Sewing: Patternmaking Essentials Course

Learn the essentials of pattern making, and enhance your professional skillset in the field of fashion design and garment construction, with our sewing short courses in Sydney!

This is a beginners' pattern making course for students who are confident with sewing, and want to design their own garments and not be limited by commercial patterns. 

This course will teach you body analysis, correct measurement taking, garment fitting, block creation to suit individual measurements and using basic pattern blocks to create different patterns. 

This course will have you well on the way to designing your own original pieces. You will be limited only by your imagination. 

It is very important that you can sew and are confident using a sewing machine. This course assumes you are experienced in sewing and have completed our Sewing Essentials Course and Sewing Extension Course, or equivalent courses. An inability to sew will seriously limit your ability to complete the course and produce patterns.

All our pattern making courses are limited to 10 places, which enables the tutor to give each student plenty of one-to-one guidance and instruction.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this patternmaking course, you will have enhanced your career prospects by:

• Take body measurements correctly
• Fit a garment and make pattern alterations
• Create a set of block patterns
• Make and adjust simple patterns following a design plan

After finishing this course, you might like to enrol in Sewing: Patternmaking Extension Course.

Course content

What will be covered in this patternmaking course?

During this course, the intention is that the following topics will be covered, but not necessarily in the order given. Parts of the curriculum may be adapted to suit the needs of the class.

Lesson 1: Correct measuring techniques

• Learn the crucial body measuring points
• Learn about garment ease
• Cut out basic bodice and skirt block from calico and fit individual's body.

Lesson 2: Pattern making alterations

• Continue with fitting and alterations to individual patterns and transfer onto cardboard to make blocks.

Lesson 3: Finalization of blocks and correct labelling

Lesson 4: Pattern making details

• Learn about manipulating darts to change the design.
• Learn the cut and spread method of pattern making to add pleats, gathers and fullness.

Lesson 5: Pattern making details continued

• Learn about pattern making collars, pockets, yokes etc.
• Learn about internal pattern pieces such as facings and linings.

Lesson 6: Pattern making details continued

In this lesson, we will look at individual design concepts.

• Make a plan for your own design concept
• Make a pattern following your design plan

Lesson 7 & 8: Working on individual projects

Intended audience

Who is this patternmaking course for?

This course is designed for experienced sewing students who are looking to upskill and specialize in the art of pattern making, and for professional sewists and garment-makers who wish to enhance their professional skillset. If you already have a solid foundation in sewing techniques and are seeking to expand your knowledge and expertise in pattern making, this course is perfect for you.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Course materials

What to bring to class

• 5 metres of calico 150cm width / or 7 metres of calico 115cm width
• Ruler (a long ruler over 50cm is ideal)
• Tracing wheel (spiked)
• Pins and hand sewing needles
• Thread
• 1 pair of small thread-cutting scissors or clippers
• Paper scissors and fabric scissors
• Measuring tape
• Notebook and pens to take notes
• Sharp pencils and a rubber
• One red and one black or blue thick marker pens
• An A4 folder with some plastic sheets
• 2 large glue sticks such as UHU
• Stapler
• Water and snacks

Needles: The machines on campus take standard domestic sewing machine needles. They will have 130/705 H on the packaging somewhere to tell you they are domestic type, which is different from the code for the size of the needle (an 80 or 90-size needle is best for use with sew-all thread).

Bobbins: They must be plastic, not metal. They must be designed for TOP LOADING or "Drop-In" machines. The best bet is to buy a pack that says it's suitable for Singer Drop In machines or Janome Drop In machines (either one will work on both machines). Avoid "universal" bobbins as there is no one-size-fits-all bobbin.

Thread: a quality thread brand is recommended. Some of the more common household brands are Gutermann, Rasant, Mettler, Aurifil.

Additional information

Please note the following:

• For classes running all day, a 30-minute lunch break will take place halfway through the class. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch, alternatively, there are cafes and takeaway restaurants nearby on Darling Street. 
• Please wear closed-in shoes.