We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›
Learning how to sew or nailing a new technique is easier than ever thanks to sewing videos. From apparel to embroidery to quilting, the best sewing tutorials can accommodate beginner to advanced sewers. But with so many online sewing classes and YouTube videos, it can be difficult to sort through them all and choose which one is the best. Luckily for those looking for online sewing tutorials, the best sewing classes online can deliver on all fronts.
Below, we’ll cover our top picks for the best online sewing classes, what to consider when choosing the best sewing video tutorials, and answer some frequently asked questions regarding sewing classes online. Before searching online for “sewing classes near me,” students can compare these online tutorials to find a class that suits their needs and budget.
- BEST OVERALL: Craftsy
- BEST FOR APPAREL: Anita by Design
- BEST FOR UPHOLSTERY: Kim’s Upholstery
- BEST FOR QUILTING: National Quilters Circle
- BEST FOR EMBROIDERY: Realistic Embroidery Techniques
What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Online Sewing Classes
There are several factors to consider when choosing one of the best online sewing classes. These include learning platform, pricing, student skill level, craft focus, class length, and required supplies.
Platform and Pricing
A learning platform is a website that offers students instruction, tools, and resources in one place for convenient learning. Online sewing classes are offered via YouTube, an online learning platform, or a sewing organization’s website. Some learning platforms allow students to download the content and watch it offline. Platforms may also allow students to stream the content via a smart TV or use an app to watch the tutorials on their smartphone or tablet. If one of these features is vital, students will want to check the class they’re interested in to see what capabilities are available.
The best sewing tutorials on YouTube are free, while other online sewing classes are accessible for a fee. Depending on the learning platform or website, students can purchase a class as a stand-alone option or access it as part of a subscription. If students opt for a platform membership, they can take as many courses as they’d like for one flat fee. Beginners who aren’t sure if sewing is the right hobby for them may want to consider free or stand-alone class options, while subscription memberships may be the right choice for dedicated hobbyists.
Student Skill Level
It’s essential for students to select a class that works the best for their knowledge and skill level. Students with no prior sewing experience will want to search for sewing tutorials for beginners so they can focus on the basics. Intermediate and advanced sewers can benefit from content that contains more specialized techniques to further their skills, which may require a paid subscription to an online learning platform.
Craft Focus and Class Length
Some classes specialize in a specific sewing craft, such as apparel, embroidery, quilting, or upholstery. In contrast, others will focus on basic skills that transcend all crafts. Some platforms also feature sewing-adjacent tutorials, such as learning about fashion from different time periods or pattern making for clothing. Students interested in a specific craft or area of focus can seek out these topics when vetting online sewing classes.
Classes on some platforms can range from a few minutes in length to several hours long split over a few lessons. Teaching basic stitches may only necessitate a 5-minute video, but a complicated dress pattern could take hours of video instruction. Students will want to match up the tutorial to how much time they’re willing to spend on the class.
Supplies Required
The necessary supplies will vary according to the sewing craft. Online classes via YouTube, a learning platform, or a sewing organization’s website will typically not provide the needed supplies for the lesson. It’s important that classes identify what supplies students are going to need before they start. In addition to the required supplies, students will want to have an extra collection of scrap fabric to practice techniques or test their machines. If they don’t already have this on-hand, they can look for remnants at their local fabric store to practice on.
Our Top Picks
We researched online sewing classes and narrowed our list down to the top offerings. These are our choices for the best online sewing classes.
Best Overall
Craftsy
- Platform: Craftsy.com
- Pricing: $11 per month for Premium membership; $4.99 to $69.99 for stand-alone classes
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Craft focus: Quilting, apparel, embroidery
- Class length: Videos range from 5 to 60 minutes
Pros
- Over 500 sewing, quilting, and embroidery videos available
- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced class options
- Basics and project-based sew-along videos
- Subscription and stand-alone class purchase options
- Easy-to-use search and filter functions
Cons
- Teaching style may vary by instructor
- Some classes may be pricier than others
Why It Made the Cut: With over 500 video classes covering apparel, quilting, embroidery, and more, Craftsy is a standout choice for sewers of all skill levels. Craftsy offers classes that cover sewing machine essentials, beginner basics, pattern making, alterations, fabric dyeing, upholstery, embroidery, quilting, and more. The wide variety of topics and over 500 videos make Craftsy one of the best online sewing classes for both beginners and advanced sewers. If students are interested in just one class, they can purchase it for lifetime access. But if they’re interested in taking several classes on the Craftsy platform, an $11 per month membership subscription may work better than paying $4.99 to $69.99 per stand-alone class (which could get relatively pricey). Students can choose what kind of instruction they need, from guidance for a specific technique to careful direction for an entire project. All classes are taught by different instructors that Craftsy deems to be experts, but there’s no way for students to vet the content or the instructor’s teaching style before taking a class. And if an instructor’s teaching style doesn’t work for a student, there are hundreds of other classes to choose from. Plus, the Craftsy website is straightforward to navigate with easy-to-use search and filter functions, making it an extremely user-friendly platform.
Best for Apparel
Anita by Design
- Platform: YouTube
- Pricing: Free
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Craft focus: Apparel
- Class length: Videos range from 10 to 80 minutes
Pros
- Totally free of charge
- Fundamental “Learn to Sew” playlist geared toward beginners
- Comprehensive lessons and reviews on sewing patterns, machines, and accessories
Cons
- Relatively limited content library
Why It Made the Cut: With step-by-step apparel sewing tutorials available for free, Anita by Design is one of the best sewing YouTube channels. Anita by Design is a YouTube channel that focuses on sewing tutorials for those with beginner to intermediate sewing skills. For beginners, Anita has a learn-to-sew tutorial that covers the basics. And for more experienced students, Anita offers in-depth tutorials on sewing garments with step-by-step instructions and follow-along projects. This free channel has sewing videos that range from 10 to 80 minutes. Anita also provides comprehensive lessons and reviews of patterns, machines, and accessories, so students can learn sewing techniques and gain knowledge regarding advanced equipment and accessories to improve their skills. Even though there is a somewhat limited content library, students who want to learn tips about sewing a variety of clothing items can find easy-to-follow instructions on the Anita by Design channel.
Best for Upholstery
Kim’s Upholstery
Specs
- Platform: YouTube
- Pricing: Free
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Craft focus: Upholstery
- Class length: Videos range from 6 to 60 minutes
Pros
- Totally free of charge
- Organized collection of topic-based playlists
- Recorded and unedited project demos
Cons
- Some fundamental videos may be outdated
Why It Made the Cut: Kim’s Upholstery provides how-to videos for students to learn how to upholster chairs, sofas, headboards, and more. Interested in learning how to upholster from the comfort of home? Kim’s Upholstery provides instructional videos on YouTube on all things upholstery. Sewers with beginner and intermediate skills can enjoy free upholstery tutorials ranging from 6 to 60 minutes. Students can search the organized playlists to find the kind of content they want, from quick tips to entire follow-along projects. Those who want even more content can become a member for $49 per month or $490 per year; for this fee, they’ll get access to exclusive content that they can access as many times as they like for the duration of their membership. Along with prerecorded and edited content, Kim has unedited follow-along videos, which can give students a good idea of how long a project can take and the types of issues that can arise. While some videos on this channel are over 10 years old and lack the visual quality of the newer videos, they still contain excellent instructional information. It’s important to note that Kim has also remade many fundamental upholstery videos, and many of the basics are included in the follow-along videos.
Best for Quilting
National Quilters Circle
- Platform: Nationalquilterscircle.com
- Pricing: Begins at $8.50 per month; select videos available for free
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Craft focus: Quilting
- Class length: Videos range from 5 to 45 minutes
Pros
- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced class options
- Basics and project-based sew-along videos
- Easy-to-use search and filter functions
Cons
- Teaching style may vary by instructor
Why It Made the Cut: With instructional videos ranging from core quilting skills to advanced techniques, National Quilters Circle is an excellent choice for quilters of all skill levels. Beginner to advanced quilters can find instructional videos ranging from core quilting skills to design to finishing touches on the National Quilters Circle website. The easy-to-use search and filter functions allow students to choose the type of video they want, whether that’s instruction regarding a specific skill or guidance through an entire quilting project. The National Quilters Circle is a dedicated online resource for everything related to quilting, with new videos added every week. The site has videos ranging from 5 to 45 minutes that quilting experts with various teaching styles teach. Not every instructor may be a good fit for every student, so students may have to watch multiple videos to find their preferred instructors. In addition to tutorials, students can access project ideas, articles, question-and-answer sessions with expert quilters, product reviews, and more. Students can view select videos for free, but content access with a premium membership is $8.50 per month, and gold-level membership is $194 per year. The gold-level membership provides extra access to quilting plans and online store discounts.
Best for Embroidery
Realistic Embroidery Techniques
- Platform: Domestika
- Pricing: $39.99
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Craft focus: Embroidery
- Class length: 17 lessons spanning 3 hours
Pros
- Focus on popular, realistic long-and-short-stitch embroidery technique
- Piece of embroidery work finished upon course completion
Cons
- Scope of techniques demonstrated may be somewhat limited
Why It Made the Cut: Realistic Embroidery Techniques is an excellent class for beginner to intermediate embroiderers to learn realistic designs through the art of needle painting. Offered through Domestika, Realistic Embroidery Techniques, taught by embroidery artist Emillie Ferris, focuses on creating realistic, multidimensional embroidery designs using the long- and-short-stitch techniques. Suitable for beginning and experienced sewers, the class is divided into 17 lessons culminating in a final project of embroidering a monarch butterfly. Since the class emphasizes one technique, students may not come out of the class with a wide range of embroidery skills, but they will likely feel confident in the techniques learned in this tutorial. These skills are also transferable to other future embroidery projects. Students can set their own pace while learning these realistic embroidery techniques from home. At the end of each course, the student will receive a certificate of completion signed by the instructor. The Realistic Embroidery Techniques course is available for $39.99 with unlimited access, so students can play the entire video or individual lessons as often as needed.
Our Verdict
Based on the number of sewing classes, relatively low membership cost, the range of skill levels, the sewing craft focus, class length, and access to class content, Craftsy is our top pick for the best online sewing classes. With comprehensive lessons and free content access, Anita By Design on YouTube makes our list of the best apparel sewing classes.
How We Chose the Best Online Sewing Classes
When researching the best online sewing classes, we considered several important factors. First, we looked for a range of courses that covered most facets of hobby sewing with high-quality video creation and clear, enthusiastic instructors. We prioritized classes that cater to various skill levels and have varying class lengths, which can appeal to a wider range of students. We also examined pricing, course content, and instruction to ensure students would receive quality training at a good value. With the amount of sewing content available online, the classes we selected needed to be high-quality and affordable in order to be included on our list.
Before You Take One of the Best Online Sewing Classes
Before jumping into online sewing classes, students will want to outline their expectations when learning to sew online. While some students prefer to search online for “sewing lessons near me” and take in-person sewing lessons, others prefer to learn at their own pace in their homes. One significant benefit of online sewing classes is that students can choose precisely what they want to learn. Beginners can select a tutorial about sewing machine basics, and intermediate students can learn how to attach a zipper to an article of clothing. Learning sewing techniques from home means students can set up their sewing machine and all their supplies in one spot and never have to transport them like they would to attend an in-person class.
One significant disadvantage to taking online sewing classes is that students do not have access to the instructor for hands-on and individualized instruction. For most students, the lack of feedback and support can be remedied by rewatching a video section and pausing it to feel comfortable with the technique before moving on to the rest of the tutorial. Students who are motivated and driven often do well with online classes.
For brand-new sewers, the supplies needed for online sewing classes can quickly add up. One of the most critical supplies is a sewing machine. It’s recommended that students choose one of the best sewing machines for beginners that fits within their budget. The sewing machine chosen should also match the projects the student intends to work on; one of the best mini sewing machines may be great for small crafts but not ideal for upholstery. Other vital supplies are thread, sewing machine needles, a thread holder, bobbins, scissors, a fabric cutting board, hand-sewing needles, fabric marking pens or pencils, a measuring tape, a seam ripper, pins, a rotary fabric cutter, a straightedge, an iron, and an ironing board. Purchasing all these supplies can be expensive, so students will want to work them into their budget in addition to the cost for the best online sewing classes. If the student isn’t confident that they will enjoy sewing, they can ask to borrow supplies from a friend or family member first.
Cost of Taking One of the Best Online Sewing Classes
Online sewing classes are available through online learning platforms, YouTube, or sewing organization websites. The price of the online classes can vary greatly depending on the platform and its pricing tiers. Individual classes can range from free of charge to $69.99 per class, and membership subscription fees can start at $8.50 per month with access to unlimited classes.
The cost of sewing as a hobby can be expensive, depending on the cost of equipment and supplies. Some people prefer to buy a secondhand sewing machine and find fabric at thrift stores or clearance sales. Students motivated to keep their sewing hobby affordable have plenty of ways to keep costs down.
The Advantages of Taking One of the Best Online Sewing Classes
Online sewing classes can provide basic sewing knowledge to more advanced techniques. The following are a few additional benefits of taking online sewing classes.
- Online sewing classes can fit into a busy schedule.
- Students can complete the tutorial and project at their own pace.
- Students can select a class that matches their skill set.
- Students can focus on specific sewing techniques they want to improve.
- Sewing can reduce anxiety and stress.
- Learning to sew can boost creativity.
- Students can avoid the expensive price tag of in-person sewing lessons.
FAQs
With so many online choices, deciding which online sewing class to take can be overwhelming. The following are a few frequently asked questions about online sewing classes to help make the decision easier.
Q. Are online sewing classes worth it?
Yes. Online sewing tutorials are a rich source of information curated by experienced sewers.
Q. Can I learn sewing online?
Absolutely. There are online sewing classes that break down sewing from the very beginning. Students can go at their own pace while practicing their skills and completing sewing projects.
Q. How can I learn sewing for free?
Many experienced sewers teach free online sewing classes; these can be found on YouTube or a sewing organization’s website.
Q. How can I learn sewing at home?
Students may want to consider one of the best online sewing classes if they’re interested in learning to sew from the comfort of their own home.
Q. Can I teach myself to sew?
Learning how to sew takes practice and patience. By starting with basic sewing skills, students can build up their sewing ability with time and experience.
Q. How do I learn to sew professionally?
Like any other technical skill, it takes practice and years of experience to sew professionally. Along with trial and error, anticipating problems and knowing solutions will come with practice and experience.
Q. What should I learn first about sewing?
Along with an understanding of basic sewing terminology, some of the sewing skills that students should learn first are how to thread a sewing machine needle, how to choose thread, how to sew a straight stitch, how to use a pattern, how to sew a button, how to tie a finishing knot, and how to use sewing tools.