Does fitting feel like the biggest hurdle in your sewing? You’re not alone.
Our bodies are all beautifully different, which means patterns don’t always fit us straight out of the envelope. Wrinkles, pulling, gaping, and a garment that “just doesn’t sit right” can sometimes leave us scratching our heads.
This workshop changes that.
Led by professional pattern cutter Kate Roberts, who has over a decade of experience working for some of London's top fashion brands, this in-depth online course will demystify bodice fitting step by step. Through 23 clear video lessons and supporting resources, you’ll develop a better understanding of why fit issues happen and learn practical skills to fix them with confidence - whether your fitting issues present across the bust, waist, hips, neckline, shoulders, armholes, or back.
By the end of this class, you’ll know how to adjust darted, dartless, and princess seam bodice patterns to fit your unique shape, so you can sew garments that look and feel fantastic on you.
What equipment do I need?
Computer / tablet / smart phone and an internet connection to stream the videos
Sewing machine and basic tools
Pattern master / ruler / set square / French curve
Sharp tracing wheel, pencil, eraser, tape/glue stick, roll or large
sheets of 50-60gsm white paper or tracing paper
Flexible tape measure, sticker dots and ribbon/elastic for taking
measurements
Calico or other fabric to make your toiles (AKA muslins), plus fusible
stay tape
A mirror and camera/mobile phone with self-timer for solo fitting
How long will this workshop take?
The workshop includes 23 video lessons, ranging from 3 to 32 minutes long. The course is self-paced, with no deadlines, so you can go as fast or slow as you like. You may want to watch some of the lessons first to absorb the theory, before spending more time following along with your own toile, and trying out the pattern adjustments. You can pause, rewind, and rewatch the lessons as often as you like - perfect for fitting learning into your own schedule.
Does it cover fitting all garments?
This workshop focuses on fitting bodices in woven fabrics - tops, shirts, blouses, or the top half of dresses or jumpsuits, whether they are darted, dartless, or have princess seams. There is a lot of content, so in order not to overwhelm you, it does not cover trousers, skirts, or sleeves (although it does cover armholes). If there's enough interest, we hope to create separate classes for these in the future.
This online workshop contains fully captioned video lessons, written tuition and downloadable resources.
