courses

Modeliste Creative 2018 Pattern Cutting Workshop Complete!

2 Comments

My very first residential course held in France over the past week has now come to an end!

We covered much more than I anticipated as both ladies already have degrees in fashion and both have worked overseas, this meant we could move through the basics very quickly and progress to drafting blocks and developing and grading patterns specific to their needs.

We also managed to squeeze in a creative day where we looked at modelling on the dress stand and also directly on the body! We even managed  a couple of fabric buying trips!

It was wonderful to be teaching again and in such a relaxing environment!

 

 

We drafted basic blocks to body measurements and even drafted a range of children’s wear blocks!

Thank you to my students Lizzie and Shu-Ling, you were perfect students and worked hard to gain the skills you both need to set up your new fashion brands!

I am looking forward to my next course in May and also keep posted for specialist lingerie and bra making courses coming soon!

Nicola x

 

Continue Reading

Current Projects, DSM Craft Projects, Free Downloads

The Smock Top ‘Hippy’ Style! – Free pattern giveaway…

No Comments

The ‘Smock Top’ Hippy Style! – Free pattern!

As this is one of my favourite patterns and the topic of my latest magazine article, I thought I would offer the pattern free for all my readers. If you love it as much as I do you will soon have many different variations hanging in your wardrobe.

Here is the link to a blog post from a little while ago, that covers the smock top making process.

Here are your free PDF pattern and making instructions.

smock top pattern sheets A4 x 42

Happy Sewing, and if you have any questions at all then just let me know!

Nicola x

Continue Reading

Current Projects, DSM Craft Projects, Free Downloads, Sewing Techniques

The Japanese Evening Bag Project- Detailed Making Instructions

No Comments

This months ‘DSM’ magazine features the ‘Japanese Bag’ project, inspired by my recent visit to Barcelona and a visit to the wonderful fabric shop called Nunoya, their web site can be found at www.nunoya.com . They will also ship fabric out to you. They stock the widest range of Japanese fabrics in Europe, what a great excuse for a weekend in Barcelona!

I was inspired to make a number of bags from this beautiful fabric, it is quite expensive but you only need a piece 55cm x 30cm for this bag!

Here is your free bag pattern and also a detailed making guide, and once the weather cools down here a little, I plan to make a video of the bag making process, as I am sure you will all love it!

Japanese Bag PDF Pattern

Sewing Instructions J-Bag

Please send me your bag photos and as always I am happy for you to make as many as you like and sell the items you make from my patterns, it’s only the patterns I like to protect.

Next months free pattern is for my most used pattern, I make myself this smock top all the time, with short sleeves, long sleeves, longer hems, it’s so versatile. Make sure you are subscribed and you won’t miss out. In fact I am just off to make one for a wedding I am going to in August!

Happy sewing!

Nicola

Continue Reading

courses

Dates For My Spring 2019 Pattern Cutting Course!

2 Comments

Spring Pattern Cutting Course

Join me at our beautiful restored farmhouse in rural France. Learn pattern cutting, or improve your pattern cutting skills, in an informal and relaxed learning environment whilst enjoying the French countryside and taking in a bit of French culture.

The course will take place from Monday 20th May to Friday 24th May, with arrival on Sunday 19th May and departure on Saturday 25th May. All meals are included from dinner on the night before the course starts to breakfast on the morning of departure.

We understand that flights can be on different days from different parts of the world, so if you would like to book in for extra nights either side of the specified dates this can be arranged at a cost of £60.00 per room per night. We can also arrange airport pickup from La Rochelle, Nantes or Poitiers Airports.

The courses are designed for a maximum of 4 or 5 people, to allow for each person’s individual learning needs to be addressed, so if you are a beginner or an advanced pattern cutter we can develop your skills further.

If you have a partner that would like to join you but does not wish to take part in the course, this can easily be arranged.

Take a look at our gite Facebook page for pictures of our accommodation for a closer look at our setting and our rooms.

Course Plan

Day 1 – let’s see what you know and what you need to know.

This is an opportunity for everyone to review their skills level and to formulate an individual learning plan, to ensure everyone, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pattern cutter, gets the most out of the coming week.

Day 2 – let’s push your creative pattern cutting skills to their limits

Modelling on the dress stand, learn the skills of ‘French Moulage’ and allow your creative pattern cutting skills to flourish.

Day 3 – Pattern cutting for stretch fabrics

We live in knit fabrics; let’s take a day to understand how to create patterns for stretch garments.

Day 4 – Style readings

Test your skills and test my skills as you develop patterns for a garment of your own design, there is no better way to learn!

Day 5 – The essentials you need to progress

Let’s take a look at grading and sizing and fit.

The cost of the course is £650 per person, for one of our private double rooms, including all meals and complimentary wine and a meal at a local restaurant. Additional non course attending guests sharing the double room can be added for a cost of £325.00.

To find more details about the accommodation take a look at:

https://www.facebook.com/lapetitegite

If you would like to book a place on the course just drop me an e-mail at:

nicola@modelistecreative.com and I will send you a booking form.

Happy Pattern Cutting,

Nicola

 

Continue Reading

Current Projects, Sewing Techniques

The Wide Headband Project- Free Pattern & Making Instructions!

No Comments

It’s that time of the month again where I release my free pattern and making guide to accompany my magazine article in the DSM, this month it’s the wide headband project.

Download your free pattern and detailed making guide here!

Wide Wrap Head Band-Pattern and Instructions

As always if you have any questions or comments then please get in touch.

Happy sewing,

Nicola

P.S.

Next month I will show you how to make this gorgeous Japanese bag and also where to buy beautiful Japanese fabrics.

 

Continue Reading

Beginners Pattern Drafting Info, Pattern Cutting Techniques, pattern help

Pattern Help – Making a pattern for fitted low back blouse –

4 Comments

I often get asked for pattern help and every now and again I post the help on my blog, my customer has recently purchased the contour fitted dress blocks to help her make these lovely saree blouses. This block is available as a PDF download as well as a printed pattern sheet.

Here is her question and I will answer it below…..I have just bought the contour fitted dress blocks as have been asked to make saree blouses (see pics) which normally are very fitted and very low backs. I just have a query re: do I just take the waist dart out completely and if there is gaping (after the neck is cut in back) to remove this to the waist or?? also, I assume the back neck dart is simply removed as part of the design. thanks.

Lets take a look at what to do with the darts for this style first.

The first step for this style is to plan the style lines, as illustrated in purple above, don’t plan the neckline yet, as we need to close out the darts first.

Trace the side panel first and close out the dart, then trace the center front panel and close the shoulder darts and the neckline dart so that all the shaping goes into the princess line seam. Trace the final pattern pieces. Plan the neckline on the center front panel after the darts have been closed out.

The back

Trace the 2 back sections and combine so that you close out the dart, keep the center back straight as this is your grain reference.

Plan a small dart at the back neckline as shown above.

Fold out the small wedge so that you take a little of the extra ease that is in the block, this will stop the back neckline gaping. Trace the final shape.

I hope this helps!

Happy Pattern Cutting!

Nicola

Continue Reading

intensive pattern cutting course, workshops

Join Me In France For A 5 Day Pattern Cutting Course!

2 Comments

Pattern Cutting Course

Join me at our beautiful restored farmhouse in rural France. Learn pattern cutting, or improve your pattern cutting skills, in an informal and relaxed learning environment whilst enjoying the French countryside and taking in a bit of French culture.

The course will take place from Monday 17th September to Friday 21st September, with arrival on Sunday 16th September and departure on Saturday 22nd September. All meals are included from dinner on the night before the course starts to breakfast on the morning of departure.

The courses are designed for a maximum of 5 people, to allow for each person’s individual learning needs to be addressed, so if you are a beginner or an advanced pattern cutter we can develop your skills further.

If you have a partner that would like to join you but does not wish to take part in the course, this can easily be arranged. Also we can arrange nights either side of the course as we understand flight days may be on different days from different parts of the country.

Course Plan

Day 1 – let’s see what you know and what you need to know.

This is an opportunity for everyone to review their skills level and to formulate an individual learning plan, to ensure everyone, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pattern cutter, gets the most out of the coming week.

Day 2 – let’s push your creative pattern cutting skills to their limits

Modelling on the dress stand, learn the skills of ‘French Moulage’ and allow your creative pattern cutting skills to flourish.

Day 3 – Pattern cutting for stretch fabrics

We live in knit fabrics; let’s take a day to understand how to create patterns for stretch garments.

Day 4 – Style readings

Test your skills and test my skills as you develop patterns for a garment of your own design, there is no better way to learn!

Day 5 – The essentials you need to progress

Let’s take a look at grading and sizing and fit.

To find more details about the accommodation take a look at:

https://www.facebook.com/lapetitegite

For more detailed information about the course take a look at

Pattern Cutting Workshop PDF for more Detailed Info!

The cost of the course is £650 per person, for one of our private double rooms, including all meals and complimentary wine and a meal at a local restaurant. Additional non course attending guests sharing the double room can be added for a cost of £325.00.

If you would like to book a place on the course just drop me an e-mail at:

nicola@modelistecreative.com and I will send you a booking form, or simply fill in the contact form at the bottom of the post.

If you happen to live in France I will soon be offering a series of one day courses in the areas of pattern cutting and sewing! I hope to meet you soon.

Nicola

 

Continue Reading

Current Projects, DSM Craft Projects, Free Downloads

The Monster Tooth Pillow Project! For readers of the DSM

No Comments

As some of you may know I live in France in the beautiful region of Deux Sevres, and this is the first of my contributions to the regions English language magazine, the Deux Sevres Monthly.

I will be writing a creative article for the magazine each month and I wanted my first contribution to be simple, colourful and fun! Each of the articles will also be here on my blog along with any free patterns and downloads.

This is a great project for teaching young people to sew, I started sewing as a very young child and my favourite thing to make was a tiny mouse. I used any scraps of fabric I could find to make them and the mice were all called ‘Grub Street’ . They lived in a match box! Sewing is a fantastic skill to have and how wonderful it is to teach a child to sew! These pillows are very popular in the USA now and children leave them out for the tooth fairy.

All you need to gather together is…

And you will need access to…

Here is a detailed PDF download that contains the pattern and all the making instructions!

JUST CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PATTERN & DETAILED MAKING GUIDE

monster pillow learn to sew instructions and pattern

I would love to see your creations so please e-mail them to me and I will publish them!

If you have any questions at all then please just ask, I am always happy to help!

I hope to see you next month for another ‘creative’ project and if you have any requests then please let me know what you would like to see.

Happy Sewing,

Nicola

 

 

Continue Reading

Current Projects

How to move a dart on your front bodice block – pattern help

3 Comments

Darts can be moved to anywhere around the perimeter of the front bodice block, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

The Slash method of dart manipulation is the easiest for beginners to use –

  1. Make sure your darts are extended to the bust point.
  2. Mark a pencil line from the place you would like the new dart to be to the bust point and cut along this line with your scissors.
  3. Fold out the dart you want to eliminate and watch the new dart open.

 

Why not have a practice with the examples 1 to 6 above and let me know if you need any help at all.

I have a dedicated workbook for beginners that shows the basics of bodice pattern cutting, specially designed to help beginners make the most of their bodice blocks, you can find this as a PDF download on my web site www.modeliste-creative.com

The link to the workbook is here

Happy Pattern Cutting,

Nicola

Continue Reading

bra and panties design, design and pattern cutting, designing lingerie, General Info, Lingerie Design, Pattern Cutting Techniques, size charts

The Contour Fitted Dress Block- my favourite block!

2 Comments

The contour fitted dress block is one of my oldest blocks and one of my favourite blocks. I have used it over the years so many times that it’s pretty worn. I thought I had better digitize it and save a digital copy before it wore out! I didn’t stop there, as I only had the block in a size 12, I decided to develop a range of contour fitted dress blocks as I am no longer the size 12 I was as a 21 year old student at the London College of Fashion!

Over the years I have updated and modernised the block and it’s my go to block for any fitted styles, bra patterns, corsets etc.

Instead of the normal process I follow for drafting a block and grading the draft, I decided, as the grading would have been too messy, to draft and apply all the contour fitting lines to each individual size. The sizes available come in a size 8 UK (4 USA) to a size 18 UK (14 USA). Of course all the contour fitting lines can be ignored if you wish and the block can be used as a regular fitted dress block.

The contour fitting process involves taking extra suppression (darts) out at the cleavage, the neck line, around the full circumference of the bust, and also at the side seams. If you are interested in darts I have a whole workbook on them!

As with all my blocks, I sew up the draft after I have made any changes and make a fit assessment, I am really pleased with the fit of this block.

Fitting Photographs –

The images below shows the fit of the dress block – without the extra contour fitting applied – please note this dress block can be used as a fitted dress block – simply use the darts without the extra contour fitting.

As is also my custom, I measure every single area of the blocks I draft, and having done that to the 10th of a millimetre, I also then convert the measurements into inches for my ‘inch’ customers.

Sometimes maybe I go into too much detail, an old habit from working as a garment technologist!

This dress block is drafted to the hip, I prefer this as I can then lengthen the block as I need to according to the sketch I am working from, I simply have to add a rectangle below the hip line.

As the contour fitted dress block can be quite daunting, I have produced a ‘pattern sheet’ to illustrate how the block can be used to create a fitted evening top with bra cups. I supply this as a free sheet with the contour fitted dress blocks when customers buy the whole range of sizes, With this blocks set you can just buy the size you need as a single block and sleeve.

The evening bodice sewn up as a toile gives you an idea of the type of fit and the styles that this block can produce, once the contour fitting is applied.

I hope this post has inspired those of you who have the block to go ahead and make some contour fitted styles, I would love to see what you make so please send me the photos!

I have this block as a physical pattern sheet and also as a PDF instant download available in my Etsy shop.

Happy Pattern Cutting!

Nicola

 

 

Continue Reading
1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 12