Curricula (Ideas for Class Study Subjects)

This is a listing (not in any particular order) of curriculum ideas for classes.  I like to customize each class so that each student can learn what they want.  Additionally, as you want other students working and completing other projects, you will be watching other projects and hopefully get other ideas about what you can do with your sewing.  Click here for the updated class schedule.

Index

Pants Pattern

This is one of my students’ favorite classes.  You will learn how to fit your shape and learn a lot about your shape and what you like and what you don’t.  As amazing as this sounds, many of, at the mercy of ready-to-wear, do not even know what we like in the fit for our pants.  there are a lot of fittings in this class, but you will leave with a pair of pants that are seated well on you, hang well, are comfortable, yet you won’t look like you play for the NBA.  You will leave with a pants pattern that you can use over and
over, but also variations on the pattern for side slant pockets, fob pockets (faux and real),

Mannequin

Another favorite, in this class you will fit the mannequin to your shape “warts and all”.  This way you will take home a very close duplicate of your body.  The class finishes with Claire instruction on how to use the mannequin and lessons on fitting your particular body style.  This is a lot of instruction for the class.

Mannequin Class Requirements:
Level	Beginning sewing
Equipment	Sewing machine, Iron will be provided
Other	Anything you use to sew with, and especially seam ripping things. Also you will need a Uniquely You Sewing Kit, this can be purchased at Amazon.com, SewVac.com, or AllBrands.com. Note:  purchase size larger than your size to insure proper filling of the mannequin.UPDATE:  Currently All Brands charges about $32 approximately for shipping, and Sew Vac charges about $179 with no shipping costs, while if you are a prime Amazon.com member it will cost $189 with no shipping costs.  Check out all of these (and the shipping which only shows only in the shopping cart.  Use the chart below to select your size.  Make sure that you choose the size larger or get the largest size if you are larger than the largest size.
Size Chart

Copying a Favorite Garment

Do you have a favorite garment?…. dress?…. blouse?  Something that you have worn for many years, and want to update or copy it?  Claire can teach you the fundamental skills involved in copying the garment, and often working to make adjustments for a better garment.

Chanel Jacket

This is three-class session, and is the classic Chanel Jacket.  This is the jacket that Mme. Chanel created in the 1950′s when she re-opened her design house in Paris.  She created the ultimate jacket  that immortalized her name.  Karl Lagerfeld has also done a marvelous job of updating the style without loosing the reason it was so innovative.  Why? Because this jacket is so fabulously stylish and yet incredibly constructed.  The jacket lining is actually “quilted” to the jacket fabric then pieced together.  This technique allows the jacket to be very comfortable, yet stylish, which is why the jacket is easily worn with cocktail dress as well as jeans.

Little Black Dress

The Little Black Dress has always been in style from the first one created by Coco Chanel, to the Audrey Hepburn classic in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to today’s version from Kay Unger to Alexander McQueen.  There isn’t a designer or couture expert who doesn’t argue that this is a staple for any woman’s  wardrobe.  And if you don’t want to make it in black, but blue, red or a lively print, that’s fine too.  The idea behind this class is to get an understanding of your style and create a pattern for this classic style and to assemble the dress.  You will leave class with a dress from this wonderful pattern and your head filled with ideas of other great classic dresses to do.

Fashion Sewing

This class features current fashion trends and how to transform them to a pattern and the assembly the garment.  Included in this class is a fashion preview for the upcoming season and how to incorporate that into your style, shape and size.  This will include help with pattern selection and how to transform that pattern into the latest runway styles, as well as fabric selection.  This is a great way to keep your style up-to-date without having to pay the designer prices.

Lingerie and Heirloom Sewing

This class contains some basic lingerie patterns and techniques, with classic embellishment techniques and then some assembly instruction.  It is easier to design the garment around the embellishment rather than the other way around.  Includes help with pattern selection and fabric as well as any embellishment supplies

Blouse

One of Claire’s basic classes, this class will teach you how to sew a blouse or shirt to fit your body size, shape and your life style. This class will include all sorts of wonderful skills and fitting techniques for fitting above and just below the waist.  Claire has fit a variety of figure sizes, shapes and life styles in her profession as a formal and special event designer for 30 years, and she has experience in fitting a myriad
of different sizes and shapes.

Evening, Formal and Special Event

Claire has spent the last 30 years designing and creating gorgeous formal, evening and special event garments for her clients in her design business.  This is her main focus, and if you have a special event coming up or you may want to make a family member’s wedding gown, this is the class for you.  This takes at least two to three class sessions to complete and includes everything from consultation with the bride (or who ever wants the formal garment) to pattern selection, manipulation, alteration and/or design, to assembling the garment.

Heirloom Restoration

For over 30 years Claire has been designing bridal and debutante dreams for her clients, and she also has done beautiful restoration and heirloom sewing for clients with special heirloom gowns.  If you have a gown you would like restored, or needs work and would like to learn basics of this art, you can study how to do this.  Claire is also very generous with her knowledge of heirloom and exquisite lace and fabrics so that you can also understand the beauty of the dress.   Contact Claire (click here) for more information and details of this specific class.

Private Instruction

Claire also does private instruction if you wish to have one-on-one instruction with individual private lessons.  This will include whatever you want to bring to class and whatever project you have going.  Most students use this for “stuck” problems or for consultation on wardrobe, style, pattern/fabric selection, as well as any detailed instruction to your personal requirements.  Contact Claire here for more details.

Questions?…Ideas?…Not sure what you want to do?

As always Claire loves to have other ideas.  If you have a particular sewing dilemma that you need help with, Claire encourages this to be your choice of study in your class.  She loves to design the class subject around the student and what the student wants to learn.

For more information about class and details about signing up, click here.