Sewing: Patternmaking Essentials Course

Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our sewing & patternmaking short courses in Sydney!

If you’re a confident sewer ready to move beyond commercial patterns, this Patternmaking Essentials course will give you the skills to work from your own measurements and develop patterns tailored to your body.

In this beginner-friendly patternmaking course, you’ll learn how to create skirt, bodice and pant blocks—starting with industry-standard templates and refining them through fitting and adjustment. Working step-by-step, you’ll draft patterns on paper, sew toiles (prototype garments), and assess fit directly on your body.

Through this process, you’ll build a clearer understanding of how patterns translate into garments, and how small adjustments affect shape and fit. As your patterns are refined, you’ll transfer them into durable cardboard blocks, complete with seam allowances, hems and construction details—creating a set of reusable templates for future projects.

With a small class size, you’ll receive individual guidance throughout, allowing you to develop accuracy, confidence, and a more independent approach to garment making.

It’s essential that you’re confident using a sewing machine and able to construct basic toiles or prototypes.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Patternmaking Essentials course, participants will have developed practical skills and knowledge in areas such as:

• Taking accurate body measurements for pattern drafting
• Drafting skirt, bodice and pant patterns using personal measurements
• Creating and fitting toiles to test garment fit
• Making adjustments to improve fit and shape
• Developing personalised skirt, bodice and pant pattern blocks
• Building foundational patternmaking skills relevant to garment design and construction

After finishing this course, you might like to enrol in our Patternmaking Extension course, where you will learn how to use these blocks to create designs with additional details such as cuffs, collars, yokes and pockets.

Course content

What will be covered in this Patternmaking Essentials course?

During the course, participants will be guided through key concepts, techniques and approaches that typically include:

Lesson 1: Skirt block and toile fitting

• Taking body measurements
• Drafting a skirt block on paper
• Cutting the pattern in calico and constructing a toile
• Fitting the toile and making adjustments
• Transferring the final pattern to a cardboard block with seam allowances and hems

Lesson 2: Bodice block and toile fitting

• Drafting a bodice block using personal measurements
• Creating and fitting a toile
• Refining the pattern through adjustments
• Transferring the final pattern to a cardboard block with construction details

Lesson 3: Pant block and toile fitting

• Drafting a pant block based on your measurements
• Constructing and fitting a toile
• Making adjustments to improve fit
• Creating a finished cardboard block with all necessary markings

Lesson 4: Refinement and further patternmaking techniques

• Finalising skirt, bodice and pant blocks
• Completing any unfinished work
• Ensuring all blocks fit correctly
• Exploring additional patternmaking elements such as pockets, waistbands or sleeves, or beginning a personal project

Please note: Most Patternmaking Essentials courses run as four full-day sessions. If you are enrolled in the eight-session evening course, you will cover approximately half a lesson per session.

Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant interests, and instructor approach.

Intended audience

Who is this Patternmaking: Essentials course for?

This course is designed for confident home sewers and sewing enthusiasts who want to create garments that fit their unique body shape.

It’s ideal for those looking to better understand how patterns are made and how to adjust or move beyond commercial sewing patterns. It may also suit learners interested in textile design or creative industry pathways.

You should be comfortable using a sewing machine and have basic garment construction experience. We recommend completing our Sewing Essentials and Sewing Extension courses, or equivalent.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

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

Accessibility: This class takes place in an upper-level room accessible by stairs only. The lift is currently out of service. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Course materials

What to bring to class

• 5 metres of calico (150cm width) or 7 metres (115cm width)
• Ruler (over 50cm)
• Tracing wheel (spiked)
• Pins and hand sewing needles
• Thread
• Small thread-cutting scissors or clippers
• Paper scissors and fabric scissors
• Measuring tape
• Notebook and pens
• Sharp pencils and eraser
• One red and one black or blue thick marker
• 1 large glue stick (e.g. UHU)
• Stapler
• Water and snacks

Sewing machine supplies:

• Domestic sewing machine needles: 130/705 H, size 80 or 90
• Plastic bobbins: for top-loading or “drop-in” machines (suitable for Singer or Janome drop-in models)
• Thread: Quality brands such as Gutermann, Rasant, Mettler or Aurifil

Additional information

Please note the following:

• For full-day classes, a 30-minute lunch break will be scheduled. You’re welcome to bring lunch or explore nearby cafés along Darling Street.
• Please wear closed-in shoes in the classroom.