Ray Stitch Pattern Cutting Weekend Review

As I've become a more experienced seamstress, I'm a lot more critical of fitting issues. To resolve any problems, I’d totally bodge things – add width at the side seams or shave excess fabric off the shoulders. In the end, I decided to wanted to create a custom dress block (or slider) that I could alter to create different styles of dresses. So, last year I booked myself onto the weekend Beginner Pattern Cutting course at Ray Stitch http://raystitch.co.uk/sewing-classes-london This weekend course has been designed so that you not only create a dress block but you also understand how patterns work, how to pivot darts, create design lines and make alterations. 

The course is taught by Alice Prier https://where2wearit.com/ who has so much pattern cutting knowledge you could just sit and listen to her talk for hours! On the first day we used the Telestia Method https://www.etelestia.com/en to create our blocks. The Telestia is a large square template with holes cut out for different measurements. 

Our small group of six helped measure each other and, after a demonstration by Alice, we used the template to start plotting our blocks. This is done nice and slowly so everybody could keep up. By mid-afternoon we had each drafted our bodice, skirt and sleeve blocks and started to cut them out of calico and sew them up. Amazingly they only needed very minor alterations to obtain an exact fit! I found that mine needed a little excess fabric pinched out from the back but, other than that, it was perfect! The block is designed to be close fitted shell of your body which you then add ease to depending on the style of garment you are making. 

On day two we used quarter scale blocks to learn about alterations. We pivoted darts until we were experts! Each person had brought in photos or garments which we liked and Alice showed us how to alter the block to create the sewing pattern to match. We looked at garments which Alice had brought in and made quarter scale blocks of the pattern needed to make any of the interesting features. I moved the darts on my bodice block to create princess seams and I’ve been using it as a base for my dresses ever since then! 

Back in May I noticed that Ray Stitch had added a new pattern cutting weekend course called ‘Design & Pattern Cutting with Alice Prier’ it’s been specially designed for students who already have their block and want to progress their skills to make more complex patterns. To prepare for the class we were asked to collect photos, drawings etc of garments we would like to make and send a list of ideas to Alice. Between the five of us on the course we had an assortment of garment ideas ranging from a classic trench coat, a copy of a Vivien Westwood dress, a top with interesting pleat detail and a shirtdress. On the first morning, we spent some time discussing how we were already using our blocks, making a quarter scale jacket pattern and sewing up some samples. 

Alice encouraged us to draw our designs onto a body template before starting to think about how we’d make the pattern. 

We then started to work on our own individual patterns with one to one help from Alice. Day two continued in the same way, we’d work on our patterns and, every so often, Alice would call us over to show us something interesting or different on someone’s pattern. Those who had finished were able to sew up calico toiles of their finished design with great success! 

I realised that I’d made so many alterations to my old block that it wasn’t the best fit anymore so I went back to basics and used the template to make a new block with a much better fit. I was then able to draft a collar for the beginings of a shirtwaister dress. 

Both weekends cost £220 and include all your equipment, lunch, cake and endless cups of tea and coffee. You also get 10% off in shop – you will not be able to resist buying some fabric, the collection is amazing! If you haven’t been recently, Ray Stitch has moved over the road to a much larger shop so there’s a lot more space for the classes and fabric! I’d really recommend both courses if you’re interested in pattern drafting/cutting or consistently have fitting issues. You really do leave with more than just a custom block, I've got a note book full of tips from Alice and I'm bursting with ideas for patterns! There's also an option to buy the template and instruction book (shown in the above photo) for £75.

If you're not able to get to London for the course I'd recommend the book 'Make Your Own Dress Patterns' by Adele Margolis as a great resource for pattern alterations. Having a custom block really is great and, in theory, you’d never need to buy another commercial pattern again!