Welcome to my latest course! Here you will find a detailed outline of my very latest course Professional Pattern Grading Theory & Practice and a short 5 minute video to introduce you to the course, plus lots more information below.
This is an area of study that is quite ‘niche’ and may not appeal to all, but it is one of my passions and something I have spent my whole career studying and practicing.
As with all my courses it has taken me much longer to write than I ever imagined! I decided to cover the theory of grading by looking at skirt grading first, I will cover trouser and bodice and sleeve and children’s wear grading in later courses that will follow on naturally from this course. In this course I take a deep dive into manual pattern grading theory. The course is designed specifically to teach you the in depth theory of grading through skirt grading.
Grading takes many forms within the fashion industry. I have worked with companies that have absolutely no idea where their grading increments came from and can’t explain the process they use to grade. This is not uncommon, as is the lack of accurate sizing data. This makes it impossible for a company to know if they have the correct grading applied and this in turn leads to many problems later on in the production process.
Body sizes are also changing and many if not all grading textbooks now have outdated grade plans and instructions which are based on out of date body sizes. I will show you how to create your own grade plans from scratch!
You may well be reading this post because you want to learn how to grade professionally, I will show you how to grade, and also explain why we grade the way we do. My courses are not quick fixes, they are extremely detailed with lot’s of theory and this particularly applies to this new grading course
The aim of this course is to introduce you to a range of grading methods and also the theory behind the concept of grading, that way you will be able to understand each and every method of grading you come across within the industry.
This course is a little different to my other courses, in that you may find some of the concepts difficult to understand at first, so I urge students to please take their time and review the lessons several times until they understand, it may take a little while to get there but I am confident you will!
Years of practice and teaching have allowed me to hone my skills so that I can present the key information to you clearly.
There are a couple of things worth mentioning before you embark on a grading course.
No doubt this is a complex area and not for everyone. The saying ‘I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you’ comes to mind.
Sometimes grading isn’t easy, particularly when we move to style grading, however I have structured the course so that we build on your knowledge bit by bit and form a good understanding of the key concepts, so that whatever grading system you are faced with in the workplace, you will have the knowledge to understand its origins.
Grading does involve maths, there is no getting past this, Courses that tell you that you can avoid the maths and that they have a simple and easy ‘hack’ to show you, are not teaching you ‘real’ grading.
So if I haven’t put you off, you can find the full course curriculum below and links to join so let’s begin our journey!
Please note that the curriculum may change and adapt as the course grows, this in normal for all my courses as I am continually reviewing and adapting them!
If you choose to join me for the course we will take this journey step by step and build on each lesson as we go.
You will find a selection of videos, lesson notes and PDF downloads to support each lesson.
The start of the course is more theory based and there is no getting away from this, your understanding of the terms used in grading is essential – this will make it easier in the long run as we move on to the more practical lessons.
As with all my courses I am always here to help you along the way. You will find a comments box under each and every lesson, where you can ask questions, or simply let me know how you enjoyed the lesson. I work weekends and evenings, and if I am awake and have a spare moment I will always get back to you.
If you would like to join the course over on teachable please follow this link, or if you have any questions then please email me directly at onitnotinit@mail.com
You can also find my digital grading rulers and sets of basic blocks fully graded in a range of sizes over in my Etsy Shop.
Finally my best tip on how to learn how to grade, the best way to learn how to grade, is to grade!
See you soon I hope!
Nicola
