Sewing Classes!

Finally!

I mentioned in a previous post that I was searching for sewing classes not too far from home and voila! I found the EWS Fashion Design Academy about 15 minutes away. Each class is 3 1/2 hours long, and I started my first of 9 weekly classes today. There was only one other new student with me, but there were 8 others present today working at various stages. Some were working on full scale patterns, others were sewing various projects. The classroom was awesome, equipped with many types of machines, including a few heavy-duty looking industrial types, an overlocker and serger and several newer computerized Singers.


Pic from EWS site.

The instructor, master tailor Eric Stiles, was awesome! Just so full of energy and without the help of an assistant, managed to keep track of everyone's work, teach us newbies, and offer criticism and advice to everyone without missing a beat. He is the epitome of multitasking, and he does it so smoothly.

The first lesson included learning a little bit of lingo, how to take proper measurements and how to draft a skirt pattern based upon the Tailor's Quarter Size. From there we will draft the full size pattern, test the pattern with a muslin, then based upon the final sloper make regular, flair, semi-circular and gore skirts.

I had to unlearn much of what I learned from the How to Make Sewing Patterns book, which was what I used to make a bodice and pants sloper, because it teaches you how to make patterns full-scale from the get go. Eventually I hope to incorporate what I got from the book with what I am learning in the classes.

For homework, we were given three sets of measurements and have to draft three patterns for each using the quarter size square. Learning how to draft patterns is really cool, but I can't wait to get to the designing and sewing!