Pattern Making 5: Drafting, Draping, Bias & Advanced Design

This is where everything comes together.

Pattern making, draping, bias, asymmetry, etc.

Not as separate skills—but as one integrated design process.

This is where you stop executing—and start creating.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Combine pattern making + draping into one workflow

• Design and cut garments on the bias for fluid, high-end silhouettes

• Create asymmetrical designs, including one-shoulder garments

• Drape and draft a peg skirt with pleats

• Construct a cowl skirt on the bias (side seam)

• Adjust and modify patterns for custom fit

• Apply bias binding, piping, and finishing techniques

• Transfer draped designs into accurate patternsThis Course is PART 5 of: Advanced Pattern Making for Fashion Design AND Advanced Draping. It is a combination of Pattern Making AND Advanced Draping.

Problem

Most designers learn techniques in isolation.

• Pattern making feels rigid

• Draping feels unpredictable

• Bias and asymmetry feel intimidating

• Designs lack fluidity and originality

So they stay safe—and their work reflects it.

Solution

This course teaches you how to merge structure with creativity.

You’ll learn how to:

• Use draping as a creative tool

• Translate that creativity into precise patterns

• Design garments that move, flow, and stand out

This is where your work becomes expressive and elevated.

What’s Included

• Bias cutting principles and applications

• Asymmetrical design techniques (one-shoulder draping)

• Peg skirt development (draping + drafting)

• Pleat construction and truing techniques

• Cowl skirt draping on the bias (side seam design)

• Pattern adjustment for custom measurements

• Spaghetti straps, bias binding, and piping

• Grainline control and placement

• Transferring muslin drapes to paper patterns

• Real demonstrations using dress form and muslin

Transformation

Before:

• You follow structure

• You rely on predictable designs

• Advanced techniques feel disconnected

After:

• You design freely with control

• You combine multiple techniques seamlessly

• Your work feels fluid, modern, and high-level

This is where you stop learning fashion…
And start thinking like a designer.

If you have not taken any of my previous Courses, such as Pattern Making 1, 2, 3, 4, and Draping, and you know nothing about pattern making…. this course might be challenging for you…. So, I encourage you to enroll in my Pattern Making/Draping Courses…

This Course will cover:

• Bias. Bias cut Designs

• Asymmetrical Designs. One Shoulder Dress

• Peg Skirt, with Pleats

• Cowl Skirt on Side Seam

• Adjusting and modifying pattern measurements

• Spaghetti straps

• Bias Binding

• Bias Piping

• Bias Grainlines

• "Truing" pleats

• Inspirational advice and direction

Who This Is For

• Students who completed Pattern Making courses

• Designers ready to move into advanced, expressive work

• Creatives who want to combine draping with structure

• Anyone serious about mastering high-level fashion design

Want more info? Here it is:

In this course you will learn about Bias. Bias grainline. Cutting garments on the Bias. Properties of Bias-cut dresses. You will discover Designer Madeleine Vionnet. You will learn about Bias tape and Bias piping and how to use it. Spaghetti straps are also cut on the bias. And what is a: Loop turner. And you will learn how to design a Bias Top.

You will also learn about: Asymmetrical Designs. What is a asymmetrical design? You will watch me as I demo and drape a One Shoulder Dress. You will learn how to drape using Center Front on Bias. You will learn the meaning of R.S.U. which stand for 'Right-Side-Up'. referring to how to lay a pattern unto a specific type of fabric to make sure that it is cut correctly.

You will learn, by watching me demo, how to make a: Peg Skirt with Pleats - a 2-Part Demo that will demonstrate firstly what Peg Skirt is, and secondly how to add pleats. First, I will be using the draping process and Drape a Peg Skirt, then I will show you, using Pattern Making (Drafting), how create one using Patten Drafting.

You will learn the “Truing” process, "truing" the muslin drape accurately in order to achieve accurate patterns, the transferring of the information from the muslin drape unto pattern paper.

You will learn (I will demo) how to Drape a Skirt with a Cowl on the side seam, and side seam on the bias — a unique and dramatic design. Most skirt do not have a Side Seam, and to have a Cowl Drape on a Side Seam in not only unusual but also dramatic. Draping a Cowl on a side seam you would have to have the grain line (of the side seam) on the Bias.

We will cover adjusting and modifying a pattern to fit specific measurements, whether you’re making garments for yourself or designing something for a specific customer. A get a lot of students asking me how to change the measurements of a pattern and thus altering the fit  of the garment. Even though there is a very specific skill/technique called Grading to achieve that, I will show you and give you an overall concept on how to make a pattern/garment larger or smaller.

You should have some previous knowledge of Pattern Drafting and/or Draping before enrolling in this Course. Please review my previous Courses so that you can understand and absorb the material in a supportive and empowering way. I do have Courses in pattern Making (Part 1 through 4) that would help you understand the content of this course if you feel that it's a bit too advanced for you.

You should have the proper TOOLS necessary to draft patterns and draping, such as scissors, pins, measuring tape and ruler(s), muslin or similar fabric, pencils, pattern paper would be helpful, tape, etc.

Having a Dress Form would be very helpful, as the draping part of this Course will be demoed on a Dress Form (but if you only want to learn the theory behind these designs and these techniques, that’s fine too, that’s up to you). A Dress Form is very useful especially when you want to see what a new design looks like being worn.  Also, a dress form would be essential if you want to use the draping process as a creative tool and vehicle to create new designs and bring new ideas to fruition.

I’m very excited to share this Course with you as it is the first one that combines Pattern Making AND Draping. My other courses focus on either draping or pattern making, this fashion design course combines both skills and techniques.  Learning to use, and work with, Bias, is such a new way to use fabric and to achieve a certain "look" and silhouette that would normally b very difficult to achieve.

Studying Fashion Sketching, and Fashion Draping and Pattern Making (Pattern Drafting) or maybe you want to explore The Business of Fashion, and learn the business side of fashion (Business vs Creativity), or learning how to put a Fashion Collection together and learning the use of Fabrics and the Textile Industry, these Courses are an amazing way to expand your knowledge, elevate you fashion skills, and add to your existing body of work.

Whether making clothes is a fun hobby of yours or actually a financial income generator, these courses empower you to build your confidence and make you a better designer.

Regardless whether you are putting together your first presentation or fashion design portfolio, or building your fashion website or online store, or learn how to market your fashion line, these courses give you the ability to accomplish all of that especially because you will be saving on very expensive tuition costs.

Learning how to take a simple skirt and by the use of adding a Yoke , you can develop new ideas and spark your imagination to endless possibilities.

Labeling a Pattern correctly can mean the difference between a beautiful design versus a disaster! Thus learning how to label a pattern correctly is very important -- the industry demands perfection when it comes to being accurate and precise.

And the use of proper Grainlines can be the difference between cutting the garment correctly or cutting it "the wrong way" and thus having to cut it all over again.

Getting to know, and familiar with, all the necessary tools used in the industry, makes the difference between a professional and a novice when going for a job interview.

All lectures delivered by VIDEO with detailed DEMOS of the applied techniques.

When working with a designer you must know, and be familiar with, the proper terminology, techniques, principals, of pattern drafting so that communication is clear and understood in order to execute a garment accurately. Deciding on which technique to apply to a design, not only expedites the process but the right choice produces optimum results.

Learning how to use an existing pattern, maybe something that you bought at your local fabric store, and, by applying the principals and techniques learned in this course, you can transform the original design into a new idea, will give you confidence and experience.