Sewing and fiber classes in Palo Alto

Sewing has made a quiet comeback on the Peninsula. People want to hem their own trousers, make a shirt that fits or knit something slower than a screen. Palo Alto has no fabric store and no yarn shop of its own, especially since JOANN closed its stores in 2025. What it does have is a strong evening program at the Adult School, fiber arts at the city art center and a ring of independent shops a few miles away that teach and host stitch nights.

This guide lists sewing, knitting, crochet, needlepoint and other fiber options we confirmed in early November 2026. It starts in Palo Alto and then covers nearby towns, named for each listing. For supplies, see our yarn and craft stores guide.

Where to learn at a glance

Palo Alto Adult School

The Palo Alto Adult School is the best place in town to learn to sew from scratch. Sewing classes meet in Room 140 at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, which has a sewing room. Knitting and crochet meet in classrooms at Palo Alto High School. Anyone 18 or older can enroll. The fall 2026 catalog showed this lineup:

The beginning class is aimed at absolute beginners and teaches how professionals make well-fitting clothes, step by step. The mending class covers hemming jeans, trousers, skirts and dresses by machine or by hand. Knitters of every level join the knitting workshop. The fall sessions end in November. Watch the Adult School arts and crafts page for the winter dates and expect the most popular sewing classes to fill early.

What to bring

Garment classes usually ask students to buy their own fabric, pattern and notions after the first meeting. Ask the instructor before you shop. With JOANN gone, many students order fabric online or make the drive to a specialty shop.

Fiber arts at the Palo Alto Art Center

The Palo Alto Art Center at 1313 Newell Road lists fiber arts and basketry among its adult studio classes, alongside painting, printmaking and jewelry. Topics change each quarter and are booked through the city's Enjoy! catalog. For winter 2027, residents can register from December 3, 2026 and nonresidents from December 10, both at 10 a.m. Our art classes guide explains how the catalog works. The Art Center also teaches fiber and textile projects to children ages 3 to 18.

Uncommon Threads, Los Altos

The closest yarn shop to Palo Alto is Uncommon Threads at 164 Main Street, Suite 105, in downtown Los Altos. The business has been around for more than 40 years. Its Tuesday open stitch night is the easiest way to join a knitting circle: the shop stays open until 8 p.m. and knitters and crocheters bring projects and questions. On other days its fall hours start at noon, or 11 a.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Mondays. Ask staff about lessons and finishing help. A knitting circle is also one of the friendliest ways to meet people after a move, since regulars tend to come back week after week.

Old World Designs, Menlo Park

Needlepoint has its own specialist on Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park. Old World Designs at number 727 sells hand-painted canvases and silk, wool, cotton and metallic threads. It offers private and group classes, trunk shows and weekly stitch-ins on Fridays. The shop posts hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, so plan a morning or lunchtime visit.

Nordic Nest, San Carlos

Farther north, Nordic Nest at 781 Laurel Street in San Carlos pairs a yarn wall of Scandinavian brands with gifts and craft kits. Classes are a big part of the business. In fall 2026 it sold places in a weekday knitting class for beginner and intermediate knitters, a kids' crochet class on Thursdays and seasonal sewing workshops. It does not post regular hours, so call ahead.

A sewing studio in Sunnyvale

If you need machines rather than a teacher, Maker Nexus at 1330 Orleans Drive in Sunnyvale has a textiles area with domestic and industrial sewing machines and sergers. Its Limited membership, listed at $75 a month in November 2026, covers the sewing studio, 3D printers, the electronics lab and clean work space. Members take a safety class on each tool group before using it, at a member discount. It is a good fit for costume makers, upholstery projects and anyone who wants a serger without buying one. Our maker spaces guide has more on the shop.

Free mending and quilting

Repair Cafe Silicon Valley sessions include volunteer sewers who fix clothing for free. The next Palo Alto session is Sunday, November 8, 2026 at the Museum of American Heritage. It is a good place to watch a skilled mender at work before you try it yourself. Our repair and reuse guide has more.

Quilters have fewer choices since JOANN closed. Always Quilting in San Mateo now operates as Studio AQ at 1515 South El Camino Real, Suite 250, by appointment, with long-arm quilting, classes and a small fabric stock. It is a little beyond our usual 12-mile radius, so contact it first.

Tips for new stitchers

1. Start with mending. A short hemming class pays for itself the first time you shorten a pair of trousers.
2. Borrow before you buy. Learn on a class machine before you spend on your own.
3. Pick easy fabric. Medium-weight cotton is far easier for a first garment than knits or silk.
4. Join a circle. A weekly stitch night keeps a project moving and solves problems a video cannot.
5. Bring the yarn label. Shop staff can help much faster when they know the fiber and needle size.

Frequently asked questions