More about the Patternmaking & Design Program

Students work through the 10 subject patternmaking program at their own pace. Think of a lab setting - nine students working at their own pace in the course with the teacher demonstrating and explaining each lesson and then helping as questions come up or further demonstration is needed. This allows each student to proceed to the next exercise when they are ready and fully comprehend the previous work. The techniques learned can be applied to womens', mens' or childrens' wear.

All exercises are sewn in muslin. Students should expect to do 6 to 12 hours of homework a week. The course takes a minimum of eighteen months to complete.

The course text and all pattern paper will be provided. Students provide their own muslin and will need 100 to 130 yards of muslin to get through the course. Drafting equipment, dressmakers' forms, pressing equipment and sewing machines are available for use during class. Students should have a sewing machine and an iron at home as well.

The 10 subjects and what you can expect to learn in each are as follows:

Skirts: Students begin with skirts, the basic starting point to learn the fundamentals of patternmaking and design. We begin by drafting a basic one dart straight skirt (also called a sloper, template pattern or block). The sloper can be drafted for the student's body or for a dress form. Once the skirt sloper is perfected, it is traced onto tag (similar to cardboard) and used as the basis for drafting all the skirt exercises.

In skirts, students learn how to draft and sew facings, waistbands, linings, kick pleats, slits, yokes, bands, godets, button extensions, a pocket, side drapes, empire lines, lowered waistlines, dart manipulations, pencil lines, drawstring/elastic waistlines, wraps, asymmetrical and seamed skirts, a-line flares, bias flares, circle flares, princess flares, ruffles, box pleats, accordion pleats, knife pleats, fully pleated skirts, and gore skirts.

Moulage: Students learn to draft a mold of the upper body from the neckline to the hips. The moulage is then manipulated into a sloper which is used as the basis for drafting all garments for the upper body. In addition to drafting a moulage for themselves, a student will draft for a small, average and large bust as well as a men's moulage.

Dart Manipulation: In this subject, students learn the technique of manipulating the placement of darts into a more creative design including manipulating the darts into tucks, gathers, flares and seams. Students learn to manipulate existing front and back sloper darts into the full range of style lines including, shoulder, neck, center front and armhole darts, waist gathers, shoulder pleats and neckline gathers. Students practice pivoting darts and incorporating darts into seamlines.

Necklines: Students learn the techniques for drafting necklines ranging from evening gowns to simple t-shirts and everything in between. The exercises include boat neck, v-neck, scalloped, cornered, sweetheart, strapless, Grecian, off-the-shoulder, funnel, portrait and cowl necklines.

Collars: In collars, students learn band, shawl, Chinese, Hawaiian, flat, sailor, peter pan collars as well as a hood, ruffles, roll collars and notched collars and a Napoleon collar.

Sleeves: Two sleeve slopers are drafted to use as the basis of the exercises - a basic sleeve for dresses, blouses and shirts and a two-piece sleeve for coats and jackets. Once the slopers are perfected and put on tag, the exercises are drafted. The sleeve exercises include short, 3/4 length, bell, puff, cap, pieced, petal, cuffs, plackets, two piece with vent, mutton leg, bouffant, cowl, Henry VIII, dolman, raglan, kimono, drop shoulder and diamond gusset, and will be sewn into the sloper armhole.

Pockets: The following pockets are drafted and sewn: standard patch pockets, cargo, expandable, sweatshirt, pockets in side seams and princess seams, cut-in pant pocket, yoke pocket, double welt, single welt and welt with flap pockets.

Pants: Students begin with drafting a pant sloper. Once that fit is perfected and the pant pattern is put on tag, the pant exercises begin. Pant exercises include Capri, flare, shorts, pleated, panel, boot cut, leggings and drawstring pants. Additional variations such as waistbands, cuffs, belt loops, button fly, zipper fly and linings are also taught.

Lines: Students learn princess lines, a-lines, empires, double-breasted, swing and tent silhouettes. T-shirts, vests, shells, jackets, coats, blouses and dresses are drafted as well.

Production: Once a student is through with the course work above, they will begin work on an 8-piece production line. Students also complete a production book for the 8 pieces which includes design sheets, production spec sheets, fabric and trim spec sheets, costs sheets, cut and sew tickets and purchase orders. Students are provided with these forms and are taught how to fill them out, preparing the student to work in the industry. The line is then presented to the class. On average, production takes about 6 months. A Certificate of Completion is given to all students who finish the course through production.