Sewing Like A Pro
About Me
I’ve loved garment sewing since the first little sundresses I sewed for my baby sisters at age 11. I was even more taken with it after I completed my second project which was a formel ensemble for myself which consisted of a skirt, a top and an extra little scarf I made out of the remnants.
From then on I’ve been sewing, designing and learning everything I can about garment sewing, fitting, and creating garments that are not only professionally finished, but garments that suit and flatter the person wearing them as well.
Right out of high school I started working at a local bridal shop as the head seamstress of the alteration department. It was at this time in my life that I met and married my prince charming.
My pursuit of wanting to really understand the craft of garment creation took us from Canada across the Atlantic for an apprenticeship as a fashion design seamstress in Germany for an almost 4 years stay.
Lucky me that my prince was German which made the whole adventure much easier. Yes, all the schooling I did in Germany was in German. And no, I didn’t speak any German before I moved there. I can say I had always wished I was bilingual, and now I am.
Moving back I had my heart set on a bridal boutique of my own. Full of Couture gowns crafted by myself and my crew. It took me a few years until it came to be, and then happily designed and created gowns for all shapes sizes and styles for a number of years. Now with a toddler and a baby in my world the busy summer months of the Bridal industry had already started to lose their charm. Then Covid-19 brought the Bridal industry to a sudden halt.
I decided the best thing I could do for the world and humanity at that point was to create a space for connection. We needed spaces to be together and still connect on a human to human personal level. What better place to do that than a common interest you could do at home?
During my apprenticeship my heart was also grabbed buys the current conditions of the workers in the fashion industry overseas. And since then I’ve been looking for opportunities to bring awareness to consumers and encourage a shift away from fast fashion at the same time.
The benefit of sewing your own garments means you can create garments that really fit you the way you want your clothes to fit. In the colour you want them to be. At the quality of your own choosing. And according to a statistic I once heard we only were 10% of our wardrobe 90% of the time. What is that 10%? They are the garments that actually fit us the way we like.
I dove headlong into figuring out how I could teach such a visual hands-on craft virtually over zoom. I fell in love with teaching almost as much as I fell in love with sewing wayback when. There’s something so rewarding when your students accomplish great things that they never had the confidence to try until joining your classes. It’s also way too much fun to meet students from all around the world. It doesn’t matter where you are from there is an instant click if you love sewing too!
If you would like to take your sewing to the next level. It would be my honour to share all that I know with you. See you soon in class!
Testimonials
I’ve totally enjoyed the Fitting Fashion class. I have been sewing for over 40 years, but Chelsea helped me finally take my skills to the next level. The small classes are interactive and encourage learning new skills. I’ve learned “sew” much with Chelsea. Glad I didn’t wait any longer to learn how to fit my garments and make clothes I love to wear.
Linda J.
I found Chelsea Bussemeier near the start of the COVID pandemic. What a gift! We were all stuck at home and I for one wanted something creative to do. I signed up for one of her online classes that met twice a month. I met other sewists from other states and even other countries. It was great to be able to make new friends and I learned so much! Even though I suppose it might now be possible to find an in-person class nearby, I'm going to sign up for another year with Chelsea. Her training and experience is impressive and she gladly shares it all with her students.
Chris M.