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July 2020
Born Again Dressmaker
Born Again Dressmaker. Do some or all of the following apply to you? Returning to dressmaking after a long break? Wanting a more professional finish? Can’t buy the dress you have in mind? Have a little more time to sew for yourself & others? Then this is the course for you! A one day course for experienced beginners. On the day we will be going through basics in Preparation, Construction, & Finishing touches. The preparation section will include notes on…
Find out more »Extreme Pattern Drafting
Extreme Pattern Drafting is a different way of making patterns to fit you. No need to start with a blank piece of paper. The pattern companies have already done the boring bit for you. So you take their basic block & make it up. We do all the alterations for a personal fit. Once we have this master pattern it’s time to have some fun. Designing your own patterns is a doddle when you can simply draw the pattern design…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Sample Collection I – Perfect Shirts
Sample Collection I - Perfect Shirts is a one day course giving lots of tips and techniques used in every day shirts, dresses and blouses. You will start the day by constructing a mitred sleeve placket, it only takes minutes. Next comes the construction of collars and cuffs from light weight silk and polyesters to the most professional tailored two-piece collar and band. Tips will include superb corners, mitred points, cross graining collar canvasses and contouring shirt stands on the…
Find out more »Fine Lingerie
Fine Lingerie. What could be more perfect to wear under a designer outfit than expensive lingerie? Well, it can look expensive and it can certainly feel expensive, so why not create your own touch of luxury? Using the richest and finest of silks and cotton lawns you will create lace appliqué, cutting lace to any shape or form, shadow work, pin tucking, french seaming, hairline seaming, bias bound edges, shoe string straps and lingerie straps finished with the tiniest of…
Find out more »August 2020
Fit to Finish with a Fit to Flatter Attitude.
Fit to finish solves the problem of How, Why and Where do I fit? This is a question I have been asked time and time again. You have read the books, seen the patterns and tried various fitting programmes, but to no avail. Why is fitting such a great problem and yet it is one of the most essential ingredients to achieving a totally professional finish to hand made clothes. I believe I have the answer!! From this workshop you…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Speed Tailoring the Michelle Pye Way
Two days to be introduced to Speed Tailoring. You will learn about & test our special interfacings. Which are all available in the shop. How to cut & apply them properly without bubbling. I will show how to cut & use a floating chest piece. A great chest reinforcement to use with any weight of cloth. Once all the interfacings are in place we will then start with the makeup of the jacket. The four stages of the collar application…
Find out more »September 2020
INSIDE SECRETS C1
Inside Secrets gives you a peek in to the world of interfacings/interlinings Which can be a complicated & at first glance quite boring subject but seeing the difference they can make is the most exciting part of dressmaking/tailoring. Michelle brings you a whole day studying the combination of fabrics, interlinings and linings. Learn how to eliminate everyday problems: limp bodices, floppy collars, heavy hems, seams ridges, see through dresses, seating and creasing. During the course you will compile a picture dictionary…
Find out more »COUTURE FINISHES
Couture Finishes is a one day workshop for all abilities. You will leave this one day workshop with a lifetime of knowledge and a guarantee you will never make hand made clothes with a home-made finish again! Samples will be made of a zip placement that cannot go wrong, immediately cure the problem of spreading at the top of the zip and one side being shorter than the other. Tailored hems, no stitches to be seen. The bound buttonhole, totally created…
Find out more »Fit to Finish III – Trousers
Fit to Finish III - Trousers are the next in line for the special Fit to Finish treatment. Trousers are probably the most difficult garment to fit, but by using the magical Fit to Finish formula we can tackle this age old problem. Again calico toilles will be provided for you to try on & your personal fittings pinned in to it. A commercial pattern will be provided so you can alter this to fit you. A personalised toile will…
Find out more »Trouser Making Day
Trouser Making Day. Using the pattern from the fit to finish trouser fitting course, why not join us for a day to make your own trousers. Bring your own fabric, cotton & zip (all other haberdashery items will be provided for you) & we will go through all the necessary techniques to make your first pair of beautifully fitted trousers. From the cutting out to the hand finishing stages you will be amazed how easy it is to get a…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Winter Coat Making
Winter Coat Making is a five day course for you to come along & make a Winter/Raincoat. The choice of pattern is entirely yours. You make a toille & I will fit it on the first day. Then show you how to create a perfect Winter/Raincoat using the fusible interfacings exclusive to English Couture Company. Techniques will include any design features your coat requires including pockets, lapels, collars (fur if needed) cuff plackets & hand worked buttonholes. You will need…
Find out more »Bra Making
£95
Bra Making Bra Making is not difficult if you have a general knowledge of sewing. Some people have laughed when I’ve mentioned making bras, but I always know when a lady has difficulty finding the right size. This course is for any one who can’t get a comfortable bra. 7 out of 10 ladies are probably wearing the wrong size to begin with!! I have made sample bras to try on. When we get the right size, adjustments can be…
Find out more »Gentlemen’s Trousers
Gentlemen's Trousers. Making Bespoke Gentlemen's Trousers is a work of art. Hand finishing gives them that special look only found in the top tailoring workrooms. Michelle delves in to her tailoring past to bring you frog mouth pockets, hand sewn zips & waistbands with curtain finish . These are just some of the techniques covered on this workshop. We will make a sample pair of Gentlemen's Trousers for you to refer to when making trousers at home. Dress your man…
Find out more »October 2020
Sample Collection II – Working With Finer Fabrics
Sample Collection II. This day has been designed to help with the conversion of finer fabrics into everyday beautiful garments. A superb range of samples will be made to include silk blouses with the addition of padded facings to eliminate the use of shoulder pads. Next you will set a sleeve into an armhole using a very fine, difficult cloth. This will include armhole finishing, sleeve head variations and delicately bound placket openings. During these projects you will discuss the…
Find out more »Fit to Finish III – Trousers
£190
Fit to Finish III - Trousers are the next in line for the special Fit to Finish treatment. Trousers are probably the most difficult garment to fit, but by using the magical Fit to Finish formula we can tackle this age old problem. Again calico toilles will be provided for you to try on & your personal fittings pinned in to it. A commercial pattern will be provided so you can alter this to fit you. A personalised toile will…
Find out more »Trouser Making Day
£95
Trouser Making Day. Using the pattern from the fit to finish trouser fitting course, why not join us for a day to make your own trousers. Bring your own fabric, cotton & zip (all other haberdashery items will be provided for you) & we will go through all the necessary techniques to make your first pair of beautifully fitted trousers. From the cutting out to the hand finishing stages you will be amazed how easy it is to get a…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Fit to Finish II – Jackets C12
Fit to Finish II. Using the same formula as the original course, we now tackle jackets. Problems which occur with sleeves, collars & lapels will be covered as well as basic fitting problems. Calico toiles will be provided for you to try on & your personal alterations pinned in, then you do the alterations to a commercial pattern & make a toile with the altered pattern for fine tuning. Students leave this course with a perfect jacket pattern plus a…
Find out more »Make the Classic Jacket as Created by Mlle. Chanel
Make the Classic Jacket as Created by Mlle. Chanel. A three day course for you to make your own personally fitted jacket in the style originally created by Mlle. Chanel. You will need to provide your own toile in the style made popular by Mlle. Chanel (ie: box shaped jacket with or without front fastenings & collar) for fitting on the first day. Once your toile has been fitted & your own alterations have been cut in to your pattern…
Find out more »Speed Tailored Jacket. Four Day Workshop
When you have that perfectly fitting pattern, join me & make a beautiful fully lined speed tailored jacket. This method of tailoring enables you to make a crisp manufactured jacket. Using the latest interfacings available no pad stitching and very little hand sewing. You provide a plain fabric (there is no time for matching checks or stripes on the course) suitable for speed tailoring. Matching lining cotton and buttons, & basic body interfacings. I’ll provide all the rest of the…
Find out more »November 2020
The Sewing Guide That Helps You to Sew Like a Professional
The Sewing Guide course will help you to update your dressmaking skills. Hi-tech fabrics, interlinings, notions and attitude to sewing just gets better, and so you need to be in the know! You will be working with many different fabrics & your sample collection will contain the finest materials such as Silks, Chiffon, and Organza through to day wear suitings such as Wool Crepe, Venetian, Gabardine and Linton Tweeds. Also to include Micro-fibres, evening wear Polyesters, Taffetas, Satin and Laces…
Find out more »Padded Bra C48
The Padded Bra is our latest Bra Making course. This time we cover making a padded bra. This is a bra using foam to make the cups. We don’t use preformed cups but create our own. This has advantages over the preformed cups as we can make a bra to your shape rather than the shape the manufacturers want you to have. The cups are made & then a fabric of your choice is sewn over the top of it…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Couture Suit Day I – The Classic Jacket Created by Mlle. Chanel
Couture Suit day I - The Classic Jacket created by Mlle. Chanel. The attention to detail and the impeccable craftsmanship is the true essence of couture. Complete with pattern and Linton tweed you will construct a part jacket in the style of jackets originally created by Mlle. Chanel , by application of block machined lining/interlining. Also included setting in sleeves, overlapped seams, enclosed collars, advice will be given for edge to edge finishing and achieving a closer fit than just…
Find out more »Couture Suit Day II – Techniques From the World’s most Famous Couturiers
Couture Suit Day II is a fantastic day covering a wonderful collection of clever, but easy to apply techniques that can be worked on every day garments. These include steaming, stretching and professionally pressing using sample fabrics. You will ease out darts without stitching, ideal for checked & patterned skirts, manipulate straight stripes to bend around curved lapels and hemlines. Next you will create a beautiful couture skirt section to include stayed vents, Paris binding, lined Dior pleats and weighted…
Find out more »Fit to Finish with a Fit to Flatter Attitude.
£285
Fit to finish solves the problem of How, Why and Where do I fit? This is a question I have been asked time and time again. You have read the books, seen the patterns and tried various fitting programmes, but to no avail. Why is fitting such a great problem and yet it is one of the most essential ingredients to achieving a totally professional finish to hand made clothes. I believe I have the answer!! From this workshop you…
Find out more »Sample Collection I – Perfect Shirts
£95
Sample Collection I - Perfect Shirts is a one day course giving lots of tips and techniques used in every day shirts, dresses and blouses. You will start the day by constructing a mitred sleeve placket, it only takes minutes. Next comes the construction of collars and cuffs from light weight silk and polyesters to the most professional tailored two-piece collar and band. Tips will include superb corners, mitred points, cross graining collar canvasses and contouring shirt stands on the…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »December 2020
Briefly Covered
£95
Briefly Covered is a one day course to make a personalised pattern for your own knickers, whether you are a fan of big knickers a la Bridget Jones, the skimpiest of thongs or anything in-between. This course will give you the inspiration for the most comfortable pair of knickers you have ever worn. The morning will be spent drafting a pattern in your size & design & the afternoon will be taken up with making the knickers. All techniques will…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »January 2021
Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »C47 Perfect Pockets
Perfect Pockets. Would you like to make pockets to be proud of? Then this is the course for you. We will be covering the most popular pockets. Jetted, welt, flapped, jetted shirt & inside lining pockets. Don’t know the difference? Don’t know where to place the pocket? Daren’t cut through your fabric? All of these problems will be answered on this brand new course for 2016. Using the methods used in the tailoring industry you will be able to make…
Find out more »Match Your Checks
£95
Match Your Checks. The attention to detail and the impeccable craftsmanship is the true essence of couture. This workshop is all about the preparation and matching of checks, stripes & chevrons. In the couture workrooms this would be one persons responsibility only. A true master of his or her profession. A unique formula will be given for jackets & coats, so you are able to match seams all around & shoulder seams. We will discuss how to apply a collar…
Find out more »February 2021
Bra Making
£95
Bra Making Bra Making is not difficult if you have a general knowledge of sewing. Some people have laughed when I’ve mentioned making bras, but I always know when a lady has difficulty finding the right size. This course is for any one who can’t get a comfortable bra. 7 out of 10 ladies are probably wearing the wrong size to begin with!! I have made sample bras to try on. When we get the right size, adjustments can be…
Find out more »Advanced Bra Making
£95
Advanced Bra Making, once you have done the Bra Making course you can move on to this course. We will cover Basic fitting alterations including making the centre front sit properly & taking in the band. Then we will move on to changing the style of your bra. How to change a partial band in to a full band, lowering the centre front to make a balconette bra & cutting a power bar will be shown. We will also make…
Find out more »Gentlemen’s Trousers
£95
Gentlemen's Trousers. Making Bespoke Gentlemen's Trousers is a work of art. Hand finishing gives them that special look only found in the top tailoring workrooms. Michelle delves in to her tailoring past to bring you frog mouth pockets, hand sewn zips & waistbands with curtain finish . These are just some of the techniques covered on this workshop. We will make a sample pair of Gentlemen's Trousers for you to refer to when making trousers at home. Dress your man…
Find out more »Make Your Own
£95
Do you want to make an outfit for a special occasion? Are you struggling with fitting? Then come & join us for one or more days on our Make Your Own course to sew your own projects. You will work at your own pace. Bring along your material & pattern & make it up with Michelle there to help you through the difficult bits.
Find out more »Ladies Professional Tailoring Six Day Course
Ladies Professional Tailoring Six Day Course is a tailoring course, which will give you the expertise at the end of six days to be able to make a jacket to a professional standard. At the same time you will be taking away a perfectly fitted garment in high quality cloth, to be admired by all & drooled over by people in the ‘know’. The course will commence with a toille fitting , arranged before the course starts, using a pattern…
Find out more »