Project Patterns

Pattern Cutting Fundamentals: Pleats, Gathers and Frills

garment construction Pattern cutting pattern drafting product development slash and spread
Online course
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Slash and Spread can be used to add extra volume into your patterns to create fullness and new details in a garment. This online course will teach you how to add extra volume in the form of frills, gathers and pleats.

Beginner
3.5 hours

Who, How & What

Who is it for?

Junior Pattern Cutters, Garment Technicians or entry level Fashion Graduates, working in brands and retailers or clothing manufacturers, or working as freelancers/independents.
Learners must have mastered dart rotation and have a basic understanding of garment construction. Eg. some sewing experience. It is also recommended that learners have completed course 1, Introduction to Pattern Cutting and course 2, Dart Manipulation, of the Pattern Cutting Fundamentals Series.

How will you learn?

This highly practical self-paced course includes video instructions for every lesson as well as worksheets, quizzes and discussions.

All participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Project Patterns Certificate of Completion.

What will you learn?

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

1. Use slash and spread to create frills

2. Understand different types of gather ratios

3. Use slash and spread to create gather details

4. Use slash and spread to create knife pleats

5. Use slash and spread to create box pleats

6. Combine dart manipulation with adding volume

Online course Detailed outline

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Module 1: Creating Frills

The simplest way of adding volume into a pattern piece or garment is by adding flare or creating frills.
In this module we’ll look at how to use slash and spread to add volume and create a range of styles including an A-line skirt, flared tops and frills.

  • 1.1 Tracing Your Pattern After Slashing In
  • 1.2 Different Ways of Adding Fullness
  • 1.3 Drafting an A-line Skirt
  • 1.4 Drafting a Flared Skirt
  • 1.5 Drafting Frills
  • 1.6 Adding Volume To a Bodice
  • 1.7 Creating Volume With a Yoke Seam
  • 1.8 Adding a Frill Detail
  • 1.9 Put Your New Skills To The Test
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Module 2: Creating Gathers

Gathers are another way of adding volume into a garment. In this module we’ll look at how to add volume to create fuller frills, gather details and change the silhouette of our block.

  • 2.1 Understanding Ratios
  • 2.2 Drafting a Gathered Hem Frill
  • 2.3 Drafting a Gathered Skirt With a Yoke Seam
  • 2.4 Drafting a Gathered Detail
  • 2.5 Combining Gathered Fullness With a Flat Yoke
  • 2.6 Drafting a Gathered Yoke
  • 2.7 Drafting a Gathered Waistband
  • 2.8 Put Your Skills To The Test
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Module 3: Creating Pleats

The last way of adding volume that we’ll look at is how to add pleats. There are a few variations so we’ll look at a range of examples including, knife pleats, box pleats, inverted box pleats and smaller pleated details.

  • 3.1 Pleats Explained
  • 3.2 Drafting Knife Pleated Skirt
  • 3.3 Drafting Inverted Box Pleats In a Full Skirt
  • 3.4 Adding a Pleated Detail In a Fitted Skirt
  • 3.5 Drafting Box Pleats With a Yoke Detail
  • 3.6 Put Your New Skills To The Test
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