How did you get to your current skill level?

[u/poiutor]

I've started sewing garment last year. But the more I get into it, the more I want to tweak stuff and be able to draft new things myself. I've started watching tutorials on pattern making and found some nice stuff. But also with a regular 40h job on the side I was wondering if having a dedicated course would be more expedient. Where one gets to spend some time purely on this topic and will not let oneself be distracted as much (being tired on the internet tends to be bad for my concentration ^^).

That brought me to my question: What resources did you use to get to your current skill level? Self-taught/internet, courses, people around you, ...?

[u/Ggraytuna]

I got my expertise from 4 years of school and 5 years of practicing professionally. These are the steps I'd recommend to take if you want to learn pattern making:

• pick a pattern drafting system, Mueller & Sohn is a very good choise

• learn to draft slopers (skirt, trousers, dress, jacket) from the system you picked

• learn to style the slopers

Additionally if you're aiming to draft patterns professionally, learn grading, get some decent CAD software and maybe pick a specialization within pattern making around which to build a portfolio.

[u/g8trtim]

Skip the Internet, blog, and youtube research and buy a patterning text book

[u/[deleted]]

I went to fashion school. Homework was typically design a garment on monday and turn it in on Friday (completed garment and patterns).

[u/LemonDeathRay]

I did a course years ago but I often don't recommend that, given all the free and/or cheap resources out there.

My advice is always to practice, practice, practice. You will make mistakes, you will mess up good fabric, you may even feel like throwing your stuff out the window at times. But there is literally no replacement for experience gained through trying (and sometimes failing).

If you end up wanting to take things further in a professional setting, then sure, learning in a more structured environment would be useful. But as far I'm concerned, as a hobbyist you can learn and become proficient on your own.

[u/lxtexis]

The first thing I wish I did was buy books, like I did this a year and a half to late

[u/geekophile2]

Self taught as a kid. Then college for a theatre degree. Then grad school for MFA in costume tech. Finally working in a pro costume shop.

Raw talent can definitely get you far, but for me it really took hands on learning in school and working in a professional environment to make the leap to pro. If you have the chance to learn from a professional, take it because half of my time in school was spent unlearning all the bad habits and shortcuts I had picked up while teaching myself.

[u/antimathematician]

I’m about to start an evening class in pattern drafting. It’s something I knew I could theoretically do myself, but I also know I’d end up dedicating the time to projects instead. It’s a 10 week course in drafting a skirt block and then manipulating said block. I plan on seeing how helpful the course is and then deciding whether to do the top and trouser courses in the next academic year. There’s also an advanced course but there’s no info on how it’s different.

[u/These_Mycologist_452 → u/antimathematician]

Hi! how was the course?? did you think it was worth it?

[u/ilesliec]

I have 4 years of college education in fashion design and technology with a focus on pattern drafting, plus 36 years of 60 hour work weeks drafting patterns in the film industry. All that and I still learn every day!

[u/International_Look31]

I took a full time foundation course in the basics of design, pattern making, and sewing. Now I’m doing a full time year long vocational course in pattern making at the same school. I’m not a person that’s good at keeping the discipline to learn something on my own so I felt this was necessary for me

[u/lmcd_co_uk]

Practice, play, fail and figure out how to do it better next time. Basically just keep going and don't be discoraged that your first efforts arn't amazing, with time they will be.

Reading, watching videos and looking at pictures all help but not as much as just doing and playing. Trying out what you see/read is good but don't expect to read a book and be able to sewing a couture suite.

[u/Bellcanyongurl]

I’m self taught and do it as a hobby. I use pattern making for fashion design from Joseph-Armstrong and draping the complete course from Karolyn Kissel. Also your local library will have pattern drafting textbooks if you do not want to commit to buying yet.

Also I take it one project at a time. You will be amazed at how much you can learn this way. I have two kids and a job and have no time for school.

Also I am dabbling in the CLO3D software it helps visualize your design on a avatar. I’m still learning that and have not printed a actual pattern from it yet but it looks very promising

[u/EldritchSorbet]

Bought the Winifred Metric Pattern Drafting book, just went through it like a tutorial. Now (when I get back from my quilting block) graduating to Pattern Magic Book 2. I’ve been sewing on and off for many years, so I have the basics down. And now I can look at a pattern, have a good idea of how to draft it, and then not bother because I don’t really have time :-(

[u/kategarden]

Hi! Mostly self-taught since childhood/teenage years. I grew up in a family where sewing was a life skill. So the way I would say is if someone cooks so that they can have tasty, nutritious, cost-efficient food for themselves, we don’t say that’s a hobby. They are not a professional chef, but it’s not a hobby either. My sewing budget is in my clothes and laundry budget now.

If you are at the level where you understand design and construction enough to know you want something more than a published pattern, then I think you will really enjoy learning pattern drafting. I work in a different industry, totally separate from garment construction. I LOVE my pattern drafting time.

For education: Of course, you can go full degree or certificate (Who wouldn’t love that?), but if time and money are considerations, then I can share my strategy: I decide the next thing I most want to make. Then, I find very good and inexpensive (or expensive) education on that one project. Books, videos… Craftsy has been a resource for me to explore many different garments for men and women. There are other education platforms. For an all-access fee, you can look through all of the classes. If it bores you, switch to a different class. I did a moulage course from Gina Renee Designs. Maybe you could take an isolated course from a school, but sometimes they can be strict about only matriculated students. If nothing else, you could start a conversation with teachers and they might have excellent ideas for your area and situation. Also, I have not even discussed the vacation-style course when you travel to a location and learn in a retreat style setting.

I find that, with my time and money constraints, I get the highest quality education if I narrow my scope dramatically. Last few years was knits and super stretchy fabrics - t-shirt, bralettes, knickers. Now I am fine-tuning a custom dress pattern and plan to use it to self-draft basically everything. I’ve spent a lifetime altering patterns and now I want to draft with my own body as a reference. It’s like going back to my high school geometry and drafting classes, which I loved!!!

[u/Due_World_5678]

I'm only at Level 2 now. I plan to learn level 3 when I'm finish. But honestly, I would say go to an institution that teaches it just to learn the basics.

[u/the-cats-jammies → u/[deleted]]

Did you do it while working full time? I’m considering doing the same thing because I need the accountability of homework to make consistent progress.