The Art of Couture Draping

A Rare Opportunity to Learn from a Master Couturier

Strictly limited places

Dates: Tuesday 29 September, 6 October & 13 October
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: 92 Leveson Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Format: In-person, hands-on workshop

Best Suited To

This workshop is designed for sewists who are ready to move beyond garment construction and explore the artistry of couture draping.

Ideal for:

• Intermediate to advanced sewists wanting to elevate the quality and finish of their garments.
• Fashion students developing professional couture dressmaking skills.
• Designers wanting to understand how couture garments are sculpted directly on the dress form.
• Makers interested in mastering traditional couture techniques under the guidance of an experienced artisan.

Meet Your Teacher

Julie Goodwin is one of Melbourne's most respected couturiers, with more than 25 years of experience creating bespoke garments renowned for their precision, craftsmanship and timeless elegance.

Working from her Albert Park studio, Julie specialises in tailoring and couture dressmaking while sharing her extensive knowledge through teaching and mentoring the next generation of makers.

Overview

Rather than drafting and fitting a garment from scratch, you'll work over a professionally prepared underbodice, allowing you to focus entirely on the art of couture draping.

Across three evenings, you'll learn how fabric behaves on the stand, how to manipulate it into beautiful sculptural forms, and how couture techniques transform temporary drapes into beautifully constructed garments.

Please note: This workshop focuses on learning couture draping techniques rather than completing a finished garment.

What You'll Learn

Understanding Fabric on the Stand

The Step-by-Step Draping Process

• Securing the Base: The pre-cut bodice is fitted tightly to the form. This acts as the steady foundation that will support all the creative fabric layers draped on top of it.

Understanding and Controlling the Fabric (Grainline)

• Aligning the Threads: The core of draping is understanding how fabric behaves when it hangs in mid-air.  Students practice finding the 'grain' (the vertical and horizontal threads of the fabric). You'll learn how to anchor the fabric so the vertical threads run perfectly straight down the body, preventing the final garment from twisting or pulling.
• Working with the Bias: Students explore the diagonal angle of the fabric (the bias), learning how it stretches and flows smoothly over curves like the bust and hips compared to the rigid straight grain.

Manipulating Fabric into Shapes

• Pleating and Folding: Once the fabric is anchored, students begin the creative process of shaping it over the bodice base. Students practice creating structured folds, asymmetrical pleats, and gathers. You'll learn how to pin these folds securely to the underlying bodice so they hold their shape perfectly.
• Creating Cowls: Students practice cascading the fabric to create soft, fluid ripples around the neckline, learning how to gauge the weight of the fabric as it hangs.
• Releasing Tension: When wrapping fabric around tight curves, it can bunch up. Students learn how to make small, strategic cuts into the fabric edges to release the pulling tension, allowing the material to lie completely flat against the bodice.

Marking and Capturing the Design

• Trueing: A drape is temporary until it is recorded. Students learn how to turn their fluid 3D fabric shapes into a permanent design. While the fabric is still pinned to the form, students use chalk or pencils to trace the exact edges of their pleats, seams, and design lines.
• Thread Tracing: Students use loose hand-stitches to trace over their chalk lines. This permanently locks the design markings into the fabric before it is unpinned.

Final Construction and Attaching to the Base

• Flattening and Smoothing: The final step is bringing the draped layers and the base bodice together into one cohesive piece. The draped fabric is removed from the form and laid flat on a table. Students use curved rulers to smooth out their hand-drawn lines, making sure everything is perfectly symmetrical.
• Couture Stitching: The finalized draped layer is placed back over the pre-cut bodice. Students use hidden, delicate hand-stitches to permanently lock the folds and pleats down onto the base bodice, completing a luxury garment.

What's Included

• Pre-made underbodice
• Fabric for draping exercises
• Full-size professional dress forms
• In-class reference samples demonstrating each technique
• Access to a fully equipped sewing studio with industrial equipment and specialist tools

What to Bring

• Dressmaking pins
• Fabric scissors
• Tape measure

A Unique Learning Opportunity

Opportunities to learn directly from a practising couturier are exceptionally rare.

This workshop is designed as an immersive exploration of couture techniques, giving you the opportunity to experiment, ask questions and refine your skills under expert guidance.

Places are strictly limited.

Inclusivity Statement

The Pattern Making Class welcomes participants of all backgrounds, identities and skill levels, including trans, non-binary and gender diverse individuals. We are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful and supportive learning environment for everyone.