fit edits, and explore approachable patternmaking techniques to change the design. The curriculum features customized sewing demonstrations for key steps of assembly, tailored specifically to the individual projects students are tackling. This course is ideal for those looking to move beyond commercial patterns and step into introductory pattern drafting.

Participants need basic sewing experience, but no prior patternmaking knowledge is required. By the end of the final session, students will complete their custom garments and leave empowered with the skills and agency to manipulate any sewing pattern they already own.


OSP Winter Retreat 2027: The Practice of Pant Making

Date & Time: March 10th – March 15th, 2027 
Location: Highland Lake Cove Retreats - Flat Rock, NC 
Teacher: Jonnie, Libby & Leigh
Registration opening soon!

Description:
This is our first independent OSP retreat!
Join us for an immersive, multi-day sewing retreat dedicated to the art of pant making. Through hands-on instruction, you'll deepen your understanding of pant fit, construction, and pattern manipulation while sewing alongside a small group of fellow makers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Beyond the studio, readings and discussions on sustainability, personal style, craft history, and clothing consumption will encourage a thoughtful approach to garment making.

Penland School of Craft: Garment Making, Process & Practice

Date & Time: July 13th – July 4th, 2027 
Location: Penland School of Craft,  Bakersville, NC 28705 
Teachers: Jonnie & Libby
Register on the Penland website 

Description:
This is our second time teaching this class and we're so excited to come back to Penland! See more about the class in our post from the 2024 workshop.
Develop the skills and confidence to make clothing that reflects your own style while exploring garment making as both a craft and a creative practice. Working with contemporary sewing patterns from Open Studio Patterns, students will build a foundation in garment construction, fitting, and pattern manipulation, learning techniques that extend well beyond a single project. Readings and group discussions on sustainability, personal style, craft history, and clothing consumption will complement our studio practice, helping students develop a deeper understanding of the role clothing plays in our lives and culture. Students will leave with finished garments, expanded technical skills, and a framework for developing a thoughtful, personal approach to building a handmade wardrobe. All levels.