Virginia Western Workforce Solutions

Community Classes :: Sewing Skills

Description

Do you want to learn to sew, design and do alterations - but you don't have time to attend classes? You can still learn through online classes! Non sewers, beginners, intermediate, and advanced sewers, are welcome, to learn how to sew from the Master Tailor-Designer Eric W. Stiles Sr., former top Supervisor and Head Tailor-Fitter for Giorgio Armani, Polo Ralph Lauren and others. Mr. Stiles has more than 35 years of professional experience, and is an industry expert who taught fashion design at 10 well-respected colleges.

Learn some of the special techniques that the top European and Domestic designers use in their clothing construction, fitting, and pressing. Stop making those "Home-Made Looking" clothing, learn how to make them like the professionals.

Mr. Styles will teach you how to correctly use a thimble and needle. Next you will begin your first of 3 hand stitches on your stitch pad: Overcast, Baste and the halfback stitches. After finishing the 2 stitch Pads, you will begin your next pocket the Quarter Top. You will continue working on the Quarter Top pocket until completion. The next pocket is the side and this pocket will be completed in this class. It's highly recommended to take one of the Pattern Drafting classes along with this class, to enhance and maximize your skills.

No sewing experience is required. You will need a sewing machine. Materials list will be provided on the first day of class. (Supplies cost are not included in the price of the course).

No Pre-Requisite
LLRN 2700
Sewing/Construction (8 sessions for 6 weeks) $96
(1 session/week for 4 weeks and 2 sessions/week for 2 weeks)

Pattern Drafting

Learn how to draft a professional pant, skirt and shirt pattern. Eric W. Stiles Sr. will teach you the formulas used, to draft a pattern from beginning to end for Ready-To-Wear and Custom garment. Stop wasting time and money and using Commercial patterns. Learn to make your own, and start designing your own line of clothing, that will fit and enhance your body.

This is the same formula used by all of the top European and Domestic designers of the world. Product and Development, a procedure used to help the designer improve and complete their patterns, will be taught. You will start by drafting the pattern in the quarter scale, and finish drafting the pattern in the full scale. It's highly recommended to take the Sewing/Construction class with this class to enhance and maximize your skills. It is advised to only take one pattern drafting class at a time and if you wish then move on to one of the other pattern drafting classes.

No sewing experience is required. You will need a sewing machine. Materials list will be provided on the first day of class. (Supplies are not included in the price of the course).

No Pre-Requisite
LLRN 2703
Pant Pattern Drafting (8 sessions for 6 weeks) $96
(1 session/week for 4 weeks and 2 sessions/week for 2 weeks)
LLRN 2704 Skirt Pattern Drafting (8 sessions for 6 weeks) $96
(1 session/week for 4 weeks and 2 sessions/week for 2 weeks)
LLRN 2706 Shirt Pattern Drafting (8 sessions for 6 weeks) $96
(1 session/week for 4 weeks and 2 sessions/week for 2 weeks)

Online Sewing Workshops (some sewing experience required)

Mr. Stiles has opened his world of WORKSHOPS held on Sunday and Monday.

Make a lined tote bag, cap and hat that fits and feels great. Instructor will show you step-by-step in the marking, cutting, pinning and complete assembly. (Supplies are not included in the price of these courses)

LLRN 2701 Make A Lined Tote Bag (2 sessions/week for 1 week) $30
LLRN 2702 Make A Cap (2 sessions/week for 1 week) $30
LLRN 2705 Make A Hat (2 sessions/week for 1 week) $30

Custom Shirt Construction (Pre-Requisite LLRN 2706 and LLRN 2709)

You have created a great shirt pattern, put together the muslin shirt sample, made the necessary pattern adjustments and performed the needed alterations, now it is time to make a great looking shirt with step by step detailed instructions.

LLRN 2710 Custom Shirt Pattern (2 sessions/week for 4 weeks) $96

Advanced Muslin "Sample Garment" Construction (Pre-Requisite LLRN 2703, LLRN 2704, LLRN 2706)

You MUST complete Sewing/Construction and Pant Pattern Drafting classes to enroll in these advanced classes. (NO EXCEPTIONS)

Mr. Stiles will continue teaching you more enhancements and advanced techniques use by all of the top European and Domestic designers of the world. In these classes you will learn how the professionals construct their sample pant, skirt, shirt patterns in muslin. Muslin is a test fabric used for creating test garments and used to make adjustments on your paper pattern.

You will also learn how to perform the fitting, and how to make the needed adjustments on the muslin garment, covered within the fitting process. These adjustments will then be performed in the altering of your paper pattern for the sample garment corrections.

Learn what fitting markings are used on the garment. This is a very detailed class so you must pay close attention, we don't want to miss anything. Product and Development, is a procedure used to help the designer improve and complete their patterns, will be taught. In these classes you will use your hand stitching skills throughout the class.

You must have taken pattern drafting classes and created the patterns to enter these classes.

Materials list will be provided before the first day of class. (Supplies are not included in the price of the course).

LLRN 2707 Advanced Muslin Pant Construction (8 sessions for 5 weeks) $96
(2 sessions/week for 3 weeks and 1 session/week for 2 weeks)
LLRN 2708 Advanced Muslin Skirt Construction (8 sessions for 5 weeks) $96
(2 sessions/week for 3 weeks and 1 session/week for 2 weeks)
LLRN 2709 Advanced Muslin Shirt Construction (8 sessions for 5 weeks) $96
(2 sessions/week for 3 weeks and 1 session/week for 2 weeks)

To Register

If you have not been a student of Virginia Western Community College in the past 3 years, you must complete a NON-credit application to Virginia Western Community college.

You can:

  • Apply online at http://www.virginiawestern.edu/admissions/newstudents.php. Use the Apply Online link to help guide you through the entire NON-credit application process. For assistance with online NON-credit application enrollment call 540-857-7231.
  • Please contact Paulette Parkhill 540-857-6514 or email pparkhill@virginiawestern.edu once you have completed the NON-credit application so we may enroll you in your class selection.
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