Start by learning to take accurate body measurements.
Write ’em down. Do a little dividing, adding and subtracting.
Plot the results as a “shaped” rectangle.
Cut out some fabric according to this “shape”, stitch it together, and BAM! you have a skirt pattern custom-fit to your body measurements. Easy breezy,right?
Ummmm, sort of.  While it is true the individual steps are not really difficult, they are quite a few of them, and there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes. For this and other reasons I have resisted offering pattern drafting classes to kids.
But the kiddos keep bugging me.. Some want to learn the process of pattern-making; some are not satisfied with the current pattern options; and some are just anxious to get started designing their own fashion line.
This week the first ever Sew Maris kids pattern drafting class is underway. In the first two days measurements have been taken, skirt block calculations calculated, basic pattern blocks drafted, muslin samples sewn, and sample skirt fitting has happened.
Next up these students will learn how to modify a basic block to create a personalized skirt design. This is where they transform the skirt in their own mind into reality.
This is an ambitious undertaking. For them AND for me! Hopefully on Thursday we will have 3 completed skirts to show you. Fingers crossed!
Happy sewing!
Maris