I teach sewing for people at all levels of skill and proficiency. Whether you are just starting out, or would like to take your sewing to the next level by learning how to make your own patterns I would love to help! I teach all over Wellington and can even do private lessons if you prefer.
Block Making Classes at our Studio
With classes of up to 4, I teach you how to draft and fit your own blocks, to help take the next step from sewing, to designing your own pieces.
Private Lessons
Would you like help with something specific, or to fit in with your schedule? We have private lessons available.
Sewing Lessons at the Wellington Sewing Center
I also teach larger classes at The Wellington Sewing Centre, Located in Kilbirnie.
Overview of Classes
With a well-fitted block and just a small amount of technical knowledge, the possibilities are endless! Blocks are the starting point of all patterns; these block making classes help you to take the first steps along your pattern making journey and give you the confidence to create wonderful clothes from nothing. The expert industry skills learned in this course also develop your understanding of clothes, fabric, common fit issues and how to fix them. The course is perfect for anyone who wants to expand their sewing knowledge and for those who struggle to find clothes (or even patterns) that fit well.
Skirt block class
In this class you will learn the basic rules of pattern making and come away with a well fitting skirt block that you can use as a starting point for your own designs and patterns. We will go over how to accurately take body measurements both on yourself and others for the purpose of dressmaking, how to apply these measurements into flat patterns and talk about body ease and why it is so important. You will draft your own block to your measurements, make up a toile, and learn how to not only fit it but then how to transfer that information back to your pattern.
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This class is perfect if you have never done any pattern making before, so don’t feel like you need to have any prior knowledge. It is not for complete beginner sewists; you should have at least a basic understanding of how clothes are put together when learning about pattern making.
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Timing: This class is over two days, from 10am until 3pm.
Day One:
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We learn about taking measurements, body ease, how to use the pattern making tools, and draft our skirt block.
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We then turn it into a functional pattern for you to make a toile from before the next class.
Day Two:
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We fit the skirt blocks and transfer any changes onto the pattern, before picking it off to create a usable block.
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At the end of the day time allowing we will go over some basic pattern adjustments to help you turn your block into a variety of skirts.
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Total cost for this class is $340. This includes all the materials you will need to make your patterns, as well as the fabric for the toile. I will provide a list of the tools we will use, you are welcome to bring any you may have, but I will have tools available to you as well.
Bodice and Sleeve:
In this class we build on the skills covered in the skirt class. We'll go further in depth into body measurements and body ease, draft your bodice and then your sleeve to your own measurements, and make up toiles to help us fit them. We will learn about moving darts, adding panel lines, sleeve head ease, and the advantages and disadvantages of sleeve and armhole shapes.
This class is perfect if you have completed the skirt drafting class. The two classes work very well together as you are able to combine the bodice with the skirt to make a dress block if you wish. It is not for beginner sewists; you should have a reasonable understanding of how clothes are put together.
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Timing: This class is over three days, from 10am until 5pm.
Day One:
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We build upon what was learnt in the skirt class and go more in depth into measurements and body ease.
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Draft our bodice block.
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We then turn it into a functional pattern for you to make a toile from before the next class.
Day Two:
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We fit the bodice blocks and transfer any changes onto the pattern.
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Once we have an armhole shape that we like, we will draft the sleeve.
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You will make another toile for the bodice as well as the sleeve before the next class. This allows us to get two fittings for the bodice as it can be a complicated piece, and to make sure the sleeve head and armholes work well together.
Day Three:
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We will fit the bodice and the sleeve together, transfer that information to the patterns, and pick off our blocks.
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At the end of the day time allowing, we will go over some basic pattern manipulations.
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Total cost for this class is $540. This includes all the materials you will need to make your patterns, as well as the fabric for the toile. I will provide a list of the tools we will use, you are welcome to bring any you may have, but I will have tools available to you as well.
