INTERMEDIATE sewing: MAKE A PAIR OF TROUSERS

Images from Merchant and Mills

GROUP WORKSHOP PRICE: £210

GROUP WORKSHOP LOCATION: Art Centre Penryn

SESSIONS: 2 days

DATE: Saturday 15th November AND Sunday 16th November 2025

PATTERN DRESS SIZES: UK 6 - 18.

MAXIMUM PARTICPANTS: 6

LEVEL: Intermediate

HOW TO BOOK: Bookings through Art Centre Penryn

TELL ME MORE

With expert guidance and step-by-step instructions from Helen Shine, a professional pattern cutter, spend two days learning lots of techniques and making these Merchant & Mills trousers. 

The Eve Trouser is cropped, with a slightly tapered leg and optional turn ups. With some previous experience, it's a fairly straight forward garment to make, fitting neatly at the waist and over the hips with a simple side zip and two back pockets. Choose to make pleats or darts into the waist seam.

PLEASE NOTE: The pattern size range is UK 6 - 18, see below for measurements:

Waist: 61 - 89cm

Hips: 86 - 114cm.

Please email me if you fall outside of these sizes before booking.

TECHNIQUES YOU WILL LEARN

  • Following a pattern and instructions, including which size to make

  • How to prepare, lay the fabric and cut correctly

  • A range of sewing techniques including making pockets, button holes and incorporating zips

  • Various 'tricks of the trade' from Helen which save time and improve your dress making

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?

  • The pattern (worth £18.00), which you can take home and use again

  • Use of all our equipment including a digital sewing machine

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

Please note that fabrics and notions (threads, buttons, zips etc) are not included in the price.

1. Fabric to make your trousers

Fabric suggestions:
The Eve Trousers are ideally suited to a mid-heavyweight cotton canvas, as this keeps the structured shape.
Merchant & Mills recommend their 8oz and 12oz Organic Sanded Twills. Other options would be corduroy, light-medium weight woollens and 7 - 12oz denim.
You can use lighter weight cloths like linen and potentially a Tencel/linen but this will give you a softer silhouette

Please click here to have a look on the Merchant and Mills website for their suggestions and to see more photos of garments made up in different fabrics.

Fabric quantities:
Please click on the pattern and take a look at the size chart on the Merchant & Mills website for what you need, depending on your size.
If you need any help with this, please email Helen: hello@dotncross.com stating the pattern you wish to make.

It’s a good idea to have pre-washed your fabric so that you know the shrinking is done before you sew a garment. Wash the fabric on the temperature you normally wash your clothes, or a bit higher.

Truro Fabrics have an excellent selection of fabrics and can help with matching threads etc. 


2. Matching thread

3. Button - 1 x 18MM

4. Zip - 7 inch/18CM

5. Equipment:

  • Your own sewing machine if you would like to bring it, however we do provide sewing machines. If you are bringing your machine, ensure you bring the foot pedal and the various presser feet INCLUDING THE ZIPPER FOOT that came with the machine and the manual if you have it.

  • A basic sewing kit if you have it, including pins, scissors, tape measure etc. This is not essential as we have equipment you can borrow.

WHO IS THIS workshop SUITABLE FOR?

This class is suitable for intermediate sewers. You should be able to use a sewing machine, including threading up, sewing following the seam allowance, and have some experience following patterns and have made a few garments before, even if it was a long time ago! We will be refreshing how to follow a sewing pattern, and some principles of dress making, such as how to sew following a seam allowance and how to finish off seams. These trousers include pockets, a button and a zip, so there is lots to learn, brush up on and practice.

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER

Helen Shine is a skilled pattern cutter with over 12 years of experience in London’s high-end fashion industry, working with renowned designers like Victoria Beckham, Mary Katrantzou, and Karen Millen.

In 2019, she launched ‘Dot n Cross’, offering hands-on pattern cutting and sewing workshops. Helen is passionate about empowering others to create their own clothes, whether they are aspiring professionals or enthusiastic home sewers, by sharing her industry knowledge and love of the craft.

WORKSHOP LOCATION

This workshop is held at Art Centre Penryn, in the Art Room which is located in the School Room building.

Art Centre Penryn is a newly refurbished art space in the former Penryn Methodist Church in the heart of Penryn. The art room will support creativity for health and well-being and offer a range of courses, skills training and other opportunities for the benefit of local people. The vision is to convert the former church into an accessible, welcoming and high-quality contemporary art gallery showcasing work by local, national and international artists.

 
 

The class room/accessibility:

My workshops will be held in the Art Room.

Click here to be taken to their accessibility page.
Unfortunately the three steps into the School Room are too steep for a temporary ramp and therefore we apologise that it is not currently wheelchair accessible.

Address:

Art Centre Penryn
The Terrace
Penryn, TR10 8EH

Parking:

Commercial Road Car Park. 3-4 hours £4.70. 24 hours £5.10

Permarin Car Park. 3-4 hours £5.00. 24 hours £6.30

Please note: Saracen Car Park on Saracen Place is only a 3 hour short stay carpark and wont be suitable for my workshops as they will all require more time.

Travel:

By train from Truro and Falmouth
Penryn Train Station, 10 min walk

By bus from Falmouth, Truro, Redruth & Penzance
nearest stop: Penryn Spar / Seven Stars

By bicycle
Bike stands and electric Beryl bikes nearby by the Seven Stars bus stop

TESTIMONIALS

TESTIMONIALS

Helen is an excellent tutor. Everything was properly explained and all questions answered in a comprehensive way. I found the course most interesting and informative...I learnt a lot! A lot was covered in the time but no-one was left behind. I feel confident enough to go onto the next stage. Highly recommended.

Jane Ashby - Beginners Introduction to Machine Sewing

The beginner's sewing course I attended was excellent! Having always been slightly scared of my sewing machine, Helen immediately put me at ease and took us through the process of making a tote bag. It was easy to follow and I was amazed at how we were all able to produce a brilliant, professional looking bag! Helen was extremely patient and helpful. I would highly recommend this course, to get to know your sewing machine and come away with a real feeling of achievement.

Jane Ashby - Beginners Introduction to Machine Sewing

I learned so much. I am thrilled not to be scared of sewing machines any more! I loved this class, I thought I wasn’t going to get as far as we did and I am happy/thrilled with the results and skills learned today.

Harriet Winfrey - Introduction to Machine Sewing

Sometimes, going on a course whilst on holiday is a wonderful way to spend your time, especially if you go home with a new skill or hobby that enriches your life. With the idea of Cottagecore, the Great British Sewing Bee and ‘make do and mend’ being very much in the limelight now, what better way than to learn how to sew using a sewing machine?

I was greeted warmly by one of the shop proprietors, Jane, who welcomed me into her Aladdin’s cave of crafting goodies. Helen, our teacher for the day, also greeted me as we made our way to our desks. Helen is the founder of Dot N Cross, who hosts sewing and pattern cutting workshops across Cornwall. Having worked for the likes of Karen Millen and Victoria Beckham, she has spent 10 years working as a pattern cutter in the London fashion industry before relocating down to Cornwall. Safe to say, she knows a thing or two about sewing!

A course with Helen is a wonderful way to spend a day. Running an assortment of courses for beginners to experienced alike, from making a shift dress to mending existing clothes and crochet to knitting, there are a lot of courses to choose from, whilst there’s also flexibility to arrange your own private classes focussing on something specific, should you want to.

See the full review here

Boutique Retreats - Introduction to Machine Sewing

Yesterday I attended a 1-to-1 Beginners Sewing course with Helen and I am absolutely delighted with the result. I bought along the sewing machine that I had inherited from a relative and Helen figured out how it worked and then proceeded to teach me how to use it. The objective of the day was to learn some of the basics and to make a tote bag. You can see the result yourself in the photo. I keep examining it and am so surprised how good it looks! Helen is an incredible professional with amazing skills and experience. She's also a lovely and accommodating person and I enjoyed her company as well as all the learning. I feel very lucky to have had her as a teacher. It is definitely my intention to return to continue to my journey of discovery.

Louise Harding - 1 to 1 Introduction to Machine Sewing

The best thing I learned on the Introduction to Machines Sewing class is that I can sew!! After years of thinking I can’t. The lesson was very thorough, and I really enjoyed the day. Thank you.

Susan Saunders - Introduction to Machine Sewing

I attended the Introduction to Machine Sewing class, I was just curious to give it a try and I had a really good day. I had a finished item to show for it at the end and I learned a lot. In future I’d like to learn to make a more complex bag.

Ashley Gilder - Introduction to Machine Sewing

HOW TO BOOK

Bookings are through Art Centre Penryn

CANCELLATIONS

Art Centre Penryn is a small, non-profit organisation and our courses form a really important part of our income. Our courses are therefore non-refundable, but we offer the following options:

If it is more than 30 days from the course start date, we can offer a voucher worth the same amount for a future course. Within 30 days from the course start date, we cannot offer a voucher, but you could send someone else in your place, just email us to let us know.

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