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Online Professional Pattern Cutting Course – Now Live!

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Professional Pattern Cutting Course

After months of planning, writing and filming videos I am now ready to launch the ‘Professional Pattern Cutting Course’.

If you are a beginner or someone that wants to learn professional pattern cutting methods and build good solid working practice then this course will suit you. The course starts from the very foundations of pattern cutting and builds on that knowledge to develop a thorough grounding in pattern cutting. If you feel you have gaps in your knowledge and want a detailed, professional education in pattern cutting then you have come to the right place!

With Over 80 lessons and over 50 videos in the ‘Professional Pattern Cutting Course’ I think you will agree that the course has a great deal of valuable content!

If you feel you already have a good grounding in pattern cutting then please take a look at my other courses, if you would like to take your pattern cutting to the next level –

The Professional Pattern Cutting Course course will be a stepping stone to my more advanced courses which will include – Adobe Illustrator for Pattern Cutters, (which has just been released) – Advanced Pattern Cutting Course which will be released soon after. I also have a Draping Course and a Pattern Cutting for Babies and Children’s’ Wear Course planned! I also can’t wait to have the time to write a Grading Course.

Below you can watch a quick video (called a ‘supercut’ – my husband tells me!) that shows you all the sections of The Professional Pattern Cutting Course.

Professional Pattern Cutting Course ‘Supercut’

The ‘Professional Pattern Cutting Course’ has 3 parts.

The first part is made up of 15 lessons, with some videos, where appropriate. It gives you all the background and essential knowledge you need to understand pattern cutting. This section can be used as a reference guide, whilst you are free to read it all in one go it is really intended to be something you dip in and out of as you need to. Used in this way it is also more likely that the information will sink in.

The second part of the course is much more practical, we start with skirts and move on to bodice pattern cutting including rotating darts. Bodices are followed by trouser styles, drafting collars and finally basic sleeve pattern cutting.

The lessons are structured in a way that means you read my lesson notes that describe the pattern cutting steps in great details and then watch the video that supports the notes.

Section 3 of the course gets to the ‘nitty gritty’ of pattern cutting. Here I guide you through the finer details of pattern cutting, adding button stands, fitting lines etc. I will also cover darts in great details and you will learn how to pivot darts professionally.

There are lots of PDF’s to download, and charts as well as a set of quarter and half scale blocks for you to download and follow along. Obviously you can follow along in full scale, using your own blocks, if you prefer. I work in half scale for the course so that the whole process can fit into the video frame, this means you can see everything I am doing.

If all that wasn’t enough I have also added a number of bonus modules that cover pattern drafting for shirts and blouse styles and I show you my favourite shirt draft!

I cover the importance of technical sketches and also introduce you to draping on the dress stand.

I couldn’t resist adding a section in to start you drafting your own blocks, if you choose to.

Finally a section of the course that I intend to build and add to as the course grows – called PATTERN MAPS.

In PATTERN MAPS I intend to add visual guides to pattern drafts to inspire you!

If you have any further questions about the course then feel free to email me at onitnotinit@mail.com – I am always happy to answer any questions you may have.

To have a closer look at all my course please click the image below.

Please follow this link to see an up to date version of all my courses https://patterndesignschool.teachable.com/

If you have any questions at all then please let me know at nicola@patterndesignschool.co.uk

Happy Pattern Cutting!

Nicola

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info

Updating My Bodice Workbook

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I try to produce workbooks for all the main blocks I draft and grade. I want my customers to make the most of my blocks! I also want beginners to have a good start to their learning.

I have recently updated my darts workbook where I cover darts, there really is a lot to know!

I have just updated by bodice workbook and that is now available on my website.

Click this link to go straight there!

The workbook will give you are great start to using your bodice block.

I never stop learning!

Nicola x

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Beginners Pattern Drafting Info

What Equipment Do I Need To Begin Pattern Cutting?

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There are 2 ways of answering this question, one is to list absolutely everything that you could possibly need to buy to begin your journey as a pattern cutter. The other way is to list the absolute essentials you could begin with now. When you first start a new hobby it can be motivational to buy all new equipment, but what happens if you don’t like it or you don’t want to spend too much all at once? Below I will give you both scenarios and you can take it from there!

The items highlighted are the ones I feel you could get away with if you want to give pattern making a try but don’t want to break the bank.

The Dream List

  • Good quality pattern cutting paper – spot and cross or plain tracing or both
  • Manila drafting paper – to draft basic block on- slightly heavier than the paper.
  • Some heavy card or plastic sheeting to make copies of your basic blocks
  • A set square to help make right angles and mark angles
  • A clear ruler to add seam allowance and measure small sections
  • A pattern master – a special ruler for marking seam allowance and drawing pattern lines
  • A flexi curve – to allow you to copy curves and transfer them to other pattern areas
  • French curves to help draw curves such as armholes and necklines
  • A good pair of paper scissors
  • A 3H pencil 
  • An eraser as you WILL make mistakes
  • Some colour pencils or marking pens to highlight special areas
  • A tape measure – not a fabric one
  • Sellotape or masking tape or both
  • Some dressmaking pins
  • A meter rule for marking long lines
  • A tracing wheel – there are many types – to trace patterns
  • A cutting board to place under your patterns when tracing
  • Push Pins to secure patterns to the cutting board
  • Pattern weights to hold patterns down
  • Letter template – to apply annotations to your patterns
  • A pattern notcher – to cut out a notch in your paper pattern
  • Pattern Drill or Awl – for making small drill holes to mark dart ends etc
  • Pattern Punch – to make holes in the pattern so they can be hung
  • Pattern Hooks – to hang your patterns from
  • A notebook for recording what you have done and any changes required
  • A dress stand – to apply your patterns to to see how they fit together
  • A set of basic blocks ( we supply these) if you don’t want to draft your own blocks to start with.
  • Quarter or half scale blocks to practice with, so you can save paper!

Subscribers can gain access to my free scaled blocks to use for practice – head over to the subscribers and enter the password you were sent when you subscribed!

Phew! I think that’s it. If you can think of anything else then please let me know. I must say that as a professional pattern cutter I use most of the above at some point in the pattern making process, but not all the time.

There are many fancy pattern masters and pattern cutting rulers out there. My favorite tool is a clear set square, but you can get away with a regular clear perspex ruler.

Join me on YouTube and follow my series on moving darts, it’s a great place to start!

www.youtube.com/modelistecreative

Happy Pattern Cutting!

Nicola x

 

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