Description
Do you have a favourite dress, skirt, top or pair of trousers that you’d love to recreate? Perhaps the fit is just right, you love the shape, or you simply wish you had another one.
Our Clone Your Clothes workshop will show you how to use an existing garment to create your own paper pattern – without taking the original garment apart.
Led by experienced sewing teacher Emma Smith, this friendly one-day workshop will guide you through the process step by step, with plenty of individual help and advice throughout the day.
What Will I Be Making?
You’ll learn how to study the shape and construction of an existing garment and translate it into your own paper pattern.
You’ll then use your new pattern to make a toile – a test version of your garment – allowing you to check the shape and fit and make any necessary adjustments before using your chosen fabric.
The aim is to leave the workshop with your own paper pattern and toile, ready to recreate your garment at home in your chosen fabric.
As you won’t have the step-by-step instructions that would normally accompany a commercial sewing pattern, Emma will also talk you through how your particular garment is constructed and the order in which it should be sewn together. We recommend making notes as you go so that you have everything you need to refer back to when making your finished garment at home.
Alternatively, if you’d like some further support when making your final garment, you can book onto one of Emma’s Bring Your Own Project sessions and continue with her guidance.
What You’ll Learn
During the workshop, Emma will guide you through:
• Examining your garment and understanding its construction
• Identifying the individual pattern pieces
• Accurately transferring the shape and important details onto paper
• Understanding seam allowances, grainlines and essential pattern markings
• Creating and refining your paper pattern
• Making a toile from your new pattern
• Checking the shape and fit and making any necessary adjustments
• Refining your pattern ready to make your finished garment
• Understanding the correct order of construction for your garment, ready to recreate it at home
Choosing a Garment to Bring
We recommend bringing two or three favourite garments that you would love to recreate. A dress, skirt, simple top or pair of trousers could all be suitable.
The garments you bring must be made from woven, non-stretch fabric. This workshop is specifically designed for creating patterns for woven garments and is not suitable for cloning garments made from jersey, knitted or stretch fabrics.
Emma will help you choose the best option to work with on the day. Some garments have more complex construction or design details than may initially be apparent, so bringing a couple of options gives you the best chance of completing both your pattern and toile during the workshop.
And don’t worry – there’s no need to take your original garment apart! It will remain completely intact.
Course Date & Times
Thursday 22nd October
9.30am – 4.30pm
There will be a lunch break of approximately 30 minutes.
You’re welcome to bring a packed lunch and use the fridge in the Sewing Studio, or pop out for something to eat. Ashby has plenty of cafés and bakeries within easy walking distance, including a café directly opposite the shop in Rushtons Yard.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available throughout the day.
What You’ll Need to Bring
• Two or three garments made from woven, non-stretch fabric that you would love to recreate
• A sewing kit: scissors, pins or clips, hand-sewing needles, fabric marking tool, seam ripper etc
• Notebook and pen – particularly useful for making notes about the construction of your garment
• Fabric suitable for making your toile, if you would like to bring your own
• Water bottle (optional)
• Packed lunch, if required
You will need fabric to make your toile. You’re welcome to bring suitable fabric from home, or calico can be purchased from The Fabric Boutique on the day.
If you’re unsure how much you’ll need, please don’t worry – we can help you work this out once you have chosen the garment you’ll be recreating.
Workshop attendees receive 10% off shop purchases over £25 made on the day.
Is This Workshop Suitable for Me?
This workshop is for people with some sewing and dressmaking experience. You should be confident using a sewing machine and have a basic understanding of garment construction.
It is not suitable for complete beginners to sewing.
If you are just beginning your sewing journey, our Complete Beginner – Learn How to Use a Sewing Machine or Introduction to Dressmaking workshops would be a better place to start.
Venue & Studio Information
Our Sewing Studio is equipped with Janome 5060QDC sewing machines, Janome overlockers, ironing stations and Oliso irons.
Workshops are kept small, with just 5–6 people, to ensure plenty of individual attention.
The Sewing Studio is located within:
The Fabric Boutique
5 Rushtons Yard
Ashby de la Zouch
LE65 1AL
Please note that the studio is accessed via a flight of stairs.
There is a toilet and handwashing sink within the studio, as well as a small fridge for packed lunches and cold drinks.
Rushtons Yard car park is adjacent to the shop but has a maximum stay of 3 hours and charges apply. For a full-day workshop, we recommend the long-stay car park on South Street, which is a short walk away. Charges also apply.
Please arrive 10 minutes before the workshop so that we can begin promptly.
Booking Information
Pre-booking is essential as places are limited. Full payment is required to secure your place.
• Gift cards can be used towards workshop fees
• A minimum of 3 participants is required for the workshop to run
• Workshops are for adults aged 18+
Cancellation & Refund Policy
We completely understand that sometimes plans change and unexpected things happen. However, as a small independent business, considerable time and preparation goes into organising our workshops. Places are limited, tutors are booked in advance and costs are committed based on the number attending.
For this reason, we have the following cancellation policy:
• Cancellations made 14 days or more before the workshop can receive a full refund or transfer to another available workshop.
• Cancellations made less than 14 days before the workshop cannot be refunded or transferred. At this stage, costs have already been committed and it can be very difficult to fill a place at short notice.
• If The Fabric Boutique needs to cancel due to insufficient numbers or unforeseen circumstances, you will receive a full refund.
Where a refund is due, we will process it promptly. Please allow 7–10 working days for the funds to appear back in your account.
Thank you for your understanding and for supporting our small independent business.