ABOUT THE COURSE
Eleven weeks. A certificate. And the skills to back it up.
The Certificate Program is the most comprehensive course The Altered Thread offers — and the only one that results in an official credential. Over eleven Sundays, Shanti leads a small cohort of six students through the full arc of professional garment construction: pattern drafting, precision fitting, tailoring, couture finishing, and a portfolio final garment of the student's own design. This is a structured program where students develop real technical mastery, receive direct professional feedback, and leave with both a finished portfolio piece and a Certificate in Professional Sewing & Fashion Construction.
WHAT COURSES ARE INCLUDED
Four Courses In One
Sewing 101
Build Your Essential Skills Learn to operate a sewing machine with confidence. You'll master threading, tension, straight seams, and hems while building the foundational habits every great sewist needs. By the final session, you'll walk away with a finished project — and the skills to keep going.
Pattern Making Intensive
Stop guessing at fit and start designing it. You'll learn to draft your own slopers, read and alter commercial patterns, and make precise fitting adjustments for your body. The result: a custom fitted bodice and skirt sloper that belongs to you.
Matering Garment Fitting & Alterations
This is where good sewists become great ones. You'll learn professional-grade techniques for altering real garments — adjusting fit, correcting construction, and finishing with precision. By the end, you'll have altered three complete garments and the eye to troubleshoot any fit problem.
SKILLS COVERED
Operate and maintain an industrial sewing machine with full technical confidence
Read, alter, and draft commercial and custom patterns from personal measurements
Construct complete garments from cutting through to final pressing and finishing
Install zippers, darts, waistbands, and linings with professional-level precision
Assess and correct fit issues on a live body at every stage of construction
Work with delicate and specialty fabrics — silk, lace, chiffon, structured interfacing
Apply couture finishing techniques: hand-stitched hems, bound edges, and clean seam finishes
PROJECTS YOU'LL COMPLETE
Tote bag or gathered skirt
Fully lined garment — bodice and skirt construction
Custom fitted bodice and skirt sloper set
Portfolio final garment of your own design and fabric choice (Specialty Elective)
Materials note: All machines are provided. Day-one materials — including drafting paper, basic notions, and muslin for initial fitting work — are included in the tuition. Students are responsible for fashion fabric for the portfolio final garment. A comprehensive materials and fabric sourcing guide is provided at enrollment.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
Built for serious sewists ready to operate at a professional level.
This program is for students who want to:
Build advanced, production-grade sewing skills
Launch a sewing, alterations, or garment-making business
Construct fully custom-fitted garments from their own patterns
Add a recognized credential to their portfolio or résumé
Move past intermediate-level work and into specialty construction
If the goal is to take sewing from a hobby to a marketable skill — or from intermediate to expert — this is the program built for it.
WHAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO BY GRADUATION
Concrete, professional-level outputs.
By the end of the eleven-week program, students will be able to:
Draft and grade a custom pattern from personal body measurements
Fit a garment on a live body and execute corrections at each construction stage
Apply couture-level finishing techniques to woven and specialty fabrics
Construct a fully tailored jacket, structured dress, or coordinated set
Produce a portfolio-ready final garment from original concept through completion
Sit for entry-level alterations or assistant-tailor work with demonstrable skill
Total program commitment: 33 hours of in-studio instruction across 11 sessions, plus approximately 8–10 hours of independent project work between sessions — roughly 41–43 total program hours.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Two ways to fund the program.
Two payment options:
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Pay in Full — $1,695 — Single payment at registration.
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Three monthly payments of $665. Total $1,995. Contact us before enrolling to activate the plan.
Course fees are non-refundable once the program begins. Cancellations made at least 7 days prior to the start date are eligible for a full refund.
STUDENT POLICY
What you need to know before enrolling.
01
Registration & Payment
Course fees are non-refundable once the program begins. Cancellations made at least 7 days prior to the start date are eligible for a full refund. Two payment options are available: pay in full at $1,595 (saving $100) or a 3-payment plan at $565 per month. Contact us before enrolling to arrange the payment plan. Prerequisite: Sewing 102 or a demonstrated intermediate level of garment construction experience. If you are unsure whether your background qualifies, contact us before registering and Shanti will assess your readiness directly.
02
Attendance
This is a certificate-bearing program — attendance is taken seriously. Each session introduces technical content and hands-on construction work that cannot be replicated outside the studio. Consistent attendance across all eleven sessions is required to receive the certificate. We cannot offer makeup sessions for missed classes. If an emergency arises, contact the instructor immediately. Students who miss more than two sessions may not be eligible for certification and will be advised individually on next steps.
03
Materials & Equipment
All industrial sewing machines and studio equipment are provided. Day-one materials are included in the tuition — you will have everything you need to begin on the first session. Students are responsible for sourcing fashion fabric for portfolio projects. A detailed fabric guide — including recommended textile types, approved New York area sources, and estimated yardage per project — is provided upon enrollment. Bring all portfolio fabrics to the instructor for review before cutting begins.
04
Studio Safety
You will be working on professional-grade industrial equipment throughout the program, including tools used for tailoring and couture construction. All students must follow the step-by-step safety guidance provided by the instructor at all times. A standard liability waiver is signed at the first session.