pattern making class, lesson 5

[ read about pattern making class, lesson 4 ]

Here's what we covered last Friday in pattern making class which was as usual SO MUCH FUN!

We started by adding pleats to a pants-skirt (cullotes). You start off by creating a "map" - tracing the originally drafted pants-skirt, drafting the "slash lines" where the pleats will be, and moving the darts over to the slash lines.

"map" for making cullotes with pleats

Then you trace this map and add "fabric" into the pattern in between the "slash lines". The pleats get incorporated into the slash lines. The red marks are needed so you know where to press the pleat, up to where to stitch the dart, etc.

pattern for cullotes with pleats (scale 3:1)

We learned how to add seam allowances to a skirt:

skirt seam allowance, front, scale 1:1

skirt seam allowance, back, scale 1:1

Finally we were assigned this really fun exercise. See the picture of the skirt with hip yoke and godets? Our instructor told us to draft a pattern for it all on our own!

"map" for skirt with hip yoke and godets

After some head-scratching and forehead-wrinkling, I finally got it! How pleased was I!

pattern for skirt with hip yoke and godets (scale 3:1)

Our homework is to copy the basic skirt block that we drafted according to our measurements, and add seam allowances, and also draft a straight waistband. I've already done my homework - I find it convenient to do it directly after class when I get home and everything is fresh in my head.

I think I might even sew a skirt this week using this pattern and some dark-grey wool-like fabric from my stash. In the next lesson, our instructor will show us how to sew up this straight skirt with a waistband, and we will be asked to sew our own.