GMQT Season One
The following class list is published as a 'work in progress'. Class order and content may change as we progress through the year.
The Shift Dress
- Choosing the right pattern
- How to use a commercial garment pattern
- Simple pattern alterations to the neckline and shoulder
- Making and fitting a toile/mock-up garment
- Cutting out your dress
- Perfect darts
- The neatest neck facing
- A truly invisible zipper
- Sewing in short sleeves
- Precise hems
- Bespoke adaptations. Using you shift dress pattern to create a more individual dress with puffed sleeves, waist tie and hem frill
Click here for pre-class instructions
The A-Line skirt
- Choosing your pattern
- Review of possible fabric types
- Simple pattern alterations for a hollow back or rounded tummy
- Cutting out the skirt and optional lining
- Seam neatening possibilities including Hong Kong, pinked and zig-zag finishes.
- Neat machine sewn lapped zipper.
- Making an elegant lining
- Adding a waistband with button fastening
- How to sew a button on really well
- Hems
- Bespoke adaptions. Adding contrasting fabric slots seams with top-stitched detail and a piped and bound wavy hem
Blouse
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations
- Making and fitting a toile/mock-up garment
- Fine French seams
- How to make the best one piece collar with perfect points
- Sewing long sleeves with a band to the lower edge
- How to position and sew buttonholes
- Hem choices
- Bespoke adaptions. Mixing prints for contemporary styling. Adding frills or flutes to the bottom edge of the sleeve and lower edge of the blouse, and applying collar trims
Trousers
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations for a flat or rounded bottom and for a rounded tummy
- Making and fitting a toile/mock-up garment
- Sewing a centre front zipper
- Making nice flat inset front pockets
- How to add an optional partial lining
- Attaching the waistband
- Getting hems level
- Bespoke adaptations. Decorative pocket and back yoke details
Lightweight quilted jacket and waistcoat
- Choosing your pattern and fabrics including fabric placement and design possibilities
- Simple pattern alterations
- Making and fitting a toile/mock-up garment
- To quilt or not to quilt
- Seam options including a range of bound finishes
- Perfect patch pockets
- Edge finishing with contrasting bound edges
- Fastening options to include ties and buttons with loops
- Bespoke alterations. A short scalloped edge waistcoat with added trim details
Shirt for ladies and gentlemen
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations
- Sew shaped front and back yokes
- Make a super two-piece shirt style collar
- Learn how to sew professional shirt sleeve plackets
- Add buttoned cuffs
- Make buttonholes in a front band
- Bespoke options. Sleeve variations and embellished details
The day dress
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations - reducing the armhole depth, decrease the bodice length
- Making and fitting a toile/mock-up garment
- Gather sleeve head and bodice details for shaping and as design features
- Waist seam styling
- Seam finishing choices
- Traditional closures such as side zippers and hooks and eyes
- Soft feminine Peter Pan style collars
- Bespoke adaptations. Sleeve and skirt variations and use of purchased or made trims
Dressing gown and kimono wraps
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations
- Working with silk or silk-like fabrics
- Making a shawl collar
- Piped trims
- Decorative cuff
- Contrast fabric details
- Side seam pockets
Sewing with knitted fabrics
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Simple pattern alterations
- Extensive exploration of 3 and 4 thread overlocking
- Investigation of stitches and techniques for sewing knitted fabrics on a regular sewing machine
- Sewing a zipper into a knitted garment
- How to hem knitted garments
- The class project is flared leg jump suit with v-neck and dramatic cape
Jeans for everyone
- Choosing a pattern and fabric
- Discussion of how Denim is made and the weights available
- Simple pattern alterations to the waist, rise and bottom
- Seam options to include flat fell and mock flat fell seams
- Sew a front fly zipper
- Precise patch pockets to the posterior!
- Make a waistband with added belt loops
- To rivet or not to rivet!
- Conquer those chunky hems
- Exploration of decorative seam options and trims
Bridesmaid dress
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Making a toile
- Fitting and pattern alterations
- Lapped top-stitched seams
- Interlining a bodice and a half lined skirt
- Three methods for one-piece neck and armhole facings
- Super neat narrow hems on fine fabrics
- Gathered shoulder feature
- Roueau loop and covered button fastenings
- A narrow belt construction
Showerproof Raincoat
- Choosing your pattern and fabric
- Making a toile
- Fitting and pattern alterations
- Waterproof seam choices
- A fully lined hood with drawstring feature
- Front pockets with flaps that help to shed water
- Popper fastenings
- Chunky open ended zipper fastening
All classes are supplemented by our monthly live members only Q&A with Philippa, and through the very active members only Facebook group where many topics, questions and garment making problems are discussed.
