The Sewing Place

Pattern drafting course needed

justpottering

Pattern drafting course needed
« on: December 28, 2018, 11:01:41 AM »
Hello everyone
I want to do a proper pattern drafting course and DH is willing to pay for it as a birthday present  :)
The only one I can find that I would like to do is Alison Smith in Ashby de la Zouch which is £700 the thing is that the logistics of getting there for two days for three weeks will be difficult but I am willing to do it

When I search for same elsewhere all I get is pattern cutting for beginners or making blocks which is not what I want

Any suggestions?
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Efemera

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2018, 11:56:24 AM »
I would have thought a pattern drafting course would start at the beginning with drafting blocks. I did a City and Guilds fashion course and the first year was spent drafting blocks, it wasn’t until later the manipulation bit started. You may need to find an advanced course.

justpottering

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2018, 14:57:44 PM »
Good point Effie I did say to DH that when we get t’internet again (31st) I would email them and ask for a detailed description of the course to see if it’s what I want
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2018, 18:52:50 PM »
Have you already got blocks that fit and just need ideas for styles?   
Pattern cutting courses have to start at the beginning with basic blocks so that you have something to work from even if it's standard sizes.
Have you looked at Craftsy?   Suzy Furrer has some good classes on there.  But if it's ideas for styles I'm not sure you'll find anything.  If you do I'd love to hear about it.

Missie

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2018, 19:49:57 PM »
Blocks are the starting point of all patterns.  Patterns are just manipulated darts and style lines.  You cannot learn how to manipulate without knowing how to create a block.  I did the City & Guilds in pattern cutting as a year long part-time course during which we created blocks (bodice, dress, skirt, trouser and sleeve) both in size 12 (which was deemed standard) and also in our personal size.  We also created toiles for our personal blocks and then learnt how to manipulate them.  Have a look at local FE colleges to see what they offer.

Efemera

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2018, 20:14:55 PM »
I took it that you had already made blocks and just wanted to design patterns, if not then you do need to know how to draft blocks before you can do anything else. We worked in 5th scale to do the manipulation and designs..if it worked we then made full size patterns. The best books I found were Winifred Aldrich and Natalie Bray...it’s all pretty straight forward.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2018, 20:18:10 PM by Efemera »

Morgan

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2018, 23:12:04 PM »
The Alison Smith Course is her version of the City and Guilds programme the school used to run.  She has signed up with an accreditation board for certification of the course.


The other person who has developed their own course from the City and Guilds programme is Jane White.  She hasn't gone for the accreditation.  [size=78%]https://www.janewhitetuition.co.uk/city-guilds-fashion-and-pattern-cutting/[/size]


Some examples of other courses / programmes below - I don't know which part of the country you are based.  There are several different courses offered by different groups and FE colleges all over the country. Many are linked into textile and fashion design courses and qualifications.  A few are more training related.  Try doing an internet search on Pattern Cutter Training UK.


https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/fashion-making-and-pattern-cutting/short-courses?collection=ual-courses-meta-prod&query=!nullquery&start_rank=1&sort=relevance&f.Subject-test|subject=Fashion%20making%20and%20pattern%20cutting&f.Course%20level|level=Short%20Course


http://www.marywardcentre.ac.uk/course/l1-award-in-pattern-cutting/


https://www.topstitch-guildford.co.uk


https://www.tmc.ac.uk/courses/award-pattern-cutting-and-garment-construction



If you can learn from video instruction and follow the exercises, then I recommend the Suzy Furrer Pattern Cutting lessons on Craftsy, together with buying the Text book from Apparel Arts.





« Last Edit: December 28, 2018, 23:15:02 PM by Morgan »

justpottering

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2018, 21:20:28 PM »
Thanks Morgan I’ll take a look

@Efemera you are correct I can do and have done blocks  and it’s designing and drafting my own patterns I’m after :)

To be fair I have done some working it out as I go along just for myself but I would like to learn how to do it properly and use it for others as well and although I can learn from online videos and classes I fancy a proper course with real people in it  0_0
« Last Edit: December 30, 2018, 21:22:04 PM by justpottering »
JP
Dressmaker - but first......tea

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2018, 17:22:24 PM »
@justpottering if you've done blocks that still fit then using them to create patterns isn't too difficult. 
They just need to be adjusted so that you have a blouse block, skirt block, jacket block etc with the relevant amount of starting ease.  If you haven't got that info I have masses of it  :)
I usually find it's the ideas I have a problem with as I'm not artistic.  And most books deal with fairly standard garments or part of the garment.  I'm always on the lookout for something a bit more unusual even if I don't use it.  I love to know how it's done. 

Mottymay

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2019, 23:11:40 PM »
I can recommend Jane White Couture in Barton Upon Humber.  I have done 4 days of pattern drafting with her and really enjoyed it and came away with skirt, bodice and trouser blocks.  I then did a further day recently about moving the darts around blocks.

Missie

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2019, 11:49:07 AM »
The best books I found were Winifred Aldrich and Natalie Bray...it’s all pretty straight forward.

Euch, hate Wini!  Well, I have her children's one and I hate that but will admit I've not used the adult version.

We used Helen Stanley Flat Pattern Cutting.

Efemera

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2019, 13:05:03 PM »
That adult one has good basic instructions for dart manipulation.. Natalie Bray is older but has better styling. If you can get hold of any old Lutterloh books they are good for seeing how different styles are cut.

Holly Berry

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2019, 13:34:42 PM »
I attended an Adult Ed classes twenty odd years ago to make the blocks, but certainly in my area, Kent, these classes don’t seem to run anymore. At the class we used Natalie Bray.

Consequently I’ve used NB and also Winifred Aldrich in more recent times to redo my blocks. I find NB quite long winded and sometimes the explanation of why you’re doing it distracting, and like the bullet points of WA, but backed up with NB. Also as a fan of vintage patterns, NB has some classic designs, which in my opinion are a good basis for more modern designs.

For adapting blocks I have used Helen Joseph-Armstrong “Pattern MAking for Fashion Design. It’s an American book so still in imperial, but offers more design than with NB or WA. I don’t find her instructions for drawing the blocks as good as the other two.

I guess what I’m saying is I need a variety of ideas to learn and trial and error and lots of toiles!

Hope you find something to help you progress.
Procrastination get behind me

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pattern drafting course needed
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2019, 15:49:40 PM »
For anyone needing help and ideas, there is masses of stuff on Issuu and Pinterest.  There are also a few books available as free downloads floating around by Harriet Pepin, Mabel Erwin and Esther Kaplan Pivnick. 
Don't forget Google images.   :)