More About the Patternmaking & Design Course

Students work through the patternmaking course at their own pace. Think of a lab setting with 12 students working through the course at their own speed with the teacher demonstrating and explaining each lesson one-on-one to the student and helping as questions come up. This approach allows each student to proceed to the next subject when they are ready and have fully comprehended the material. The techniques learned can be applied to women’s, men’s or children’s wear.

All exercises are sewn in muslin and final garments are sewn in fashion fabric. Students should expect to do 6 to 12 hours of homework a week. The course takes a minimum of 24 months to complete.

The course text and pattern paper will be provided. Students provide their own muslin and will need 200 to 250 yards to get through the course. Drafting equipment, dressmaker’s forms, sewing machines and pressing equipment are available for use during class and labs. Students need to have a sewing machine, iron and drafting and sewing supplies at home for homework.

The subject and what you can expect to learn are as follows:

Skirts

Students begin with skirts – the easiest subject to learn the fundamentals of patternmaking and design. We begin by drafting a basic straight skirt, which is fitted to the body and then transferred to tag (similar to cardboard) to use as a sloper. The sloper can be drafted for the student’s body or for a dress form. The sloper is used as a template to draft most of the skirt exercises.

Students then learn how to draft and sew facings, waistbands, linings, pleats, flares, yokes, godets, drapes, button extensions, empire lines, pencil lines and more. To graduate out of skirts, students will create 2 skirts of their own design and present them as production ready patterns with a sample made in fashion fabric.

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 their own moulage, students will draft 4 sample moulages for the dress forms and will be given instruction on drafting a men’s moulage.

Dart Manipulation

In this subject, students learn the technique of manipulating darts on the bodice into style lines, seams, flares, pleats, cowls and gathers. Students will also learn to pivot darts. To graduate out of dart manipulation, students will design, draft and sew two of their own manipulated designs.

Lines

Students learn to draft and sew princess lines, a-line, empire line, baby-doll, tent and double-breasted silhouettes.

Necklines

Students learn the techniques for drafting and sewing necklines and how to use facings and interfacings. The neckline exercises include boat, v-neck, scalloped, cornered, Grecian, strapless, off-the-shoulder and more. To graduate out of necklines, students will design, draft and sew two dresses (we suggest an evening look and a day look). The garments are presented in fashion fabric and are accompanied by a production-ready pattern and a pattern record card.

Collars

In this subject, students learn about button plackets and facings. We then move on to drafting and sewing band collars, camp collars, Peter Pan, sailor and roll collars. Hoods, ruffles and tailor collars are also addressed.

Sleeves

Three sleeve slopers are developed in this subject – a basic sleeve to use for dresses, shirts and blouses and a tailor sleeve and two-piece sleeve for jackets and coats. Once the slopers are perfected and put on tag, the exercises are drafted. Most exercises are sewn into the collar bodices to save time. The exercises include short, ¾-length, bell, puff, cap, pieced, petal, pieced, plackets, vents, mutton leg, Henry VIII, raglan and kimono among others. To graduate out of sleeves, students will design, draft and sew a blouse or men’s style shirt and a jacket. The garments are presented in fashion fabric and are accompanied by a production-ready pattern and a pattern record card.

Pockets

The pocket exercises are drafted and most are sewn onto squares of muslin. Patch pockets, in-seam pockets and welt pockets are addressed.

Pants

Students draft 3 pant slopers: a slack, trouser and jean. Once the fit of the slopers is perfected and they are put on tag, students begin the pant exercises. The exercises include bootcut, flares, drawstring pajama pants, shorts, leggings and others. We address drafting and sewing zipper and button flys, linings, belt loops and cuffs. To graduate out of pants, students will design, draft and sew a full jean and a dress pant. The garments are presented in fashion fabric and are accompanied by a production-ready pattern and a pattern record card.

Garment Production

Once a student is through with the course work above, they must produce an 8-piece line of clothing. We encourage students to use some of the garments they have designed and drafted in the course work. Students are taught to fill out fabric and trim spec sheets, production spec sheets, cost sheets, and cut and sew tickets. The line is then presented to the class in fashion fabric with production-ready patterns.