Dressmaking: The Easy Guide | Online Course
Have you always wanted to make clothes, cutting your own patterns and altering commercial designs for a perfect fit for your unique body?
This practical sewing guide from award-winning designer and author Helen Rhiannon is suitable for all skill levels. It will demystify dressmaking so you can create customised dresses and separates that not only fit and flatter, but are a perfect match for your style!
During the course, following Helen's clear and expert guidance, you will:
- Trace off your five pattern pieces
- Take your precise measurements
- Create a sample calico dress
- Learn how to make alterations to the sample and paper patterns
You will then discover how to draft a selection of sleeves, necklines and skirts to create a unique and versatile wardrobe of dresses and separates that will fit you perfectly.
Enrol here today!
What you will learn
This video course has been created as a way to bridge the gap between Helen's best-selling book, Dressmaking: the Easy Guide, and her in-person workshops. The course has been crafted to bring her no-nonsense guidance to a wider audience of visual learners, sharing clear instructions and the expert knowledge that she's gathered as both a bespoke dressmaker and teacher. You can rewind and rewatch each video lesson as often as you need, and once you’ve mastered the techniques, you will be able to follow along with Helen to make as many of the 80 possible dress variations as you desire!
Following over 7 hours of expert tuition, you will learn how to:
- Trace off the necessary pattern pieces in your size
- Create a calico sample of your dress
- Make alterations to your paper pattern for the perfect fit
- Adapt the pattern to your personal style
- Complete a range of dresses and separates for a versatile wardrobe
See what others have to say about the course!
'I had the honour of being one of the online course testers and thought it was a fantastic learning tool. Helen shows you how to do every single step in the book in detail - it’s almost like she is in the room.' – Sue Jarvis
'I was incredibly lucky to be one of the testers and I can honestly say that anyone that gets this online course won’t be disappointed. Everything for making a dress to perfectly fit you is covered from start to finish. Helen has such a lovely teaching style, making everything easy to understand and seeing her examples helps to make sense of it all. It’s the perfect partner to the book.' – Sarah Savage
Meet your tutor: Helen Rhiannon
'I started sewing when I was in secondary school, thanks to a really good textiles teacher. I then went on to do a foundation course, before heading to London to do a degree in fashion design. I’ve always loved dressmaking and particularly love the era of the 1950s, so for me inspiration comes from there – I learnt to make clothes to fit and flatter my unique self and I feel really confident in them.
I started teaching a few years after graduating from university. I began in secondary schools and then taught in higher and further education settings. I also set up an apprenticeship within Wales. I feel really privileged to be able to inspire people to learn to sew by sharing my passion; I love encouraging people to try new skills, and sewing is therapy for so many people, so I feel it’s a really special skill to be able to share.
Since 2010, I’ve run workshops in sewing and dressmaking from my studio in south Wales. I set up All Sewn Up Wales because I wanted to be able to choose the projects I taught and to share the passion that I love the most, which is dressmaking. I knew I always wanted to write a dressmaking book, to be able to share my knowledge and passion, and in 2023 I published my book Dressmaking: the Easy Guide for anybody, whatever level they are, to be able to start their own dressmaking journey. I really enjoyed writing the book as it allowed me to break down the whole process of dressmaking from start to finish, making pattern cutting accessible for everyone.
The book is essential reading material for this course – particularly as there are physical patterns in the back of the book that we will be using to create your well-fitting block. If you haven’t already got your copy of the book, you will find a discount voucher offering 50% off your purchase in the Resources section of the online course.'
Dressmaking: The Easy Guide
Create bespoke garments that fit and flatter!
In this comprehensive, informative book, Helen explains how to create beautiful, customized dresses for every shape and size. Choose the exact size that fits and flatters you from a bespoke sizing chart that takes into account differences in body size across bust, waist and hips.
Trace off your pattern pieces, then create a sample (toile) in calico which you can then adapt to create the dress of your dreams, in your own choice of fabulous fabric.
There are four style options each for sleeves and necklines, including a flared sleeve, a capped sleeve, a sweetheart neckline or a boatneck; and five skirt options, including a fitted pencil-style skirt, a zhuzhy circle skirt, and an A-line, with or without pleats.
You can also choose to add a sweet, classic Peter Pan collar, or inseam pockets, to your garment. Alternatively, you can even create a skirt as a separate garment, simply by adding a waistband or facing.
The language of sewing and dressmaking is demystified at the beginning of the book, as well as the equipment you need to get started.
Nothing is left unexplained; and stunning images of the finished dresses, on a mannequin and on a model, are interspersed throughout the book to inspire your own finished pieces.
