Dressmaking Class Curriculum

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. You’ll learn how you can improve your study skills, so you’re able to use a number of tools that will help you to be successful.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner

This study unit and those following will help you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. You’ll learn the technical and aesthetic aspects of dressmaking, and you’ll learn how to establish yourself as a professional business person in a thriving industry. The objective of this program is for you to acquire the knowledge and skills that are necessary to produce garments that will look both professional and original. The instructions, diagrams, and step-by-step exercises will help you to accomplish this goal. The program begins with the basics and gradually increases in complexity, which you’ll be ready to handle with ease. A wealth of valuable information awaits you. What’s needed from you is the commitment to complete this program. To make this program a high priority in your life, you must persevere and be willing to apply yourself. Devote your full physical and mental energies to each study unit. You have the ability to succeed, or you wouldn’t be taking this program. Keep in mind that completing this program will put you well on the road to success! This study unit is the first step on your journey.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe why professional garments can now be developed by dressmakers working from their homes
• Identify the proper tools, equipment, and sewing aids for cutting, sewing, and pressing
• Sew several types of temporary and permanent stitches
• Recognize and produce a variety of basic seams
• Take body measurements needed for the proper fit of garments
• Choose a clothing pattern
• Prepare a pattern for individual figure variations
• Recognize and use sewing terms and style names

If you really want to become a proficient dressmaker, you’ll need to understand how a sewing machine actually works. Your sewing machine is a tool that when used properly can greatly enhance your creative skills and allow you to sew wonderful garments. It’s also a tool that when not understood and used improperly can make life miserable. Your ability to maximize the potential functions of your machine is limited only by your knowledge and understanding. Modern sewing machines offer features that allow the dressmaker to sew complex and intricate patterns with relative ease. In this unit, you’ll study how the sewing machine actually creates a stitch. You’ll also be introduced to many of the accessories available to increase a sewing machine’s versatility and efficiency. Finally, so that your machine will provide you with years of trouble-free operation, you’ll learn how to clean and lubricate its moving parts.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Explain the difference between a straight-stitch and zigzag sewing machine
• Identify the various parts of a typical sewing machine
• Describe the functions of several machine attachments
• Define upper and lower threading procedures
• Make a machine stitch
• Explain how thread tension affects a stitch
• Describe how to properly maintain and care for the machine

In this lesson, you’ll explore one of the most important subjects of this program—fabrics. You’ll learn the properties of the various fabrics and how to properly work with them. As a dressmaker, you’ll often be asked to give clients advice on the fabrics they choose—so you must become an expert!

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Classify natural and man-made fibers
• Use standard methods to identify unknown fibers
• Recognize the differences between knitted, woven, and bonded fabrics
• Distinguish between dyed and printed fabrics
• Choose a fabric with the desired fiber content and finish for a particular purpose
• Handle troublesome fabrics with skill to achieve good results
• Match patterned fabric along the seams
• Care properly for garments
• Use recommended methods for treating stains

This unit will add the next layer of knowledge on the foundation that you’re building. It will also introduce you to many of the most important dressmaking processes used by today’s dressmakers. These processes help dressmakers meet customer needs while demonstrating their skills. Soon, you’ll be able to use these processes to create stunning garments!

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Select appropriate fabrics, interfacing, lining, and notions
• Shrink, press, and handle fabric properly at each stage of garment construction
• Lay out fabric and pin a pattern to the fabric
• Cut fabric, following pattern lines
• Transfer pattern markings to fabric
• Tack together cut fabric pieces in preparation for a fitting
• Mark cut fabric pieces for any necessary alterations
• Construct a garment in the proper order
• Apply the finishing touches to a garment

Garments become more complicated—and more interesting—when you begin to add decorative features. So, in this course, you’ll learn about some of the most common types of decorative features such as collars, openings, zippers, cuffs, and so on.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Prepare openings in fabric at the neckline, side seam, full length, skirt, and sleeve
• Choose and install zippers
• Prepare and attach several variations of flat collars, roll collars, stand collars, and shawl collars
• Adjust poorly fitted collars to fit properly
• Cut, prepare, and attach cuffs to sleeves
• Finish a garment at the waist
• Use hooks and eyes, hooks and bars, snaps, trouser clips, and Velcro as fasteners

Skill in the preparation of fabric, tailor-tacking all pattern markings, cutting accurately, and trimming and layering will now be advantageous. Details such as gussets, curves, pockets, and pleats will be comparatively easy if the initial preparation is done thoroughly. Other advanced techniques described in this unit include corners and points, overlaid seams, interfacing, underlining, mounting and lining, coats and jackets, sleeves, trousers and culottes, working on the bias, weighting, shoulder pads, strap holders, boning, and, finally, advice on choice of style and fabric.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Strengthen and finish corners and points
• Join or finish curved edges
• Plan for and stitch overlaid seams
• Construct and attach pockets
• Form and stitch pleats
• Select and use interfacings, linings, and backings
• Use special padding and techniques on coats and jackets
• Construct set-in, kimono, and raglan sleeves
• Measure for and make well-fitted trousers and culottes
• Successfully work with fabrics cut on the bias
• Use fabric weighting, shoulder pads, and boning
• Construct shoulder straps holders
• Choose flattering styles and fabrics

Why is it that a tall, slim person can walk into a clothing department that advertises fashion especially for tall people and find the most flattering clothes there? Or a petite-sized adult can find a special department of high-fashion clothes for petites that will be flattering to her figure, unlike the high-fashion designs made for taller women? What makes one fashion look so good on one person and so bad on another? The designer knows the answers to these questions. So should everyone involved in dressmaking. The answers are in the fashion designer’s tools, which are line, color, texture, and detail. Varying combinations of these elements determine what designs will look like on various figures. The designer doesn’t simply mix lines, color, texture, and detail at random and hope for the best. The designer knows what sort of effect results from using certain types of line, color, texture, and detail and selects them according to the effect desired. In this study unit, we’ll consider the first and, in many ways, the most important of these designer’s tools—line and the ways in which it affects a design and the wearer’s appearance.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Explain the visual effects of vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and curved lines in garment design
• Define the term silhouette and name two different silhouette types
• Illustrate the difference between symmetrical (formal) and asymmetrical (informal) balance
• Recognize the difference between proportion and scale
• Explain how rhythm, emphasis, and unity can be achieved in garment design
• Recommend specific garment design to conceal specific figure faults through optical illusion
• Judge whether garments have been successfully designed according to practical guidelines

Are you ready to apply the sewing techniques and principles you’ve learned to a larger variety of clothing? This unit provides guidelines for constructing maternity wear, infant and children’s wear, nightwear, and underwear. You’ll also learn some new advanced sewing techniques, particularly for dealing with delicate clothing.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Select suitable clothing styles for maternity wear
• Modify regular clothing for maternity wear
• Choose practical styles for babies and make adjustments to sewing patterns to accommodate growth
• Plan for and make a child’s wardrobe based on durability and easy care
• Create nightwear and underwear in appropriate fabrics
• Make strong, well-finished seams, including French, run and fell, standing fell (or French fell), whipped, rolled and whipped, plus narrow hems finished with slip hemming
• Attach lace trim to garments along a straight edge, an irregular edge, a circular edge, between two edges, or as an applique

You’ve learned how to assemble almost any type of garment. Now you’re going to learn how to make your work even more special—by adding decorative touches. There are many types of ways you can decorate garments. The type of decoration selected often depends on the age of the wearer, the type of garment, and the current style. Embroidery is a highly specialized skill, but anyone who is careful and neat can learn to do it well. Many people find it very relaxing and even join embroidery clubs. In this unit, you’ll learn about embroidery tools and stitches. But most importantly, you’ll learn how to enhance garments with this decorative feature. Embroidery can be done by hand or with many of the zigzag machines now available.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Beautify and individualize clothing by using embroidery
• Choose suitable embroidery tools
• Hand-work a variety of embroidery stitches
• Transfer embroidery designs from paper to fabric
• Select specific stitches for particular purposes
• Create flowers and other designs with stitching, with eyelets, and with appliqué
• Join seams with special stitches
• Smock and quilt
• Embroider with a sewing machine

In this study unit, you’re going to go one step farther by learning how to apply some advanced garment decorative finish techniques. Fabrics are so varied and can be so beautiful and decorative in themselves that it’s more a question of deciding whether additional decoration is even necessary, followed by extreme restraint in its use. There are many ways of using the fabric decoratively and by constructing the garment in such a way as to enhance the fabric itself. The decorative processes that involve using the fabric include fabric scallops finished with shaped facings and topstitched seams, such as welt seams. Decorative processes involving the manipulation of the fabric include ruffles, shirring, tucks, pleats, and piping. You’ll learn how to apply all these processes in this study unit. Another field of decorative work involves the application of items such as fringing, bows, and braid, and the use of embroidery suitable for dresses, including beads and sequins. This is perhaps the field of decoration that requires the most care. Not only must the decoration be part of the original design (not just something applied as an afterthought), the fabric used must be suitable for the design and form of decoration. Finally, you’ll learn about decorative fastenings. These include belts and buckles, as well as covered buttons and frog fastenings. In many cases, you can decide which, if any, of these decorative fastenings will be suitable or desirable as you make the garment. However, it’s often best to delay the decision as long as possible so you can determine what really looks best.
Many of today’s sewing machines have state-of-the-art sewing features. In this unit, you’ll learn how to complete many of the techniques by hand. But later, as you gain proficiency with your machine, you’ll complete them by machine. Knowing how to do them by hand will prove important, though, when you work with fine fabrics.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Make and use a pattern for a scalloped edge
• Make ruffles and attach them to garments
• Make and use fringes and tassels
• Use shirring, tucks, pleats, and topstitched seams as decoration
• Apply beads and sequins
• Do trapunto, couching, appliqué, monogramming, drawn-thread work, Italian hem stitching, and faggoting
• Prepare and use rouleau, piping, bows, braid, and ribbons
• Make belts and belt loops, French tacks, bow tacks, arrowheads, and crowfeet
• Custom design fasteners such as covered buttons, Chinese ball buttons, link buttons, and frogs

This study unit will bring you the skills of pattern alteration for a basic dress. Most likely you’ve come across ready-made clothes that didn’t quite fit you correctly, even though the tag said the garment was your size. Each manufacturer has a standard set of measurements that are used to create the patterns for that company’s clothing line. If your body doesn’t match those measurements, then that manufacturer’s garments won’t fit you perfectly. This is why clothing made by a tailor or dressmaker has always been more highly valued than “ready-to-wear.” The great advantage of sewing for a particular person is that you can fit that person exactly—whether that person is yourself, a family member, or a customer. Fitting is a skill that grows with experience; this study unit will get you off to a good start. Perfect fit starts with a pattern altered to match the body of the person you’re sewing for. In this study unit, you’ll learn how to measure the body against corresponding pattern pieces so that you can alter the pattern precisely. You’ll learn how to assess different body areas to choose just the right alterations. You’ll learn how to put together a foundation pattern for a dress in paper and then in inexpensive cloth, so you can check whether you’ve made all the alterations necessary. Then you’ll have a basic guide to check other commercial patterns against.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Choose a basic commercial pattern to be altered
• Trim, mark, and measure the pattern
• Make a chart showing your measurements and the number of pattern alterations needed at key points
• Alter the bodice darts, length, shoulders, armholes, and bust as needed
• Alter the sleeve head, length, and width as needed
• Alter the skirt length, front, sides, and back as needed
• Test the altered pattern
• Transfer the alterations to heavy paper for future use

In this unit, we’ll continue to perfect your alteration skills. You’ve already learned the details of pattern alteration, so you know that a perfect fit starts with a pattern altered to match the body of the person you’re sewing for. The final alterations come about during the fitting of the cut-out garment. When you see the garment made up in cloth on the figure, many small adjustments may be made to get the fit absolutely perfect. Stunning! Store-bought clothes are rarely so well suited to a figure! During the alteration fitting, the way the garment falls from the shoulders and the waist is particularly studied. When you learned pattern alteration, you worked with flat representations of measured areas of the figure; now you’ll learn to look at and adjust the garment on the three-dimensional figure with all its individual contours. In this study unit, you’ll learn to watch the grain of the fabric for hints of badly fitting areas. You’ll take the hint from the angles of wrinkling of the fabric to make final alterations to bodice and skirt. The slant of seams will signal to you particular adjustments you must make to fit the garment perfectly. You’ll learn how to correct twisting or inappropriate puffing of sleeves. You’ll also learn about altering three special types of sleeves in addition to the set-in sleeve you’ve worked with in the basic pattern. Finally, you’ll get a taste for how to turn your perfectly fitted basic pattern into a dress that has a V neckline, short sleeves, and a flared skirt with an inverted pleat at front and back.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Adjust shoulder seams to eliminate wrinkling around the arms and back
• Raise or lower a neckline to compensate for individual figure variations
• Correct any bulges in the fabric at the armholes
• Fit a garment smoothly and comfortably around the torso
• Adjust sleeves so they don’t wrinkle, twist, or bind
• Work with a variety of sleeve styles
• Raise or lower a waistline
• Adjust a poorly fitted skirt at the waistline and side seams
• Use your basic pattern to create varied dress styles

This study unit will bring you the skills you’ll need to draft garment designs from your basic pattern. Of course, by what you’ve already learned, you can make alterations to purchased patterns, but if you wish to progress still further, you must now go on to pattern drafting. Drafting knowledge will offer you so many opportunities for creativity! In this unit, you’ll learn to transfer bust shaping to a variety of places in the bodice. The pattern drafting of all kinds of collars, necklines, and sleeves will become familiar to you. You’ll learn to draft all sorts of beautiful skirts, as well as three types of one-piece dresses. We’ll also show you how to draft nightgowns and slips from your basic pattern. Finally, you’ll draft two infant garments from scratch!

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Design numerous style variations using your personalized basic paper pattern
• Design bodices with darts, neckline tucks or gathers, a cowl neck, shoulder darts, seams, yokes, wrap-over style, or bolero style
• Make appropriate bodice openings and facings
• Design boleros and vests
• Incorporate these necklines into your bodice design: V-shaped, round, square, heart-shaped, wedge-shaped, boat, and built-up
• Make these types of collars: flat, roll, shirt, stand, shawl, flared, and bias

This study unit deals entirely with a method of creating original designs directly in fabric instead of using paper patterns. The method, referred to as draping, will be fascinating and rewarding for the creative and artistic student who wants to understand how couturiers design directly on the three-dimensional figure. We’ll look at how to prepare a dress form for draping. You’ll learn what basic equipment you’ll need and what sort of fabric to use for your practice sessions. The general procedure of draping will then be introduced. You’ll learn to drape one-piece and two-piece bodices with darts in different positions. You’ll learn how to use a variety of methods to take up fullness. Draping wrap-over bodices and kimono bodices will also be covered. You’ll learn to add many types of sleeves and collars to your draped garments. Then we’ll conclude with the draping techniques for two-piece, wraparound, and circular skirts, in addition to a well-made slip.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Eliminate the paper-pattern step in the design process for many situations
• List the equipment needed for designing by draping
• Use a dress form or the human figure as the foundation for clothing construction
• Customize a dress form to match individual measurements and prepare it for draping
• Understand how couturiers design garments from particular fabrics right on the figure
• Mark details such as seam lines, pleats, and darts accurately directly on the fabric draped on the figure
• Drape fabric directly on the figure or dress form to create bodices, sleeves, collars, skirts, and a slip