Work flow: Bring your dress sketches to life.

Do you have big questions about how to bring your dress sketches to life?  

• What are my first steps so I don’t waste fabric and time?
• Do I cut a basic leotard and then reshape the neckline?
• Do I need a skirt yoke or an overdress?
• At what point in the fittings should I do add sleeves or fancy cut-outs?
• In what order should I sew the dress pieces together?

Do you ponder similar questions each time you begin sewing a Dancesport, Country artistic roller or figure skating dress? 

Have you spent hours fixing a sewing mess-up that could have been prevented if you had known which steps to do first?

Then read below to get three training videos on WORK FLOW: how to turn your paper dress sketch in a 3-D dress with ease and efficiency!

As you probably know, I created an online sewing school teaching folks how to make competition-quality women's costumes for Dancesport, Country, figure skating and artistic roller skating.   I called my business Sew Like A Pro™ because I try to share as much professional dressmaker training as possible, in every facet of training that I offer. 

This topic of WORK FLOW is one of the sewing school member favorites because it helps them create gorgeous gowns with more ease!

Check out this WORK FLOW ANALYSIS which is a direct excerpt from a live session inside the sewing school. ... There are two more WORK FLOW training videos lower on this page that I suggest you also check out. 

 WORK FLOW ANALYSIS:  SIMPLE dress design  

P.S.  Cindy Rhea did not know how to sew when she enrolled in my Sew Like A Pro™ sewing school.  No joke!  I learned this while filming a blog with her.  Catch Cindy's funny story on the 2022 Fashion Show page.

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Would you love to improve the ease with which you turn your ballroom dance and skating dress sketches into a 3-D reality?

You can save time and money, not to mention your sanity.  All by learning how to determine if your dress design is simple, medium or complex ... and how to determine which sewing and fitting steps to do at what point in the dressmaking process.

That's a big promise, I know.  But it is true.

For example, Sew Like A Pro™ member Josi sews for her granddaughter Zoe.  Josi has been in the sewing school for several years, and wow, have her ice skating dress designs gotten more complex!  Also, the professional feel and creativity of Josi's dresses continue to rise which impresses me to no end.

Take a close look at this image.  You see Josi's original dress sketch. A snapshot of the fitting (Josi only had one personal fitting because Zoe lives in a different state.)   And then the final performance with Zoe wearing the finished skating dress.  Impressive, isn't it?

The ice-flocked stretch mesh caused some fitting issues, but we talked through it during one of the SLP™ Mentorship Q&As.  As you can see, the dress turned out beautifully!

 WORK FLOW ANALYSIS: 

 MEDIUM - COMPLEX dress sketch  

But how does Josi know the best way to go from step A to step R for rhinestone?

1. She is in the Sew Like A Pro™ school so she has comprehensive dressmaker training available to her 24/7.
2. Josi is active on our live Mentorship Q&A coaching sessions as well as in our strong, global SLP™ community.
3. WORK FLOW sessions help Josi know which dressmaking steps to do at what point in the process.

How can I learn how to make stunning dresses with accuracy?

1. 1. You can join Josi in the Sew Like A Pro™ school.  We would love to have your talent and dedication in our group!
   2. Watch the free dressmaker training here on this website.  It's like a super tiny sewing school.
   3. Scour all the blogs on my website and take notes... No joke.  My videos and written blogs are detailed to give you high quality training at no cost.
   4. Get quick inspiration and dressmaker tips when you follow Sew Like A Pro™ on social media.

Follow Sew Like A Pro™ on your favorite social media platform for great designs that applies to all styles of ballroom, country and skate dresses!     

Why is knowing the work flow of sewing a dance or skate dress design important? 

Experience level

There is a big difference in what type of ballroom dance or skating dress a newcomer seamstress can make as compared to what an experienced dressmaker can create! 

Making a simple dress can instill confidence and save the sanity of a new seamstress (or those new to making women's dance and skate costumes.)  Whereas if a new dressmaker tries to make a complex design on the first attempt, it can be so painful the person gives up and never wants to try again.

Sometimes the seamstress gets lucky and the dress design is easier to make than she originally thought.  But more often, bringing your dress sketches to life is more complicated than expected.  Complex dress designs always (and I mean always) take more planning, sewing and stitch ripping.  Not to mention you need a lot more patience and confidence in your dressmaker skills.  If the dress design is complex, I usually suggest a new dressmaker put it on hold until they have more experience.

Time constraints

Sewing dance and skate dresses can be very time consuming!  Why choose a complex dress sketch when you need to wear the dress in three days?  If you are short on time, making a simple to moderate design will help you finish more quickly than making a complex dress sketch.

Client investment

Do you sew for income?  In order to maximize your profit, you need to know whether a dress sketch is simple, medium or difficult to make!  Time = money when you do custom sewing projects (or alterations.)

Does your client has a small budget and wishes to spend a minimal amount of money?  Then you definitely want to make the simplest dress possible so it takes less hours to make and fit, thereby keeping you within your budget.

What if your client has a large money budget?   Then you have the flexibility to make a complex design requiring many more hours of preparing, cutting, sewing with multiple fittings.

Check out my Dressmaker Business Academy for solid tips on how to thrive, not survive, with your bespoke sewing business.  Whether you make dance or skate costumes, wedding dresses, theater attire or custom home accessories, my Dressmaker Business Academy is (I believe) the only business coaching program geared specifically to help those who sew for income. 

 WORK FLOW ANALYSIS: 

 SIMPLE - MEDIUM dress sketch 

Get your next dance or skate dress started with ease ...

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