If you have always wanted to make the clothes you envision, here is your chance. Using the techniques from her book, Design-It-Yourself Clothes, Cal will teach you how to draft your own basic patterns for the garments below, based on the measurements of your unique body:

• Knit T-shirt
• Lounge pants
• Shift dress or Button-down shirt

You will learn how to take these patterns and stylize them into endless variations. For each of the three garments, you will make a muslin, fit and correct your pattern, and then sew one or more finished garment(s). Before you know it, you’ll have a whole new handmade wardrobe.

Cal will also offer a Clone-it demonstration. Participants can bring a piece of their favourite clothing to clone (make the pattern). This method does not require tearing apart the piece of clothing that you are cloning.

Students must be at least competent beginner-level sewers, and comfortable using a sewing machine. Intermediate and advanced sewers are also welcome and can take on more challenging projects. No previous patternmaking experience is necessary.

Layout for the Week:

DAY 1: Knit T-Shirt
You will learn to draft a pattern for a t-shirt, based on your own measurements. You will then make a muslin, fit it, correct your pattern, cut out the real shirt and begin to sew the final garment. New skills you will acquire are sewing with knits, stretchy hem finishes, and finishing the neckline with a self band. Once you’ve made your first, you’ll see how many possibilities there are for all sorts of modifications. You might never buy another T-shirt again.

DAY 2: Lounge Pants
What’s comfier than a pair of loose-fitting pants? You will draft your own custom pattern, make a muslin to test the fit, and then begin to sew the final garment. This versatile pattern can be made with an elastic or drawstring waist, have added pockets in different styles, be made in woven or knit fabric, be designed in various lengths for all seasons, and will become your new favourite comfort wear!

DAY 3: Shift Dress 
Learn how to take your measurements and use them to draft a pattern for a simple sleeveless shift dress. We’ll make “muslins” (fit samples) from our patterns, and have a group fitting session in which everyone will benefit from seeing various fit issues and how to correct them. Based on this, you’ll then make corrections to your pattern. You will then cut and begin sewing your final dress.
or Button-down Shirt
Using your own unique measurements, you will learn to draft a pattern for a simple blouse or shirt with collar and cuffs (optional) – the specific design choices will be up to you. You will then sew a muslin for fitting, correct the pattern if needed, and begin to sew the final garment.

DAY 4: Continue working through and finishing each garment

DAY 5: Garment completion and Clone-it demonstration

Supply List:

• Sewing Machine
• Notebook and pen
• A pad of 18″ x 24″ paper, or a roll at least 14″ wide (newsprint or drawing paper)
• Pencil, sharpener and eraser
• Ruler (18″x 2″ clear sewing ruler is best)
• Tape measure
• Scissors (for cutting paper)
• Clear tape
• 2+ yards cotton jersey or similar knit fabric* (for T-shirt). 
• 2.5+ yards cotton, linen or other woven fabric** (for lounge pants)
• 2.5+ yards medium-weight cotton or other woven fabric** (for shift dress)
  OR
  2.5+ yards (depending on fabric width, garment length, and sleeve length) medium-weight cotton or other natural-fibre, woven fabric** (for button-down shirt)
• 4-5+ yards muslin (or inexpensive cotton woven fabric which could become a “wearable muslin”)
• 2 yards inexpensive jersey/knit (for t-shirt muslin)
• Thread (all-purpose) to match all fabrics
• 1-2 yards 1″ wide (ore preferred width) elastic
• 14″ or longer invisible zipper to match dress (optional, as it’s only needed for a more fitted dress)
• Invisible zipper foot for your machine (Cal recommends the YKK brand or the brand of your sewing machine). These are only needed if adding a zipper to the shift dress
• 1 package single-fold bias tape to match shift dress (1/2″ wide)
• 1 package single-fold bias tape to match button-down shirt (1/2″ wide)
• Buttons for button-down shirt (optional)
• Basic sewing kit: scissors, pins & cushion, tape measure, seam ripper, tailor’s chalk
• Optional: Hip curve of French curve

Note: the above yardage length are minimums. If you are very tall, or are wanting longer lengths, long sleeves, or if fabric the is less than 60″ wide, lengths should be increased.

*Pre-washing is optional for jersey
**Fabric should ideally be pre-washed and dried (as you will want to wash your handmade garment) to reduce or eliminate shrinkage. Muslin and knits are optional to was