In mid-February, I went to a pattern making workshop with Marie Emilienne Viollet, the creator of the brand IAM Patterns. I had applied to join the November 2019 training and unfortunately, the training had been a victim of its success: no more places!
As a result, Marie Emilienne, sad to disappoint so many people, opened three new sessions at the beginning of 2020 to meet the high demand.
What a chance to join the first group of the year 2020 which started in February!

Our group of 8 participants with Marie Emilienne in the middle

The concept of the training is simple. For two times 10 days, Marie Emilienne welcomes us in her workshop located in Burgundy in the pretty medieval village of Noyers-Sur Serein, to learn the basics of pattern making.

The workshop - exterior

The workshop - interior

The first 10 days of the workshop are dedicated to the introduction to pattern making (flat pattern cutting) and instructions concerning skirt pattern making and its modifications (pleats, godets, cutouts...) with the creation of the first basic skirt as well as the first skirt creation. Indeed, after 10 days of the workshop, we were all able to make our version; each with her own style!
The last 10 days will be dedicated to bodice pattern making and modifications/alterations (pants, jacket...).

My first skirt creation!

The days are divided into two main periods:
- the morning when the small group of participants (maximum 8) receives the instructions in lecture courses. Marie-Emilienne has extensive teaching experience and her way of explaining is educational and didactic. She is perfectly suited to her audience of adults with a sewing level between intermediate and expert. It is really important to have an excellent sewing foundation and to have sewn many different pieces in order to fully benefit from the workshop. This allows one to project onto the practical feasibility of a garment but also "into the pieces" to draft patterns.

- The afternoon is dedicated to practical exercises. Marie Emilienne is not present at the workshop. At first, I admit I found this strange but after experiencing it, I really understand the underlying pedagogy! 

Firstly, it completely stimulates our autonomy so that we can reproduce alone later at home and therefore find solutions by ourselves, which is a good thing! Secondly, it encourages mutual help within the group but also good harmony which is really necessary because we spend practically 10 hours a day in the workshop all together. Being able to work together on someone's problem encourages good understanding, but also reflection and ultimately we sometimes have several solutions to address the raised problem. Long live collective intelligence!
Thirdly, it allows us to develop our creativity and personal judgment on the projects we implement.
And the next day, Marie-Emilienne is there to explain what we missed or give us leads for solutions if we really got stuck.

Sometimes we stay late at the workshop

Another important factor of this training is the fact of being "cut off from the world." Let me explain... Before coming to the workshop, I had bought a methodology to draft my own patterns. And I really couldn't get started because I didn't know how to free up enough time to do long sessions that would allow me to reach a final result. There is nothing worse when drafting than being stopped, distracted, and having to dive back in... For my part, having a good block of time, not being disturbed by household chores, appointments... allows you to "fully focus" on your pattern making. The afternoons ultimately seemed short even when I spent 6-7 hours in the workshop drafting non-stop. It's a bit of a "pattern making retreat" and it's in a way facing yourself, your strengths, your difficulties, your desires...

Fitting my short skirt muslin

Group corrections and explanations

The first days, we flounder a bit, we are clumsy... and then it comes... the hand stabilizes, the eye sharpens, the brain runs at full speed and we create... I, who never made a real muslin, understood all their benefits during this workshop.
Indeed, we all made our basic skirt (the one from which we can make any type of skirt) first in muslin. Once the modifications were made, the muslin corrected, we were able to start creating our original model. After drafting, again, we made a muslin to validate our work. And all 8 of us reached this crucial stage.

What a joy to see how well the pieces come together. You almost wonder how we managed before; so much does drafting allow for easy assembly.

At the moment I am writing to you, I have completed the first part of the workshop and I really loved it. I have 5 weeks left to do my homework before the second part of the workshop:
- sewing my first drafted skirt in the final fabric: mission accomplished!
- Drafting and sewing a second skirt from my imagination: courses...

As you can see, I chose to make my first skirt in wax. It's the leftover of a pagne I bought in Matongé, the African district of Brussels, to make my Luzerne trench from Deer and Doe (which I love). I will now have a perfectly fitted matching skirt.
And I must say that it makes all the difference to wear a made-to-measure garment!

Since I am addicted to beautiful finishes, I put a bias tape all along the inner yoke. I find it super classy, and you?
I only have one desire, which is to continue my training to tackle blouses and then dresses!