Back to School! - Week 4

So...I went back to college for week four of my Level 2 Pattern Cutting and Construction course and things are starting to get serious!

I am still really enjoying the course but I am also beginning to realise just how much work goes into turning a simple skirt block into an actual garment pattern. There is a lot of tracing, cutting, measuring, adjusting and labelling involved, and although none of it is particularly difficult in theory, it certainly takes time.

This week, we started turning our master drafts into proper pattern pieces, worked on eliminating darts, added seam allowances and began manipulating the skirt to create the shape we need.

And, of course, we also have homework. Quite a lot of it, actually!

 

Finishing our master drafts

We started the lesson by finishing off our master drafts if we had not completed them the previous week. Luckily, mine was already finished.

Last week, we traced our original skirt blocks onto dots and crosses paper, added the style lines for the new design and colour-coded the different sections. I used green for the top yoke and red for the bottom of the skirt.

This week, we needed to trace those lines onto another sheet of dot and cross paper so that we could start creating our actual pattern pieces.

We laid our master drafts out, placed another sheet of paper over the top and traced all the lines. Honestly, I thought this would be relatively straightforward, but it was actually a little more difficult than I expected.

Although you can see through dot and cross paper, my original lines were not dark enough to show through particularly clearly. I had to concentrate quite hard to make sure I was tracing everything accurately.

Still, I managed to get it done, and once everything had been traced, it was time to cut out the individual pieces.

We ended up with separate pattern pieces for the front yoke, back yoke, front skirt and back skirt. And this is where the next part of the process began.

 

Eliminating the darts

Once we had cut out our pattern pieces, we needed to close the darts in the yoke sections.

The idea is that we do not want those darts appearing in the finished yoke, so we need to transfer that shaping elsewhere by closing them off.

We did this by folding the darts out of the way and securing them with Sellotape.

The front yoke has one dart, while the back yoke has two, so we needed to repeat the process for both pieces.

Once the darts were closed, we placed each piece onto another sheet of dot and cross paper and traced around it again.

This gave us our new yoke shapes, but there was another little job to do before we could call them finished.

We needed to true the pattern lines.

And honestly, this turned out to be the most frustrating part of the lesson for me!

 

The most frustrating part of the lesson

When you close a dart, it changes the shape of the pattern around it.

You can end up with little dips in the seam line or awkward points sticking out where the edges no longer flow smoothly.

That means you cannot simply close the darts, trace around the piece and assume everything is ready to use. You need to go back and smooth out those lines so that the pattern will fit together properly when you eventually sew the garment.

We were using French curves and pattern master rulers to help us redraw the lines.

The problem was that, no matter which ruler I tried, I struggled to get a nice, smooth curve without taking too much off the pattern.

I would position the ruler, draw the line, look at it and think it did not quite look right. Then I would try again, only to find that I had removed more of the pattern than I wanted to.

Thankfully, our tutor helped me work through it and showed me how to get a better result without taking too much away.

It was a good reminder that pattern cutting is not just about following measurements and drawing lines. You also need to understand how those lines work together and what happens to the shape when you manipulate a pattern.

I am learning so much by actually doing it rather than simply reading about it or watching someone else demonstrate it.

 

Adding the seam allowances

Once we had sorted out the curves and made sure the pattern shapes looked right, we could finally add our seam allowances.

We were instructed to use a 1cm seam allowance for this assignment.

Because the skirt pieces would be cut on the fold, we had a choice. We could keep the pattern as a half-piece with the fold line marked, or we could create a complete pattern piece.

Our tutor recommended making full pattern pieces for the yokes but keeping the skirt sections as half-pieces and that is what I did.

I finished both my front and back yokes, adding the seam allowances and all the information needed to make the pieces usable.

And I have to say, seeing the finished front yoke was quite satisfying!

It actually looks like a proper pattern piece now, rather than a collection of lines on a giant sheet of paper.

Although, looking at its shape, I did have another thought. I might even be able to use it as a starting point for drafting my own knickers!

I will have to look into that another time, but it is interesting how learning one thing can give you ideas for completely different projects.

As with our original blocks, we also needed to label everything properly.

This included our names, the pattern piece name, the size we were working with, the number of pieces to cut and the seam allowance.

We also needed to add the notches and grain lines.

These little details might seem insignificant, but they are important. When you come back to a pattern later, you need to know exactly what each piece is, how it should be positioned on the fabric and where everything needs to match up.

Unfortunately, the pattern notcher we used was not particularly sharp, so some of my notches did not look as neat as I would have liked. It is a small thing, but I am already noticing how much easier it is to work with tools that are in good condition. (What can I say...I like my work neat!)

 

Onto the bottom of the skirt

I managed to finish both yoke pieces during the lesson, but I ran out of time before I could complete the bottom sections of the skirt.

So I brought those home to work on.

If you remember from last week, we had added slash lines to the skirt pattern. These are the lines we cut along so that we can spread the sections apart and change the shape of the skirt.

Originally, I thought we would be spreading the pieces out to create a gathered skirt that would be gathered into the yoke.

But it turns out that I had misunderstood the assignment!

The actual task is to create a flared skirt that fits into the yoke without gathering.

And, to be honest, I am quite pleased about that because it is closer to the sort of skirt I would like to make for myself.

The instructions are to cut along the slash lines, leaving a small hinge at the top of each section. This allows the pieces to open at the bottom while staying connected at the top.

We then need to spread the sections apart by 10cm at the bottom.

This will create the extra fullness needed for the flared shape while keeping the top of the skirt the same size so that it fits into the yoke.

I had already started cutting along my slash lines and attaching the first section to the paper, but I still need to measure out the 10cm spacing and attach the remaining sections.

Once everything is spread evenly, I will need to redraw the lines to make sure the top and bottom edges flow smoothly.

Then I can cut out the new shape, trace it onto another sheet of dot and cross paper and add the seam allowances.

And that should give me my final skirt pattern piece.

At least, that is the plan!

I still need to finish the process properly and have it checked, so I will let you know how that goes in next week's update.

 

More homework than I expected

As well as finishing the skirt pattern, we have a couple of other assignments to work on.

The first is to put together a collection of different skirt styles and present them in a suitable manner.

Now, I have already been on Pinterest and started collecting pictures of skirts that I like. I have a little board going, and naturally, I have found plenty of inspiration.

But I think the point of this exercise is less about collecting pretty pictures and more about learning to identify different skirt styles.

For example, if someone talks about a bubble skirt, a tulip skirt or a skirt with a yoke, I want to know exactly what they mean.

There are so many different shapes and construction techniques, and understanding the terminology is an important part of learning pattern cutting.

We need to present our collection neatly, although I am not entirely sure how I am going to do that yet.

I have bought some A3 foam board, so I might print out the images and arrange them on there. I could also use card or another format, but I will have to see what works best.

Knowing me, I will probably spend far too long deciding how to arrange everything!

The second assignment is a presentation about natural fibres.

We need to cover different fibres, such as cotton, explain what they are, where they come from and which fabrics they are commonly used in.

We can create a PowerPoint or use another suitable format to present the information.

This one is going to require a bit of research, and I will need to find the time to fit it all in around everything else I have going on.

My plan is to do the research, put everything into my own words and perhaps use a little AI to help me organise the information and structure the presentation.

I just need to make sure I actually get around to doing it!

I have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, and I can already see this assignment heading in that direction.

 

Five weeks on a skirt block? Now I understand!

Something I was thinking about when I first started this course was how we could possibly spend so many weeks working on one skirt block.

In the second week, once we had completed our basic block, I remember wondering what on earth we would be doing for the remaining lessons.

Surely we could move on to something else?

Well, now I understand!

Although the individual steps are not necessarily complicated, there is so much involved in taking a basic block and turning it into a completely different design.

We have to draw the style lines, manipulate the darts, cut and spread the pattern, check the curves, trace everything again, add seam allowances, mark the notches and grain lines, and label every single piece.

And that is before we even get to cutting the fabric and sewing the garment.

Everything needs to be measured properly and checked carefully, because a small mistake at the pattern stage can affect how the finished garment fits together.

It is quite a detailed process, and I can see why we are spending so much time on it.

According to our schedule, we have two weeks left working on the skirt.

Next week, we should be finishing the slash-and-spread process, completing the pattern pieces and making any necessary adjustments.

Then, in our final week, we will move on to lay planning.

 

I am looking forward to lay planning

Lay planning is the stage where we look at how to arrange our pattern pieces on the fabric before cutting.

We will be looking at different fabric designs, including stripes, gingham and plain fabrics, and learning how to position the pattern pieces to make the best use of the material.

I am particularly looking forward to this part because I already have plans for my own version of the skirt.

As I mentioned last week, I have been looking at gingham skirts on Pinterest, and I am seriously considering making one for myself.

I am thinking either black and white or red and white gingham.

The college assignment is being drafted to a standard size 12, but although my waist measurement matches that size, my other measurements do not really line up with it.

So I would love to draft my own block and make a skirt that fits my proportions properly.

I am hoping that what we learn about lay planning will give me some useful tips for working with gingham and matching the pattern where necessary.

It is one thing to understand how to lay out pattern pieces on plain fabric, but patterned fabric brings another consideration into the mix.

I want to make sure I get the most out of my fabric without compromising the finished look.

 

A new knitting project for the commute

On a completely different note, I have started a new knitting project to keep me occupied during my commute.

I finished my socks, so I have moved on to a chunky cardigan.

I have already completed most of the bodice and started separating the sections for one of the panels.

It is a fairly chunky project, which makes it a good one to work on while travelling because I can see the progress quite quickly.

There is also another reason I chose a chunky project.

I need the shelf space!

My yarn collection has been taking over my bookshelf, and I have quite a lot of yarn that needs to be used up.

So, naturally, the solution is to start another knitting project.

Hopefully, once I finish the cardigan, I will have a little more room on the shelves.

I also take my sewing journal with me because you never know when you might want to jot something down.

And, as it turns out, taking it to college this week led to a rather lovely surprise.

 

My sewing journal made an appearance in class!

One of my classmates came over to me and said that she had seen me pop up on Instagram and wanted to know whether the journal I had with me was the one I had been talking about.

I told her it was and explained that I had designed it myself.

She asked if she could have a look, which, of course, I was more than happy to do.

While I was showing her the journal, a couple of other people came over to have a look as well.

I explained why I created it, how I use it to keep track of my sewing projects and some of the things I write in it.

I even showed them a few of my own entries so they could see how it works in practice.

And then came the question: could they get one?

I showed them my website and told them a little more about it.

A few people also started asking about my sewing workshops, and one of my classmates mentioned that he might book a private lesson with me at some point to get help with mending clothes and working through patterns.

It was lovely to have those conversations naturally, without having to do anything other than bring something I had created into a room full of people who enjoy sewing.

But the nicest part was yet to come.

Our tutor picked up the journal and said she wanted to show it to the whole class.

Everyone had a look, and she suggested that I bring a few copies into college so I could show the different covers and potentially sell some.

She pointed out that a sewing class is the perfect place to introduce a sewing journal because everyone there understands the hobby and can see how useful it could be.

I thought that was such a lovely thing for her to suggest.

It is one thing to create a product and try to tell people why they might find it useful, but it is quite another to have someone else recognise its value and encourage you to share it with others.

I might take a few copies in next time so everyone can have a proper look at the different covers.

We also ended up creating a WhatsApp group for the class, with people encouraging each other to share what they are working on so we can all learn from one another.

I love that idea.

Everyone has different skills, different experiences and different projects, so there is always something we can learn from each other.

And it was really nice to see that same enthusiasm around something I had created myself.

If you would like to have a look at my sewing journal, here's the link: My Sewing Journal

 

So that is week four!

Another week at college, another mountain of pattern paper and a growing appreciation for just how much goes into pattern cutting.

We have turned our master drafts into individual pattern pieces, learned how to eliminate darts, worked on smoothing out our pattern lines and started spreading the skirt to create a flared shape.

I still have plenty to finish at home, alongside my other assignments, but I am enjoying the process and learning something new every week.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the skirt comes together, especially when we get to the fabric layout stage.

And who knows? Perhaps I will have my own gingham skirt to show you before too long!

In the meantime, I will be taking my knitting on the commute, working through my homework and trying not to leave everything until the last minute.

Thank you so much for reading, and if you are interested in my sewing journal, you can find it here:

My Sewing Journal – BeeSilva

I will be back next week with another update on what we get up to at college.

 

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

Bye for now, B! xx