Library Sewing Workshop
2023, written by Cerie Taylor
One of the first things I noticed about living in Sweden was the fashion. Swedish people have mastered that effortless elegant look, even in the midst of winter when everyone is bundled up under hats and scarves, but I did notice one thing.
Swedish people wear black. And white. And grey. And the occasional splash of brown if they’re feeling really adventurous.
For someone like me who dresses like a traffic cone every day, I definitely stood out. A question I get asked more often than not is, “where do you get your clothes? Do you make them?”
My answer was always no. Until I discovered that you can rent sewing machines and all the relevant equipment from stadsbiblioteket for free! FREE!
A thousand light bulbs went off in my head.
The city library is located in Gotaplatsen right in the centre of Gothenburg, next door to Park Lane and across the road from A43 Coffee. All you need to access a plethora of completely free resources is a library card - a process which takes less than ten minutes, you don’t need a personnumber and is also…you guessed it, free! The library offers reading material in Swedish and English, computers, music rooms, children’s centres and of course, sewing machines.
This is where the magic happens.
All you need is some fabric (I thrifted mine - Myrorna in Jantorget is a great place to start) and a can-do attitude and you’re good to go! If you can also find a more experienced seamstress to guide you along the process like I did, that makes an incredible bonus.
In your sewing kit you’ll find everything you need including multiple spools of thread, pins, tailor’s chalk and even an ironing board! If you want to try something completely new that you’ve never made before, use the library’s free and reliable internet service to pull up a tutorial on Youtube and see how it goes! If you’re unsure of anything, the friendly library staff are always on hand to help you out.
The library is open twelve hours a day, seven days a week (reduced hours on weekends). There’s no need to book, just head down, but don’t forget your library card!
Here is a picture of me wearing my very first pair of trousers, looking very pleased with myself.
Whoever handed my phone in to the library reception gets a passionate kiss on the mouth x
