Back to School! - Week 1

I have gone back to school...well, college actually.

A few months ago, I applied for a Level 2 Pattern Cutting and Construction course. Then I waited. And waited.

When my enrolment appointment finally came around, I was told there were no spaces left. I was gutted.

I would been waiting months to start the course, so finding out there wasn’t actually a place for me was pretty disappointing. They said there was a possibility of another course date being added, so I was put on a waiting list and told they would let me know.

The problem was that induction for the original course was starting the following week, so I had no idea when, or even if, I would actually get my chance.

I messaged one of the people I had been speaking to and explained what had happened. The next morning, she called me.

“There is going to be a second date,” she said. “Why don’t you come down now, if you can, and we’ll get you enrolled? It’s first come, first served.” Absolutely! Within about an hour of that phone call, I was back at college and officially enrolled.

So, after all that waiting, I finally got to go to my induction.

Getting to college was an adventure in itself

The actual journey there was probably more eventful than it needed to be.

It takes me about an hour to get to college, the course is four hours in the evening and then it’s another hour home.

So I left the house expecting to be out for around six hours, and obviously, forgot all my food and water at home. Excellent planning. (Way too excited to be honest!)

I got on the tram with my knitting and settled in for the journey but it had been a while since I would been on public transport like that.

There were lots of people, lots of different smells and generally just a lot going on around me. I was also travelling backwards, which I absolutely never do because I always need to face forwards.

By the time I got to college, I was already feeling a little overwhelmed.

Then I discovered that the information on my timetable was wrong. Wrong time. Wrong classroom which meant, I had to figure out where I was actually supposed to be.

Eventually I found the right room and met everyone else on the course.

Why am I doing a pattern cutting course?

This is probably the question people might ask when they know I already sew, teach sewing and design my own patterns.

I have been sewing for years. I teach people how to sew using commercial patterns and I design my own bag patterns too.

I have also had a play around with pattern manipulation, slashing and spreading and I have even made my own trouser block.

So why go back to college? Because there is still SO much I don't know.

There’s something different about being in a classroom and learning from someone who does this professionally. You can teach yourself a huge amount from books, videos, experimenting and making mistakes but sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

I want to understand pattern cutting properly.

I want to learn the techniques I haven't come across yet, pick up those little tips that make things easier and hopefully become much more confident when it comes to creating and manipulating patterns.

And, honestly, I just really enjoy learning. You can never learn enough.

 

Starting with a skirt block

Our first project is going to be a skirt block!

We will be working on it for six weeks, using the same measurements and creating the same basic style.

Now, I have to admit, the style isn't particularly me but that hasn't stopped me from immediately going onto Pinterest to see how I could potentially make it more my style. 😂

The skirt has a yoke with a gathered skirt attached to it and I have already spotted a few versions that I actually really like.

Of course, fabric will make a huge difference too.

The funny thing is that we aren't actually required to make the finished skirt. The point of this part of the course is to draft the block and work with the measurements and construction, rather than necessarily ending up with a finished garment.

But now that I have seen some versions I like, I'm already wondering whether I might make one anyway.

 

What comes after the skirt?

Once we have finished working on the skirt block, we will move onto a blouse or shirt and sleeve block.

Then we will move onto trousers.

That part is particularly interesting to me because I have already made my own trouser block so I'm looking forward to seeing how what I have taught myself compares with what we are taught on the course.

And then, ultimately, I would love to move onto Level 3.

From what I have been told, Level 3 gets more into taking existing designs and working out how to recreate them through techniques such as draping which is something I haven't really explored yet, so that sounds very exciting to me.

But first, I need to get through Level 2!

 

Do I put my college projects in My Sewing Journal?

One thing I am already wondering about is whether I should be recording all of this in My Sewing Journal.

I use My Sewing Journal for my own sewing projects and I love being able to look back at what I have made, what fabric I used, what size I made and any changes I made along the way.

But what happens when I'm making something that isn't actually for me?

For example, our skirt block is going to be based on the measurements we are given for the course. It isn't necessarily something I'll ever make into a finished skirt.

So does it belong in My Sewing Journal?

Part of me thinks yes, because it's still part of my sewing journey.

But another part of me thinks...if I am never going to make anything from it, what's the point?

I haven't decided yet. Maybe I will change my mind once we actually start making things.

So that's week one

And that's basically where I'm at after my first week. Safe to say, I am SUPER excited!

I am excited to learn, excited to see what I am capable of making and probably most excited to discover all the things I don't know yet.

I also think it will be really interesting to see how what I learn at college starts to feed into my own sewing, my teaching and the patterns I create.

So this is officially the beginning of my pattern cutting journey.

I will be sharing what we make, what I learn and probably a few of the inevitable mistakes along the way.

That is it. I will be back with week two.

 

You can take a look at My Sewing Journal here →

 

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
Bye for now, B! xx