Pattern Making in Illustrator
A Beginner's Guide to Digital Sewing Patterns
Learn to draft sewing patterns digitally using Adobe Illustrator. Prepare the patterns for printing using a home printer and also A0 copy printing.
Live Online Cohort - Two Saturdays - Limited to 20 Students
You've never used Illustrator for Pattern Making?
That's exactly who this course is for.
You don’t need to be an Illustrator expert.
You don’t need previous experience drafting patterns in Illustrator.
If you already understand the basics of sewing and pattern making, I’ll show you how to take that knowledge and apply it digitally using Adobe Illustrator.
We’ll start with the foundations and work our way through drafting and developing a complete basic bodice pattern.
By the end of the course, you’ll understand how to use Illustrator as a practical pattern making tool, not just as graphic-design program.
What You'll Learn
01 - Digital Pattern Making Foundations
We’ll begin by understanding how digital pattern making works and how your manually drafted pattern translates into a digital workflow.
You’ll learn:
- The digital pattern workflow
- How to work with Adobe Illustrator
- How to set up your workspace and and document
- The realationship between your drafted pattern and it’s digital version.
- The essential Illustrator tools you’ll use throughout the course
02 - Basic Bodice
We’ll draft a professional basic bodice and use it as a foundation for our digital pattern-making work.
You’ll learn:
- How to draft the basic bodice
- How to identify and work with the basic bodice pieces
- How to develop your drafted pattern digitally
- How to apply Illustrator tools to your pattern-making process.
03 - Dart Manipulation
Dart Manipulation is one of the most useful pattern-making techniques to understand digitally.
You’ll learn:
- The fundamentals of dart manipulation
- How to move and manipulate darts digitally.
- How to create different dart positions
- How to apply dart manipulation to the bodice
You’ll use illustrator tools such as Scissors, Join, Group and Rotate as part of the process.
04 - Basic Skirt
We’ll draft a basic skirt and develop it digitally.
You’ll learn:
- How to draft the basic skirt
- How to work with the skirt digitally
- How to apply the digital workflow you’ve learnt to another pattern
05 - Basic Sleeve
We’ll draft a basic sleeve and develop it digitally.
You’ll learn:
- How to draft the basic sleeve
- How the sleeve relates to the bodice
- How to develop the sleeve digitally
06 - Preparing Patterns for Output
Once your pattern has been drafted and developed, it needs to be prepared correctly for the way it will be used.
You’ll learn how to prepare patterns for :
- Home Printing
- A0 printing at a copy shop
You’ll learn the different artboard and work-area requirement for each method.
This part of the course is supported by step-by-step videos and homework, so you can apply what you’ve learned between the live sessions.
07 - Putting It All Together
Finally, we’ll bring all the pieces together and look at the complete workflow, from digital pattern to finished garment.
You’ll learn to:
- Combine the bodice, skirt and sleeve
- Prepare the completed pattern for practical use
- Print and assemble the pattern
- Cut the pattern on fabric
- Sew the Basic Dress
Because digital pattern making isn’t just about creating lines on a screen.
The goal is a pattern you can actually use.
How the course works
This isn’t a self pace course where you’re left to figure everything out on your own.
It’s a live cohort experience, with teaching, practical work, homework and guided support.
Live Session 1 - The Pattern Making Workshop
📅 Saturday, 26 September 2026
🕐 1:00 PM SAST (UTC+2)
⏰ 5 hours of teaching + practical work
Plus two 30-minute breaks.
This is where the main pattern-work happens.
We’ll work through:
- Basic Bodice
- Dart Manipulation
- Basic Skirt
- Basic Sleeve
- Digital pattern-making workflow and application
Drafting is the Star of this session.
You’ll follow along as I demonstrate the process and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions as we work.
Between the Live Sessions - Supporting Videos + Homework
After the first live session, you’ll receive supporting covering the output – preparation stage.
You’ll work through:
- A4 / US Letter artboards
- A0 artboards
- Preparing your pattern for printing
- Printing and Assembling the pattern
You’ll the use what you’ve learnt to prepare your own patterns for:
A4 / US Letter + A0
This gives you time to actually apply the techniques instead of watching me do everything.
Live Session 2 - Review, Completion & Troubleshooting
📅 Saturday, 3 October 2026
🕐 1:00 PM SAST (UTC+2)
⏰ Up to 3 hours
Plus one 30-minute break.
We’ll come back together to review your work.
We’ll:
- Check your homework
- Review your Artbords
- Troubleshoot Problems
- Answer any questions
- Correct Issues with your pattern preparation
- Make sure your patterns are properly prepared
- Confirm the complete digital pattern-making workflow
You’ll then have access to the sewing demonstration so you can see how the finished pattern moves from digital pattern, to printed pattern, to fabric, to garment.
Before We Meet Live...
You won’t be thrown into Illustrator completely unprepared.
Before the first live session, you’ll receive short preparation videos covering the basics you need to know.
You’ll learn how to:
- Open and set up Illustrator
- Prepare your workspace for pattern making
- Navigate the Illustrator interface
- Understand the essential tools we’ll use
- Prepare your computer for the live sessions
This means our live training can focus on the actual pattern making, rather than spending hours figuring out where the buttons are.
What You'll Receive
When you enrol, you’ll receive:
- Two live online training sessions
- Approximately 5 hours of live pattern-making training on Saturday 1
- Up to 3 hours of guided Review and Troubleshooting on Saturday 2
- Pre-course Illustrator preparation videos
- Supporting videos for A4 / US Letter preparation
- Supporting Videos for A0 preparation
- Pattern making templates
- Course resources and working files
- Recordings of the live sessions
- Printing and pattern-assembly demonstrations
- Sewing demonstration of the finished basic dress
- Practical homework to apply what you’ve learnt
- Guided support during the live sessions
The purpose isn’t to simply give you finished patterns.
The goal is to teach you how to create your own digital sewing patterns.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is for you if:
- You love sewing and pattern making.
- You understand the basics of sewing and pattern making.
- You’ve never used illustrator for pattern making.
- You’ve never created sewing patterns digitally before.
- You want to move from paper patterns to digital pattern making.
- You want to create printable PDF patterns.
- You want to understand how patterns can be prepared for home printing and A0 printing.
- You want practical experience rather than simply watching tutorials.
You don't need to be an Illustrator expert.
And you don’t need to have years of digital pattern-making experience.
We’ll start form the beginning and build from there.
Who Is This Course NOT For?
This probably isn’t the right course if you’re already an experienced digital pattern maker looking for advanced techniques.
This cohort session is designed to help beginners build a solid foundation in digital pattern making using Illustrator.
Your First Digital Pattern Starts Here
Imagine being able to take the pattern-making knowledge you already have and turn it into a digital pattern that can be:
Edited.
Printed
Shared.
And Eventually sold.
That’s what we’re going to learn.
First Cohort - Limited to 20 Students
I’m keeping the first cohort intentionally small so that I can give students the opportuity to ask questions, follow along and receive guidance during the live sessions.
Early Bird
$59
Available to the first 5 students.
Regular Price
$79
Available after the Early-bird places are filled.
Only 20 places available for Cohort 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous Illustrator experience?
No. The course is specifically designed for people who have never used Illustrator for pattern making.
You’ll receive preparation videos before the first live session so that you can become familiar with the illustrator environment before we begin the actual pattern-making.
Do I need previous pattern-making experience?
Yes, you should have a basic understanding of sewing and pattern-making.
This course teaches you how to take that existeing knowledge and apply it digitally.
You do not need previous experience in creating patterns digitally.
Which version of Illustrator do I need?
The core pattern-making techniques taught in this course are applicable to different versions of Illustrator, although the interface and location of some features may vary.
What if I miss a Live session?
The live session will be recorded, so you’ll be able to watch the recording afterwards.
However, because this is a practical cohort experience, you’re encouraged to attend the live sessions whenever possible to ask questions and receive guidance while youre working.
Is this a self-paced course?
No.
This is a live cohort experience.
You’ll learn alongside the other students during the live sessions, and receive recordings afterwards.
Will I receive the finished patterns?
You’ll receive the templates and resources needed to follow along.
However the purpose of the course is to teach you how to create and prepare the patterns yourself, rather than simply giving you finished patterns.
Will I learn how to prepare the PDF patterns for printing?
Yes.
You’ll learn how to prepare the patterns for A4 / US Letter, and A0 printing.
The output-preparation stage is supported by dedicated videos and practical homework, followed by a live review and troubleshooting session.
Will I learn how to sew the finished session?
Yes.
You’ll receive a sewing demonstration showing the finished pattern being printed, assembled, cut on fabric and sewn into a basic dress, including sleeve attachment.
Ready to Move From Paper to Pixel?
Pattern Making In Illustrator
A Beginner's Guide to Digital Sewing Patterns
Cohort 1 – Two Saturdays | Maximum 20 Students
Early Bird: $59 - (First 5 Students)
Regular Price: $79
📅 Live Sessions:
Saturday, 26 September 2026 – 1:00 PM SAST (UTC+2)
Saturday, 3 October 2026 – 1:00 PM SAST (UTC+2)
⏲️ Session 1: 5 hours + two 30-minute breaks
⏲️Session 2: Up to 3 hours + 30-minute break
