Apparel Pattern Making Course

Lesson 1 • Pattern Notation and Markings

Teaches standard symbols, notches, drill holes, and fold lines used on patterns. Consistent notation ensures accurate cutting and assembly.

Lesson 2 • Grain Lines and Fabric Behavior

Explains lengthwise, crosswise, and bias grain and how each affects drape and stretch. Grain knowledge prevents distortion in finished garments.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Ease and Fit

Defines wearing ease and design ease and explains their role in garment comfort. Students apply ease values to measurements before drafting begins.

Lesson 4 • Body Measurement Techniques

Covers standard measurement points for the full body and proper posture during measuring. Accurate measurements directly determine pattern fit quality.

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Slopers and Blocks

Defines slopers as foundational templates with no design ease and explains their role in pattern development. Distinguishes slopers from working patterns.

Lesson 2 • Drafting the Front Bodice

Constructs the front bodice panel, accounting for bust prominence and front neck shape. Front and back pieces are aligned at shoulder and side seams.

Lesson 3 • Trueing and Finalizing the Bodice Block

Covers blending seam lines, verifying measurements, and adding seam allowances to complete the block. A trued block ensures consistent results in all future patterns.

Lesson 4 • Drafting the Back Bodice

Guides step-by-step construction of the back bodice using back length, shoulder, and bust measurements. Each line is derived from calculated measurement points.

Lesson 1 • Skirt Silhouette Variations

Adapts the basic skirt block into A-line, flared, and pegged silhouettes through slash-and-spread and pivot techniques. Builds design flexibility from a single block.

Lesson 2 • Drafting the Basic Skirt Block

Constructs a straight skirt sloper from waist, hip, and skirt length measurements. The skirt block serves as the base for all skirt silhouettes.

Lesson 3 • Crotch Measurement and Pants Geometry

Explains crotch depth, crotch length, and rise measurements critical to pants fit. Correct crotch geometry prevents pulling, sagging, and discomfort.

Lesson 4 • Pants Fit Adjustments

Identifies common pants fit problems and their pattern corrections, including sway back, flat seat, and full thigh. Fit corrections are applied directly to the block.

Lesson 1 • Drafting Basic Collar Styles

Constructs flat, standing, and shirt collars using neckline measurements and collar geometry principles. Collar drafts are tested against the bodice neckline for accuracy.

Lesson 2 • Armhole Analysis and Sleeve Cap

Measures armhole circumference and shape to determine sleeve cap height and ease. Sleeve cap fit depends entirely on accurate armhole data from the bodice block.

Lesson 3 • Sleeve Style Variations

Adapts the basic sleeve into two-piece, raglan, and kimono styles using slash, pivot, and redraft methods. Each variation changes the relationship between sleeve and bodice.

Lesson 4 • Drafting the Set-In Sleeve Block

Constructs a one-piece set-in sleeve using cap height, sleeve length, and wrist measurements. The sleeve block is the foundation for all sleeve style variations.

Lesson 1 • Converting Darts into Design Details

Transforms dart intake into gathers, tucks, pleats, and seams without losing shaping volume. Design details replace structural darts while maintaining garment fit.

Lesson 2 • Pivot Method for Dart Rotation

Demonstrates moving dart intake to any position around the bust point using the pivot technique. Pivot method is faster than slash-and-spread for single dart moves.

Lesson 3 • Slash-and-Spread Dart Technique

Uses cut-and-open lines to redistribute dart intake across multiple locations or into fullness. Slash-and-spread enables complex design shaping not possible with pivot alone.

Lesson 4 • Applying Dart Manipulation to Skirts

Extends pivot and slash techniques to skirt waist darts to create flare, pleats, and yokes. Skirt dart manipulation follows the same logic as bodice techniques.

Lesson 1 • Neckline and Armhole Design

Reshapes standard necklines and armholes into scoop, V-neck, square, and sleeveless variations. Each new shape requires facing or binding pattern pieces.

Lesson 2 • Pockets and Functional Details

Drafts in-seam, patch, and welt pocket patterns and integrates them into garment pieces. Pocket placement is determined by proportion and functional reach.

Lesson 3 • Empire and Waistline Seams

Creates horizontal seams at the empire line, natural waist, and hip to divide garments into bodice and skirt sections. Seam placement affects proportion and silhouette.

Lesson 4 • Princess Seam Construction

Converts bodice darts into continuous vertical seams that pass through the bust point. Princess seams provide shaping and design detail simultaneously.

Lesson 1 • Fitting Across Body Variations

Adapts patterns for petite, tall, full bust, and plus-size figures using length and width adjustments. Fitting diverse bodies requires understanding proportional differences.

Lesson 2 • Skirt and Pants Fit Corrections

Addresses hip curve, waist gap, crotch length, and leg width issues in skirts and pants. Lower-body corrections often require adjusting multiple pattern pieces simultaneously.

Lesson 3 • Making and Evaluating a Muslin Toile

Constructs a test garment in inexpensive fabric to evaluate pattern fit before cutting fashion fabric. Toile evaluation is the primary quality control step in pattern development.

Lesson 4 • Sleeve and Collar Fit Corrections

Resolves sleeve cap drag lines, rotation issues, and collar gaping or tightness. Sleeve corrections often require corresponding armhole adjustments on the bodice.

Lesson 1 • Grading Sleeves and Collars

Grades sleeve cap, width, and length and adjusts collar neckline seam to match graded bodice necklines. Sleeve cap ease must remain consistent across all sizes.

Lesson 2 • Grading Principles and Size Systems

Explains how body measurements change between sizes and how grade rules translate those changes to pattern pieces. Size systems vary by market and target customer.

Lesson 3 • Nested Grade and Pattern Verification

Overlays all graded sizes into a nested pattern and checks seam lengths, notch alignment, and proportions. A verified nest is the deliverable for production cutting.

Lesson 4 • Grading the Bodice Block

Applies grade rules to bodice front and back pieces at bust, waist, shoulder, and armhole points. Each grade point moves independently according to its increment value.