A one-day workshop exploring darts, gathers, pleats, tucks and shirring

Understanding how fabric is shaped around the body is one of the most important skills in dressmaking - and one that underpins almost every garment you’ll ever make.

This one-day Build Your Skills workshop focuses on the core methods of suppression and fullness - the techniques used to remove fabric where it’s needed, and add volume where it creates movement, comfort, and style.

Rather than rushing to complete a garment, the day is deliberately slowed down so you can explore each technique properly, build confidence, and understand why they work - not just how to sew them.

What you’ll learn

Throughout the day, you’ll work through a structured series of exercises covering:

• Darts — how they shape fabric and how they can be manipulated

• Gathers — controlling fullness evenly and neatly

• Pleats — understanding structure, direction, and volume

• Tucks — decorative and shaping uses

• Shirring — creating stretch and texture using elastic thread

Each technique will be explored practically, with clear explanations of where and why it’s used in garments.

What you’ll make

This is a sample-based workshop. You’ll create a complete set of fabric samples, each clearly labelled and annotated, which you can keep as a reference for future sewing projects.

These samples become a valuable personal resource - something you can return to when working with patterns, adapting designs, or planning your own garments.

What you’ll leave with

By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with:

• A solid understanding of how shape and volume are created in garments

• A practical reference library of stitched samples

• Increased confidence reading patterns and understanding design details

• Stronger foundations in sewing and garment construction

This workshop is about building understanding, not ticking off a project.

Who this workshop is for

This workshop is suitable for confident beginners and intermediate sewists.

You should be comfortable using a sewing machine, but no specialist knowledge is required. It’s ideal if you:

• Want to strengthen your sewing foundations

• Find pattern instructions confusing or unclear

• Want to understand what design details are actually doing

• Enjoy learning through making and experimentation

Why this workshop?

When you understand how darts, pleats, gathers and tucks work, sewing becomes far less mysterious. Patterns start to make sense, design choices feel intentional, and you gain the confidence to adapt and experiment rather than just follow instructions.

This workshop lays the groundwork for better sewing — whatever you choose to make next.

Lunch is not included so please feel free to bring your own, or make use of the lovely Cafe we have onsite.