Beginners Pattern Cutting Course - How To Draft Yourself A Dress Block

Often, people learn to draft a dress block for themselves because they are fed up with sewing patterns that don’t account for their body shape.

They are fed up of clothes almost fitting.

Wasting fabric on 'failed' makes.

Only stitching jersey because its forgiving (IYKYK)

Whether you’re a avid home sewist, or a beginner pattern cutter looking to level up your skills, this course is the perfect introduction to the world of pattern cutting and dressmaking.

Over one weekend, you'll learn how to draft a custom sleevless dress block while improving your understanding of garment construction and fit.

• A Tailored Dress Block: Learn to draft a dress block based on your own measurements, ensuring a perfect fit every time. Say goodbye to off-the-rack clothing and embrace garments made specifically for you!

• Build Confidence: Master the fundamentals of pattern cutting in a relaxed and supportive environment. By the end of the course, you'll have the confidence to continue your dressmaking journey, whether it's for yourself, your business, family, or your friends.

• Master Fit: know how to troubleshoot fitting issues and how to relate these back to your block accuratly.

• A Fun and Productive Outlet: This course offers a fulfilling and enjoyable way to spend your time. It's a great opportunity to learn a valuable skill, meet like-minded people, and create something beautiful together :)

Learning to draft a dress block is an essential starting point because it builds solid technical foundations for understanding the body and garment construction.

The key reasons why are 👇🏻

One - Core Structure: The dress block forms the basis for most garments, including dresses, tops, and jackets. Mastering this gives you a strong understanding of garment structure and fit.

Two - Problem Solving: Understanding how the dress block is constructed helps you troubleshoot fit issues, such as adjusting darts, necklines, or armholes.

Three - Versatility: Once you know how to draft a dress bodice block, you can easily modify it into various styles, giving you creative flexibility.

Four - Skill Development: It enhances your overall pattern-making skills, helping you grasp key concepts like balance, proportion, and seam placement, which can be applied to more complex designs later.

Five - Custom Fit: Drafting your own dress block allows you to create patterns tailored to specific measurements, ensuring better fit and comfort.

Essential:

• Pencil (preferably mechanical)
• Rubber
• Tape measure
• Scissors (paper & fabric)
• Notebook
• Pattern cutting ruler/ curve
• Tracing wheel
• 2 meters of lightweight calico
• Pins

Optional (if you have them):

• Notcher
• Awl

Geri is a creative senior pattern cutter with 12+ years experience working in luxury fashion for brands such as The OWN Studio, The Vampires Wife, Victoria Beckham and Halpern . She is passionate about teaching & mentoring as loves being able to pass her knowledge on and empower others in making their own clothes and advancing their skills whether they be hobbyist or professional within the industry. She created Pattern Wiz to focus on nurturing creativity, self-expression, and slow fashion in a way that supports well-being, sustainability, and personal growth.

Her approach to teaching is explaining pattern cutting in a simple way making you feel safe and at ease in the process by reminding you nothing you do is ever 'wrong', it is all learning and part of the process!

To sign up to the beginners pattern cutting course, please proceed by paying the £40 deposit. Following on from there you will recieve a email within the next 24hrs with futher details and an option to settle the remaining balance of £200 in full or in instalments.

Info: Assessing body shape & posture & how this affects your pattern
Taking accurate body measurements. You will be working in pairs - please bring leggings and a vest top for this.
Drafting your front and back dress block.

Info: Toiling your front and back dress block (making a pin calico toile)
Fitting your dress block to you body
Accurately transferring amendments to your block

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

unit 6, 20 Wellington Rd, 20 Wellington Road, Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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