I have never drafted a pattern
Start with Course 1: Beginner Pattern-Making. You learn to read a size chart, take body measurements properly, and draft the skirt, bodice and sleeve blocks everything else is adapted from.
Pattern Making Course in Cape Town
Pattern making is the part of sewing that decides whether a garment fits. You take the measurements, you draft the shapes, and the fabric follows.
We teach it by hand, on paper, from your own measurements — not by handing out a printed pattern and hoping. Course 1 starts at a blank sheet, and by the end you own a set of blocks you will reuse for every garment after it.
Which course to start with
Almost everyone starts at Course 1, including people who have been sewing for years, because the blocks are what everything else is built on.
I can draft blocks but cannot turn them into designs
That is Course 2: Beginner Garment Construction — taking your own blocks and adapting them into different dress designs, adjusting for the body you are sewing for rather than a standard size.
I want pattern making as a trade
Take the Courses 1 to 4 package. It runs from beginner blocks through streetwear, tailored jackets and waistcoats, and it is the path our working alumni took. The courses must be done in order — Course 1 is a strict prerequisite for what follows.
I cannot get to Parow every week
Our online pattern making lessons cover the drafting theory and fitting guidance. The cutting and construction work still happens in the studio, because that is where a garment teaches you something.
What the course actually covers
Measuring, not guessing
You learn to take body measurements reliably and read a size chart, instead of picking the size you wear in a shop and hoping the block agrees.
Block drafting
Skirt, bodice and sleeve blocks drafted to your own measurements. Every later pattern in the school is adapted from these four shapes.
Cutting and truing up
Seam allowances, notches, grain lines and the corrections you make after the first fitting — the part most tutorials skip.
Pattern into cloth
You sew from your own draft, which is the only way to learn what a drafting mistake costs you at the machine.
Questions about pattern making courses
Do I need to know how to sew before starting?
No. Course 1 assumes you have never drafted a pattern and does not assume sewing experience either. You are drafting and cutting within the first few sessions.
Is this pattern making or pattern cutting?
Both. The terms describe the same work: drafting the shapes from measurements, then cutting them. You will not need pattern making software — everything is drafted by hand on paper, which is also how you learn to see the shapes.
How much does a pattern making course cost?
R2 250 per course. The full Courses 1 to 4 package is R9 000, and fees can be split into three instalments via Payflex at checkout.
Do I have to start at Course 1?
Yes. Courses 2, 3 and 4 each require the previous course, and it is a strict rule rather than a formality — the later courses assume you already have your own blocks.
Can I register at any time?
Yes. Registration is open all year and we place you in the next intake. Most people phone first to talk through where they should start.
Start with Course 1
If you are unsure whether you belong in Course 1 or Course 2, phone us and tell us what you have sewn before. We will tell you honestly, and it is usually Course 1.
Phone the studio on (081) 330-8775 or email info@schooloffashion.co.za.