…I started a pattern drafting course tonight, at a local community college. It is a very basic draft blocks and fit to your own body type course, which will be very helpful to me as my drafting experience is fairly minimal. The tutor is a woman who has been in the professional dressmaking arena for years, she knows her stuff, not only for the sewer at home, but also how to get that professional finish to garments. She sewed mainly wedding dresses and such like. So really we are lucky to have someone who is as talented and experienced as her.
I am hoping to be able to understand the fitting side of patternmaking, the troubleshooting if you will, I can easily follow the directions to draft and skirt or bodice block, what gets me is the fitting and the manipulation of the pattern for the garment you have in mind. I am looking forward to starting right from the beginning and hearing what she has to say about each step.
As there is not really a huge call in our area for pattern drafting or sewing skills classes, we are combined with the sewing class, she is teaching us separately, but we are able to hear what she is teaching the other class as well. For me this is a huge bonus, as she sounds like she has quite a few tips on different skills, such as inserting a zip easily and fairly invisibly without using an invisible zip, how to line a skirt etc., and how to do them quickly and efficiently.
A couple of things I picked up from tonight: (this has to do with sewing more than pattern making!)
- Apparently Gutterman was taken over by another firm and since then, she noticed, their thread is more prone to breaking than it used to be. She’s been a professional dressmaker for 40 odd years so I guess she’s notice the change over that time. I then came home a Googled a replacement for all the Gutterman thread I found many posts that recommended Mettler, so till I hear otherwise, will start buying Mettler thread from now on. Although, I guess further research might be needed.
- Further on in the sewing course she starts teaching them how to sew a tailored jacket, bonus. I might have to take both classes that term!
- She sounds like she is going to be hard, or at least very firm on us, she doesn’t want ‘that will do or that is good enough’ work, but will make sure we do our stuff correctly. Lucky I can be a perfectionist.
- I understand why tailors have those huge scissors now. It’s because the weight of them, actually make cutting easier. The downward weight forces the blade to cut, rather than all the force coming from you squeezing the scissors handles together.
- And she does not recommend the serrated scissors. She says if you cut a pin accidentally the serrations in that area will be forever damaged no matter how much your scissors sharpening person takes off.
We were able to purchase some of our tools and materials from her such as the french curve and the drafting ruler, brown paper, calico etc. I think I have the rest at home.
Anyway, I can’t wait, it is going to be great being with a bunch of people who you can discuss all this with and learning new stuff I hope, yay!
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