ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Sewing Workshop™ is an unrivalled Dressmaking School, with a well-rounded program to teach you to excel in diverse areas of fashion.  Established Brisbane in 1997, our niche is not only our industry trained professional teachers and our individually specialized programs, but also our small classes, in which we can ensure each student receives one on one attention, to maximize their learning so they can master the art of sewing.
Over the last 13 years, we have perfected our courses which span over an array of specialities for you to choose from.  We have had various successes in teaching, Designing, Patternmaking, Fitting and Dressmaking, with over 2,500 satisfied students from all over Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and as far as Gympie, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Ballina, and Lismore.

With a lot of pride, we have seen many of these students thrive in the sewing and patternmaking field.  Some of our students come to learn for their family or themselves, whilst others come to perfect with skills or learn for their careers.  We have students who; have gone on to work as patternmakers and graders for Dancing schools, have started their own designer labels, who are working at home as Dressmakers, who set up a Bridal shop IN Brisbane, who have started their own clothing alteration business, who have created their own patterns and sell on the internet and even one who has set up her own Dressmaking school in Melbourne which has been running successfully for over 5 years.   And finally , 5 of our students who are now teaching Home Economics at Schools using our method and what they learned.  Their success is our success!!!!

We teach to an industry standard.  And with our intimate classes and creative atmosphere, our students tend to create a rapport with each other, interchanging tips and secrets with the help and support of our highly-trained teachers, who also pass on their knowledge from their industry experience.Finally be  100% sure when you enrol, you are going to learn properly:

“OUR BUSINESS IS TO TEACH THE STUDENT HOW TO SEW LIKE THE PROFESSIONALS”©

 

CLASS INFORMATION

The Sewing Workshop ™ offers SEMI-PRIVATE TUITION with a maximum of 5 STUDENTS at a time. These small classes guarantee the individual attention of a private lesson in a very small group at a very affordable price per hour. So, you learn quicker than bigger classes, (whose minimum number of students are more than our maximum).  At the end, you SAVE TIME AND MONEY, learning quickly yet thoroughly. WE FOCUS ON ONE OF ONE TUITION.
That always was and is our strength. Education guaranteed.

You will have your own program, own project and you will work at your own pace. Students find themselves enjoying the company of other like-minded students with the added advantage of learning further sewing techniques from each other’s projects.
Due to the undeniable high standard of teaching and learning, classes fill very quickly with weeks if not months in advance.  So, if you are interested in enrolling now or later, our advice is contact us as soon as possible and put your name down for your desired day/time.
    
                             BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED, ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!!

 

NUMBER OF LESSONS

We offer on-going classes, 5 week block cycles only. We can accommodate for lessons on a weekly or fortnightly basis, depending on what suits you and the availability of places.
After the first block, students can enrol in further blocks. The length of the time you attend is up to you. Start and stop when you want.
The duration of the classes vary from 2, 3 or 3.5 hrs, depending on the class. Have a look at our timetable.
Make sure to have the days of your booked lessons free, as we don’t offer make up lessons.

 

WHO ARE THE TEACHERS FOR THE SEWING WORKSHOP™?

ANA FATACCIOLI   -  See  her experience on the first page

TRACY CHAPPEL -  Tracy has more than 20 years experience as Dressmaker. She took 22 courses covering: Dressmaking, Patternmaking, Grading with Ana Fataccioli during 5 years. Tracy was one of her best students and now is one of the tutors of The Sewing Workshop™. She is also interested in screen printing, dying, quilting and embellishment like embroidery.  Once her hobby, today is a career. She is in her second year studying to become a home-economics teacher at QUT.

BRONWYN CAIRNS.-  Bronwyn has a Bachelor in Fashion Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She was Fashion Teacher at Box Hill TAFE and Import Coordinator of fashion labels. Bronwyn has more than 20 year Industry experience to shear.

MARIANA FATACCIOLI is our youngest member.  As a Fashion Designer/Stylist/Writer, she keeps up to date with the fashion world in ways of trends, labels and designing, whilst also excelling in the production side of the industry with well refined sewing and patternmaking skills.  As a young creative she teaches the students in an individual manner, creating solid foundations on which to build technically advanced sewing skills.  She studied at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE.

KELLY HILL is an artist and designer who has been creating original works of art and fashion pieces from a young age. Kelly studied fine art at university. She regularly exhibits her original paintings and provides commission pieces for individual clients. Kelly is currently studying pattern making at Ana Fataccioli’s “The Sewing Workshop” to further develop her dressmaking and design skills.
Kelly began making fashion headwear for friends and family, with a specific focus on weddings and race events. She combines her artistic and sewing skills to create original headwear and draws inspiration from materials, current fashion trends and traditional millinery styles.
Kelly recently started her own business selling stunning ready to wear headpieces and will also offer a made to order service to compliment client’s specific outfits.

 

WHO ARE THE STUDENTS FOR THE SEWING WORKSHOP™?

• Home sewers for themselves and families
• The youth of today
• The career focused: People who want to take further studies in fashion.
• Teachers from Home-economics to improve  their Sewing techniques
• People working with Fashion
• People who wants to make The Dressmaking or Patternmaking a source  of income.

 

CERTIFICATES

Ana Fataccioli is a VET accredited trainer.  The Sewing Workshop™ will give the students a Certificate of attendance which acknowledges the completion of the Level achieved. The topics covered are on the certificate the student will receive.

 

 

PATTERNS  USED FOR DRESSMAKING LESSONS

The advantage of THE SEWING WORKSHOP™ is that our students have the freedom of choosing their projects with the recommendations of our staff according to their skill level.  You will learn from commercial patterns which are at your disposal from fabric retailers.  This way, you can do your own home projects applying the skills, techniques and tricks of the trade you learn with us.
By using commercial patterns, you will learn:

• How to select your correct size
• How to read the commercial patterns, learn the plan for the layout.
• Learn to change the pattern TO FIT YOU!!!!
• Learn to read the code, marking and instructions of the commercial patterns.

Of course, you have to choose your pattern according with your sewing ability.
For our students who did Patternmaking I or II with us, we encourage you to design and make the pattern in Dressmaking classes under the teacher’s supervision and keep practice your Patternmaking skills, liberating yourselves of the use of commercial patterns.  It is about PRACTICE, PRATICE, PRACTICE !

 

 

 

WHAT ABOUT THE FITTING????......

Fitting is an imperative stage in Dressmaking, which we implement in the dressmaking  course.  We teach fitting techniques in each garment you make, so you learn to make changes on your pattern according with your posture and figure.
Commercial patterns have been developed using standard measurements; for 20 year old, B cup bodies.  So most of the time, there are changes to be made which you will learn with us. If you have AA, A, C, D, DD cup or have a tummy, big hips, flat bottom, or uneven shoulders etc... join the group, we make changes to the pattern, as we can’t change the body.
We use tissue-pin fitting as well as simple maths to do the changes when tissue fitting is not required.

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT TO BRING TO LESSONS??.......

A)SEWING EQUIPMENT

We recommend you bring your own sewing machine to teach you how to use their feet, fix the tension and solve common problems we experience during sewing. But if your machine is too heavy or you don’t have one because you are beginner, we can provide you with one of our many, top range, easy to use machines.  The class room is equip with irons, sleeve boards and hams for ironing, overlockers, cover stitch machine and an overlocker permanently set on the roll hem setting.
The sewing equipment you need and must bring are :

• Sharp scissors for fabric (We have Italian   scissors in $40.)
• Scissors for paper
• Tape measure, tailor  chalk
• Hand sewing needles
• Pins with heads
• Unpicker
• Sticky tape: magic tape brand (you can get in any News agency)

B)   PATTERNMAKING EQUIPMENT

•       A3 sketch book (Big W stationery section)
•       magic tape (sticky tape)
•       glue, pins,
•       tape measure
•      Tailor’s awl (small pointed tool)
•       a couple of 2B pencils, eraser, sharpener
•       markers for paper e.g. coloured felt pens
•       grading ruler (you can purchase this from me at a cost of $25)
•       coloured papers A4 for cutting (about 20 sheets)
•       5   mts Calico to make the toiles at home. (don’t bring to the class)
•       paper scissors

C) FASCINATORS EQUIPMENT

• Water Spray Bottle
• Glue Gun
• Paper Cutting Scissors
• Fabric Scissors
• Small Pointed Scissors (Embroidery)
• Dressmaking Pins
• Thimble
• Tape Measure
• Hand sewing needles for thicker fabrics

 

LIBRARY

Feel free to take advantage our Modern Library. We have over 300 books and more than 50 DVDs and videos which covers all aspects of Patternmaking, Fitting, Design and Dressmaking.The collection date from year 2000 onwards, so all content covered is up to date.Photocopier, computer, internet and printer are also available for the students.