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![\"MIKAELA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4143480_web1_260414-Make-it-Sew-00225.JPG\")
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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Make it Sew is a new craft studio on Sherbrook that offers classes in sewing, weaving, crocheting and knitting. <\/p>\n
Karbonik opened Make it Sew (156 Sherbrook St.) last fall as haven for fibre art enthusiasts of all skill levels and ages. The shop offers private and group classes in sewing, crocheting, knitting and weaving, as well as equipment rentals and special crafting events. The space also has a retail section stocked with items made by local craftspeople.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the kind of community-oriented place Karbonik \u2014 a 36-year-old mother of two \u2014 yearned for when she was getting into the hobby as a preteen.<\/p>\n
\u201cSewing back then wasn\u2019t cool and not a lot of people did it, so I was really just sewing alone in my room \u2026 I have three girls who come to classes together and my heart explodes, because I wish that could\u2019ve been me and my friends,\u201d she says, adding sewing was historically a communal activity until the invention of the domestic sewing machine turned the craft into a largely solo pursuit.<\/p>\n
Make it Sew is Karbonik\u2019s latest stitch-based business.<\/p>\n
She learned to sew while helping her mom make homemade Halloween costumes. At 10, she started making and selling frog stuffies to passersby at the family\u2019s seasonal campsite at Grand Beach \u2014 an endeavour that ended up running afoul of the law.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did that for a few years until the park patrols came and were like, \u2018No, you can\u2019t do this without a permit,\u2019\u201d Karbonik says with a laugh.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Make it Sew offers project-based classes that teach participants versatile skills.<\/p>\n After completing a fashion design diploma in high school, she became a real-life fairy godmother, creating intricate Disney-inspired ballgowns for princess parties all over the world.<\/p>\n She transitioned to teaching private sewing lessons during the pandemic and noticed strong demand for education in the hobby, once a common skill taught at home and school.<\/p>\n Her dream of opening a public sewing studio became a reality when the 750-square-foot space, former home of Shop Public, came on the market last year.<\/p>\n At Make it Sew, classes run for a few days or weeks, depending on the project, and are capped at four students to provide closer hands-on instruction. Karbonik, who specializes in sewing and costuming, has enlisted other local makers to lead workshops on knitting, crocheting and weaving.<\/p>\n The studio is equipped with a quartet of Singer sewing machines fitted with adaptive 3D-printed hand wheels to accommodate students with mobility issues, as well as a serger and several adjustable drafting tables.<\/p>\n Customers can book space in the studio to work on their own projects for $15 an hour or sign up for a class.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Make it Sew owner Brittany Karbonik learned to sew as a child, helping her mom make Halloween costumes.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of our classes are project-based, but they\u2019re learning a lot of different skills in one project that they can continue using,\u201d Karbonik says, adding everything is designed to be beginner-friendly.<\/p>\n \u201cI also try to think about things that a variety of ages can do. I offered a hoodie class and I had a stay-at-home mom and I had 10-year-olds in that class.\u201d<\/p>\n Other projects have included sleepwear, corsets, puff quilts, whimsical backpacks and silly stuffed geese.<\/p>\n This weekend, Karbonik, who is M\u00e9tis, has invited her aunt Linda Chisholm, a M\u00e9tis elder, to teach a two-day workshop on ribbon skirts, with teachings on the history and cultural significance of the garment.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tDish<\/p>\n Every Second Friday<\/p>\n The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for Dish<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Students provide their own supplies and upcycling is a big part of the curriculum, with lessons on how to turn blankets and tablecloths into coats, bags and shirts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a cheap hobby,\u201d says Karbonik. \u201cI always say, go and thrift your fabric first \u2026 or look at home and see if there\u2019s something that you already have and can use before going out and purchasing fabric, because it is really expensive.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n The Make it Sew workshop area on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Make it Sew is a new craft studio on Sherbrook that offers classes in sewing, weaving, crochetting and knitting. For Eva story. Free Press 2026<\/p>\n \u201cAnd repurposing things is really important to keep it out of the landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n Visit makeitsew.shop<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/evawasney<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Eva Wasney Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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