What you'll learn
Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our sewing & patternmaking short courses in Sydney!
If you’re a confident sewer ready to move beyond commercial patterns, this Patternmaking Essentials course will give you the skills to work from your own measurements and develop patterns tailored to your body.
In this beginner-friendly patternmaking course, you’ll learn how to create skirt, bodice and pant blocks—starting with industry-standard templates and refining them through fitting and adjustment. Working step-by-step, you’ll draft patterns on paper, sew toiles (prototype garments), and assess fit directly on your body.
Through this process, you’ll build a clearer understanding of how patterns translate into garments, and how small adjustments affect shape and fit. As your patterns are refined, you’ll transfer them into durable cardboard blocks, complete with seam allowances, hems and construction details—creating a set of reusable templates for future projects.
With a small class size, you’ll receive individual guidance throughout, allowing you to develop accuracy, confidence, and a more independent approach to garment making.
It’s essential that you’re confident using a sewing machine and able to construct basic toiles or prototypes.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Patternmaking Essentials course, participants will have developed practical skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- Taking accurate body measurements for pattern drafting
- Drafting skirt, bodice and pant patterns using personal measurements
- Creating and fitting toiles to test garment fit
- Making adjustments to improve fit and shape
- Developing personalised skirt, bodice and pant pattern blocks
- Building foundational patternmaking skills relevant to garment design and construction
After finishing this course, you might like to enrol in our Patternmaking Extension course, where you will learn how to use these blocks to create designs with additional details such as cuffs, collars, yokes and pockets.
Course content
What will be covered in this Patternmaking Essentials course?
During the course, participants will be guided through key concepts, techniques and approaches that typically include:
Lesson 1: Skirt block and toile fitting
- Taking body measurements
- Drafting a skirt block on paper
- Cutting the pattern in calico and constructing a toile
- Fitting the toile and making adjustments
- Transferring the final pattern to a cardboard block with seam allowances and hems
Lesson 2: Bodice block and toile fitting
- Drafting a bodice block using personal measurements
- Creating and fitting a toile
- Refining the pattern through adjustments
- Transferring the final pattern to a cardboard block with construction details
Lesson 3: Pant block and toile fitting
- Drafting a pant block based on your measurements
- Constructing and fitting a toile
- Making adjustments to improve fit
- Creating a finished cardboard block with all necessary markings
Lesson 4: Refinement and further patternmaking techniques
- Finalising skirt, bodice and pant blocks
- Completing any unfinished work
- Ensuring all blocks fit correctly
- Exploring additional patternmaking elements such as pockets, waistbands or sleeves, or beginning a personal project
Please note: Most Patternmaking Essentials courses run as four full-day sessions. If you are enrolled in the eight-session evening course, you will cover approximately half a lesson per session.
Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant interests, and instructor approach.
Intended audience
Who is this Patternmaking: Essentials course for?
This course is designed for confident home sewers and sewing enthusiasts who want to create garments that fit their unique body shape.
It’s ideal for those looking to better understand how patterns are made and how to adjust or move beyond commercial sewing patterns. It may also suit learners interested in textile design or creative industry pathways.
You should be comfortable using a sewing machine and have basic garment construction experience. We recommend completing our Sewing Essentials and Sewing Extension courses, or equivalent.
Course venue
2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church
Accessibility: This class takes place in an upper-level room accessible by stairs only. The lift is currently out of service. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Course materials
What to bring to class
- 5 metres of calico (150cm width) or 7 metres (115cm width)
- Ruler (over 50cm)
- Tracing wheel (spiked)
- Pins and hand sewing needles
- Thread
- Small thread-cutting scissors or clippers
- Paper scissors and fabric scissors
- Measuring tape
- Notebook and pens
- Sharp pencils and eraser
- One red and one black or blue thick marker
- 1 large glue stick (e.g. UHU)
- Stapler
- Water and snacks
Sewing machine supplies:
- Domestic sewing machine needles: 130/705 H, size 80 or 90
- Plastic bobbins: for top-loading or “drop-in” machines (suitable for Singer or Janome drop-in models)
- Thread: Quality brands such as Gutermann, Rasant, Mettler or Aurifil
Additional information
Please note the following:
- For full-day classes, a 30-minute lunch break will be scheduled. You’re welcome to bring lunch or explore nearby cafés along Darling Street.
- Please wear closed-in shoes in the classroom.
Course testimonials
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Kerry said: I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learnt a great deal. Our tutor, ilona was excellent- always well prepared, knowledgeable and friendly. I would highly recommend this course to experienced sewists who want to up their game in pattern drafting.
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Suzanne said: So much to learn in this course. Familiarity and experience with sewing is essential. The teacher is very encouraging and patient. She offers many tips and good ideas.
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Helen said: Joanne was incredibly knowledgeable and shared her time across all students. Her instructions and tips were super helpful.
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Alexander said: The pattern making course was excellent! It was so good because of Reva. He was knowledgeable, fun, and friendly and was the main reason I enjoyed the course so much. Reva went out of his way to ensure that I had men's patterns to work on and to ensure I was able to participate fully in the class. He bounced constantly from student to student to help with all our different fitting issues and made the day so fun it passed in an instant 10/10
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Anna said: Great opportunity to learn from a skilled person who has many years of experience rather than learning from book and theory only.
Course tutors
Nola Dennis
Wendy Sloot
Great reasons to enrol in a short course with us
Small classes
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Quality instructors
Our educators bring first-hand experience and knowledge, with up-to-the-minute practices from diverse industries.
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Classes Online Courses
<p>Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/textiles-fashion/sewing">sewing & patternmaking short courses</a> in Sydney!
...<p>Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/textiles-fashion/sewing">sewing & patternmaking short courses</a> in Sydney!
...<p>Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/textiles-fashion/sewing">sewing & patternmaking short courses</a> in Sydney!
...<p>Take control of fit and design your own patterns with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/textiles-fashion/sewing">sewing & patternmaking short courses</a> in Sydney!
...If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Sewing: Patternmaking Essentials Course
If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Sewing: Patternmaking Essentials Course
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