26/06/2026
And so, in this 37-degree weather, the first semester of this year’s Open Sewing Course concluded.
The heat didn’t stop the volunteers and participants from sewing together one last time before the summer holidays. Accompanied by the three ventilators, tirelessly spinning the air around our atelier, they gave finishing touches to their projects.
We’ve run the Open Sewing Course for eight years now. It’s a free-of-charge sewing course for people with refugee backgrounds, led by our amazing volunteers.
It takes place twice a week, on Thursday mornings and afternoons, pausing for summer and winter holidays.
Over the years, the course has been visited by 368 participants from over 40 nationalities, and it continues to be a beloved offer. Currently, both courses are full, with 30+ people on the waiting list.
When we first started the course, it was a loosely structured get-together centred on sewing. As interest grew and we had to accommodate more participants, the course became better defined.
Today, the course plan is built on 15 projects that build up sewing skills as well as vocabulary. It starts with simple cotton-fabric projects and leads up to sewing zippers or jersey.
The goal is to offer an easy-going space for people with refugee backgrounds where they can come together, enjoy our mutual hobby, practise German in a low-stress environment, and form friendships with other participants and volunteers.
While we consider the Open Sewing Course one of our most impactful programmes, we cannot take credit for it. The impact is almost entirely the work of our volunteers, who contribute over 800 hours each year to organising and leading the course.
And this is perhaps also a good example of what we are as a social fabric: a collective of textile enthusiasts (craftivists, if you will) who come together to create the positive change we want to see, one stitch at the time.
