Fitting Foundations
Learn to fit your own custom dress block in 6 weeks.
Gain confidence in the fitting and toiling process in this online course, so you can make clothes that fit and feel good.
Learn the core skills to unlock your creativity..
Adapt a custom dress block to fit your body. Having your own block pattern means you can:
Learn about the fitting process in a neutral way, without all the design details getting in the way.
Use your block to quickly check the fit and proportions of your sewing patterns, saving you time everytime you sew.
Annnd.. Maybe the most exciting part; use it as a base to turn into all your favourite designs! 😍
In industry, we would never start with a styled pattern and then make major fit adjustments. Instead, we'd fix up our blocks so they fit and feel good, then add the design elements.
Having a block pattern means you can go on to create your own designs and express yourself exactly how you want to, starting from a pattern that fits you amazingly. Plus, you can use your block to test the fit of your sewing patterns! Win Win!
I can’t wait to teach you how to save time and learn fitting skills you can use forever.
Remove the guesswork by understanding the fitting and toiling process..
The course will guide you through the order of fitting so you feel confident applying your new skills to your sewing patterns.
Plus, learn how to use your toile to test each adjustment. This way, you won’t have to keep making sample after sample and guessing what’s needed. Instead, see if the changes work instantly before you adapt the pattern.
Wooo.. that means more time for sewing and getting creative! 🥳
Here’s what a past student has to say..
“Alys, I can't believe how much better I've become at altering patterns!!! Thank you so much for your course and the confidence it gave me. I just made a few patterns for my sister-in-law that I heavily altered. I only did one fitting, and then after, they came out perfect. I feel so accomplished.”
-Elham
Who is it for?
Sewists and pattern makers who want to level up their fitting game! Fitting Foundations is for you if:
You sew your own clothes (its recommended you’ve sewn at least 2 projects), and you want some help improving the fit of your patterns!
You dream of drafting your own designs, and you need a custom dress block to make them a reality..
You want to understand the fitting and toiling process and have a practical guide to help you get a better fit on the clothes you sew.
You’re excited to learn the core skills of fitting so you can spend less time feeling frustrated and more time getting creative!
Hear all about the course..
Video and photos by Olivia Ferrara
How does the course work?
Fitting Foundations runs for 6 weeks, starting on 16th January 2025.
Course Access
Access to all the course content and the community hub (all in one space!)
Pay in Full: £225
or two payments: £112.50
or three payments: £75.00
or four payments: £56.25
(Interest free monthly payments)
Will the lessons be live?
Everything is pre-recorded, so you can work through it wherever you are in the world. You'll also gain access to a community group where you can ask questions, get support, and receive fit advice on your toiles in your own time!
What will I get?
As well as the video and written lessons and access to the community group (built inside the course), you'll receive a PDF copy of the Unpicked dress block (size 8-38) and a jam-packed fit guide that you can reference forever!
What will we work on?
We’ll work through the fitting and toiling process on a dress block to put your skills into practice. You’ll finish the six weeks with a custom pattern to fit your body, which you can use to test fit and create your own designs.
Course Modules:
Week 1 - Welcome to the course and meet the group!
Learn how to measure yourself accurately, determine ‘sewing cup’ sizes and bust adjustments, as well as how to use finished garment measurements to ‘try on’ each size before cutting. Plus you’ll learn about pre-toile adjustments to set yourself up for success!
Week 2 - Learn how to sew a toile, including the best fabrics to use and how to prep your pattern and toile before you sew to optimise the fitting process!
Week 3 - Time to get fitting! Learn tips for fitting solo, the best order to fit your patterns and how to work out which adjustments you need to fit garments to your body. Plus learn how to use our mega fit guide easily, and test the adjustments on the toile before adapting the pattern.
You’ll be able to post your toiles to get help and feedback.
Week 4 - Learn how to translate your toile adaptions to your paper pattern, identify which adjustments you need to make and follow the fit guide (with written instructions and illustrations) for all your adjustments such as back, shoulder, bust, sleeve, waist and hip adjustments.
Week 5 + 6 - Space to catch up with anything you need, ask lots of questions or make more toiles and adjustments.
Gain access to:
Video tutorials
Understand fitting better - learn the order of fitting and get confident identifying fit issues.
Step-by-step illustrations
Clear detailed adjustments in an easy to follow fit guide, to refer back to each time you're fitting!
Try-it-yourself exercises
Put your new skills into practise and really cement your learning, we’ll be walking the talk through the course!
Community group
Ask questions, get expert fit advice and support along the way, plus a beautiful space to cheer each other on.
“Using the AMAZING Unpicked fit guide to fix this toile I abandoned pre-xmas. Narrow shoulder adjustment here I come!
- Yliane”
Meet your pattern making tutor..
Hi! I’m Alys, a pattern maker who's worked for brands like Alexander McQueen, steventai and Teija. I teach in a fun and easy way through online courses.
It’s my mission to demystify pattern making and fitting - I love to help unpick overwhelming subjects and make them easy to understand through bite-sized techniques and plenty of try-it-yourself exercises.
I don’t believe in the ‘perfect fit’ - instead I want to help you focus on making clothes that feel good and fit the way you want.
And as always, help you enjoy the beauty of the process as much as the end result.
Expert advice from years of experience..
I'm going to teach you all the insider info I've learned from years of working with fashion brands, teaching in-person fit courses, 1:1s, and, of course, making clothes for myself as I guide you through the fitting process!
“This lesson helped a whole bunch of fitting questions make sense for me - Thankyou! I found some general instructions online for adjustments but yours have been much easier to follow.
- Rachel”
(Essentials course student)
Finish the course with a custom block which you can use to create your own designs..
FAQs
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Throughout the course, I’ll share techniques for fitting solo so you can fit your toiles without a second person and test the adjustments on the toile to make sure they work!
However, if you usually need help taking your clothes on and off or you struggle with mobility, you’ll likely need a second person to help you with the course.
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Not at all, all the videos are pre-recorded, and you’ll have access forever, so you can work through the course in your own time.
However, it can be helpful to complete the course whilst it’s live so you can ask questions and get help as you go, as well as for extra motivation.
The live community element will be kept open for 2 weeks after the course ends to continue support, as I totally understand that life can be busy!
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Great question! The course is designed to teach you fitting and toiling in a fun way, we’ll work on the dress block to guide you through the process because it’s a great neutral pattern to focus on fit (without getting distracted with the style elements first).
If you’re not interested in having a dress block, I would still recommend learning fitting with this process and you can use your new skills on your own sewing patterns! -
Fitting Foundations and the Patterns Unpicked course are designed to be completed in either order!
However, after you’ve completed the fit course, you’ll have a custom block pattern that you can use to put your pattern-making skills into practice straight away!
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I understand that fitting can feel intimidating! Throughout the course, you can choose the level you want to go to. I don’t believe in a ‘perfect fit’; instead, I want you to be confident that you can get the fit you want.
If you’re just starting out, you may want to focus on 1 or 2 areas to fit. Or if you’re up for it, you can deep dive into multiple.
I’m always here to answer your questions to help you decide if the course is right for you, with zero pressure to join. So feel free to get in touch.
Got more questions? Check out a full page of FAQs here.
