Clothing Construction 101

All clothing projects need two essential things to begin: fabric, and a pattern. A pattern is a template that is used to cut out the pieces of fabric that are then sewed together to make the garment.

Patterns can be obtained many ways; you can purchase a pre-made commercial pattern at a store, you can create your own paper pattern by copying a garment you already own, or you can draw shapes directly onto material and cut it out. 

The fabric and pattern for a project are interdependent; not all fabrics work for all patterns, and the choice of fabric often informs the sizing of a pattern based on your goals for style, appearance, and fit. 

In this three part class, we will dive deep into the process of choosing a pattern, selecting fabric, altering that pattern for your body type and size, cutting a garment out, and starting the initial sewing steps. You will not be completing a garment in this course, but you will start the process and be introduced to essential terms and techniques.

The class is meant to give you a solid foundation of fundamental skills that can be applied to each project in your future. After the class, you can always bring a project to an Open Studio or Private Lesson for help as needed. 

Class 1: 

Learn about fabric construction and fiber content, understand how fabric choice informs the garment appearance, choose fabrics that are right for your skill level. We will also cover how to measure yourself and choose the right pattern size, how to determine how much fabric is needed, and what other notions (thread, zipper, buttons, etc) should be purchased. 

Class 2: 

Work with the pattern. You will come to this class with a pattern and fabric chosen for your project. We will go through the process of adjusting the pattern, laying it correctly onto the fabric, and starting the cutting and marking process.

Class 3: 

Cutting the fabric (continued), marking the fabric, and initial sewing steps.