Designing Your Wardrobe: Drafting Tops
Suzy Furrer
Class Preview
1:48
- In-depth Instruction; over 150 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Designing a Collection
21:58
Meet Suzy Furrer, founder of the Oakland fashion design school Apparel Arts. Suzy begins with a series of mood-board exercises to help identify your aesthetic. Then learn how to create a wardrobe plan by approaching color and fabric selection like a designer.
Sleeveless Shell
29:54
Draft a pattern for a versatile sleeveless shell as Suzy shares secrets for savvy design decisions. As a base for wovens, you'll use your own well-fitting bodice sloper.
Closures, Edge Finishes & Pattern Standards
28:28
Expand your options for closures, neckline finishing and armhole finishing! Plus, follow along with Suzy as she guides you through fashion industry standards for patterns, filling out a pattern record card and making your pattern production-ready.
T-Shirt Variations
21:40
Suzy demonstrates how to draft a knit T-shirt that's long and loose with close-fitting sleeves, then walks you through some simple variations to really customize the design. Along the way, you'll work with your bodice and sleeve slopers for knit fabrics.
Peplum Top
27:14
It's hard not to love a princess-seam top with a graceful peplum! Suzy goes step by step through the drafting for a woven garment, then explains how to easily alter the pattern for knit fabrics. You'll learn how to turn darts into a flattering princess seam and adapt the peplum insertion points for your fabric and design.
Knit Wrap Jacket
19:48
Draft a knit wrap jacket to wear over all those terrific tops! Suzy shows you how, and shares how to recognize when a woven sloper might work better for a design that you plan to sew in a knit fabric.
Picturing the ultimate well-fitting top? Now you can draft a pattern for it! Apparel Arts design school founder Suzy Furrer shows you how to use your sloper to create a shell, a tee, a peplum top and a kimono jacket.
Suzy Furrer
Suzy Furrer has over 35 years’ experience in the fashion industry. She began her career as a freelance patternmaker and directed the development of capsule collections for small fashion companies. Suzy is the Founder and Director of Apparel Arts (established 1996) and Apparel Arts Productions (www.ApparelArtsProductions.com), an online fashion design school established in 2020. Suzy developed a comprehensive curriculum to give students in-depth training to be strong candidates to enter the workforce in apparel or costume design or to simply build strong sewing and drafting skills for one's own personal use. Apparel Arts has graduated hundreds of students who currently work in the apparel or costuming industries. In addition, she has been an instructor for GAP Inc.’s Product Development Immersion Program. Suzy teaches and speaks at sewing and craft conferences, sewing guilds, and art schools and has taught classes for the employees of entertainment giants Pixar and Lucas Films. She is the author of Building Patterns, The Architecture of Women’s Clothing. Last, but not least, Suzy has taught online pattern drafting classes for Craftsy.com since 2011.
Bonus materials available after purchase