Garment Construction: Introduction to Draping

This class teaches aspiring designers or homegrown clothes-makers the basic technique of draping - a core garment construction skill that will allow you to start making your own clothes immediately.

As Project Runway Season 9 winner, I became known for my flowing dresses and easy-fitting looks, all of which I constructed with the draping technique I'll teach you in this class.

What You'll Learn

This class will take you through the full draping process so you can start designing and constructing your own garments. We'll cover:

• Preparation. Understanding the tools and materials you need to begin draping a garment.

• Fabrics. How to go about choosing the right fabrics for a draped garment. Where to find them and what to look for.

• Draping. How to pin and mark a muslin pattern on your dress form to create your initial shape.

• Cutting & Fitting. How to cut a muslin pattern for your garment.

• Final Look. Finally, how to take your look from muslin to fabric for cutting and sewing.

Video Lessons

• Materials for Draping [03:59]: I'll introduce the tools I use and their purpose in draping.

• Choosing a Fabric [05:00]: I'll tell you what I look for when choosing fabrics.

• Prepping the Muslin [07:47]: Before I apply fabric to the dress form, I start with an outline of adhesive tape.

• Draping the Top (1/2) [06:51]: I'll demonstrate how to shape fabric around the body's natural form.

• Draping the Top (2/2) [05:16]: I'll demonstrate how to shape fabric around the body's natural form.

• Draping the Bottom [06:28]: I'll show you how to create a dress bottom.

• Draping the Back [09:09]: This is about forming the back of a dress.

• Cutting the Pattern [08:42]: Finally, pattern meets print. The results are fun.

• Final Steps [04:34]: I'll show you how to put it all together.

What You'll Do

Follow along with this class by making your own draped dress! Share your progress with fellow classmates from all over the world for feedback.