Pattern-Making and Sewing of Tailor-Made Skirts

Pattern-making gives you the power to put your ideas down on paper and then sew them into your own garments. That's why, according to dressmaker, pattern maker, and fashion designer Alicia Cao, mastering the art of pattern-making is key to bringing your designs to life and creating tailor-made garments in any style you want.

In this course, learn the basics of pattern-making for skirts and how to design different styles. Discover everything from materials and dressmaking techniques to the most common alterations that allow you to explore the endless possibilities of a single design.

To open the course, Alicia Cao tells you a bit about herself, her career in the fashion world, and the influences that are visible in her work. She also talks about who and what inspires her and gives you an inside look at her creative process.

Start by going over the tools you need to make a pattern, how to take measurements, and basic notions for creating volume. Then, learn how to use your pattern to cut and sew your first toile. Once you have your skirt prototype, make corrections and adjust it until you have a definitive version.

Now it's time to alter your pattern to create the specific design you want. Alicia gives you some ideas by showing you the most common types of skirts, like an A-line skirt, a pencil skirt with a waistband, a wrap skirt, a yoked skirt with box pleats, and a draped skirt.

Finally, apply everything you've learned and discover how mixing and matching alterations and techniques can lead to eye-catching, original designs. Follow Alicia through each step of the process to make your skirt: draw a sketch, choose the materials, make a pattern, cut and sew, and add the finishing touches.

Design and create a pattern and use it to make your own skirt applying everything you learn in the course.

Anyone who's got their eye on fashion, pattern-making, and dressmaking.

No prior knowledge is needed to take this course, but any you do have may help you create more elaborate designs.

As for materials, you need tracing paper, a long straight grid ruler and a curved grid ruler, a triangle, erasable pens, a measuring tape, scissors, pins, tailor's chalk, basting and sewing thread, and other tools your teacher will specify at the beginning of the course. A sewing machine isn't essential as you can sew your garment by hand, it will simply take a little longer.