Sewing is our Pathway to Success

The Sewing Labs (TSL) offers Certificates and Certifications in the Fundamental skills courses only with the goal for the student to master skills that they can then put into play to gain self-reliance, self-confidence and financial self-sufficiency. 

Students can achieve a Certificate when they have completed a course and turned in all work. Students will also receive an evaluation of their skills based on the work completed for that course.

TSL certification program is the Sewing Salon Training Program which is designed to teach each participant detailed skills in sewing and related fields along with practical applications such as hands-on projects to practice and reinforce each skill learned.  The Sewing Salon Training Program is a Registered Apprenticeship with the US & MO Department of Labor.  This program connects the sewists directly to the job marketplace with site visits to active real workrooms with sewing entrepreneurs and businesses in the Kansas City.  Students can achieve a Certification when they have completed the course and all work has been turned in and evaluated.  Students will have individual evaluation of their skills to understand where they have mastered a skill and where they need continued practice to perfect.  Students must meet a required minimum skill set in order to achieve "Certification "

We offer the following Certificates & Certifications:

  • Phase 1 - Domestic
    • Basic Sewing - Part 1 - Machine Operations & Tools of the Trade
    • Basic Sewing - Part 2 - Fundamental Sewing Skills
  • Phase 2  - Domestic
    • Intro to Garments - Patterns, Textiles and Garment terminology
    • Garment Construction - Components of garments with construction
  • Phase 3 - Domestic
    • Serger Basics
    • Mastering Knits
  • Phase 4 - Industrial 
    • Machine Operations & Safety
    • Production Processes
  • Phase 5  Longarm Quilting  (coming in 2022) 

See Syllabus for more information.

Certification Programs consist of various # of weeks of instruction with required homework.  We are serious to teach in depth fundamental skills to assure that you will be ready for all elements of sewing.  So, we expect you to follow up with practice and homework each week to assure that you are learning and building your skills.

Certificate of Achievement  - is awarded upon successful completion of course of study including testing and portfolio of samples turned in for critique (if applicable)

Certification of Skills - is awarded if Mastery of or competency in specific knowledge, skill or process that will be measured against a set of accepted standards.  These skills will be presented by a portfolio of samples of required work turned in and critiqued by instructor.

**Basic Sewing Part 1 is a pre-requisite for all other Phases but, testing out is available.