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Keep shoppingPattern making for dress design in clo3d (iconic styles) - I
8 students
Pattern making for dress design in clo3d (iconic styles) - I
Foundations of Form: Basic Torso foundation, Contour Guidelines. Iconic Dress Patterns: Empire and Sheath
Created byBimal Soren
Last updated 6/2026
English
What you'll learn
- Draft a basic torso foundation pattern.
- Convert the basic torso foundation into single waist dart torso pattern.
- Draw contour guidelines.
- Draft the empire-waist dress pattern and simulate the finished dress.
- Learn & apply patterning concepts: empire waistline, bodice armhole contouring, flared gored skirt, all-in-one facing, lining patterns.
- Draft the sheath dress pattern and simulate the finished dress.
- Learn & apply patterning concepts: armhole princess style line, bateau neckline, bandeau collar, pegged/pencil skirt, lapped zipper
- Learn & apply patterning concepts: back vent, bias-bound armhole, lining patterns.
- Improve digital flat-pattern workflow in CLO3D.
- Translate historical dress inspiration into modern, production-ready designs
- Strengthen your foundation in professional flat patternmaking
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Course content
5 sections • 11 lectures • 5h 8m total length
Requirements
- A strong interest in fashion design and patternmaking is recommended. Previous experience in fashion design or garment construction is helpful but not required.
Description
Patternmaking is the unseen structure behind great design.
In this course, you will learn how to draft with precision, clarity, and professional methodology inside CLO3D—starting from the foundation.
Part 1 focuses on building the structural base required to create refined, production-ready dresses. You will begin by developing and modifying the basic torso block, understanding contour guidelines, and applying clean flat-pattern techniques that eliminate gaping and imbalance.
Once the foundation is established, we move into two historically significant silhouettes:
• The Empire Dress – a neoclassical line defined by elevation and vertical flow
• The Sheath Dress – a sculpted, body-conscious silhouette engineered through princess seams
Each design is approached through drafting logic—not guesswork. You will learn:
How to manipulate blocks professionally inside CLO3D
How to apply contour principles for clean necklines and armholes
How to engineer proportion and balance in structured silhouettes
How to convert historical inspiration into contemporary digital garments
This course is inspired by the project-based methodology found in classic patternmaking literature, where historically iconic dresses are used as learning frameworks—not replicas, but structured reinterpretations for modern design.
You will not only draft two complete dress patterns, but also strengthen your understanding of construction logic so you can confidently develop your own designs.
This course is ideal for:
Fashion design students
Digital fashion designers using CLO3D
Patternmakers transitioning from manual to digital drafting
Designers who want to understand structure—not just simulation
If you want to move beyond surface-level garment creation and truly understand the architecture of dress design, this is where your foundation begins.
Who this course is for:
- Aspiring Fashion Designers looking to learn patternmaking fundamentals in CLO3D.
- Fashion Design Students wanting to enhance their skills with CLO3D.
- Industry Professionals upgrading to digital patternmaking techniques.
- Beginners who understand basic CLO3D tools but want structured guidance.
- Designers who want to understand structure—not just simulation.
- Designers who want to master torso block modification and contour principles
- Creators interested in drafting the Empire and Sheath dresses with proper construction logic
- Anyone serious about understanding fit, balance, and silhouette structure