Costume Draping Workshop Fall 2026

Led by seasoned costume cutter and pattern-drafting expert Lela Stairs, sewers will explore and practice foundational draping techniques used to establish blocks or slopers that include size and design details.

Students will learn and expand on:

Day 1: Draping Fundamentals: Bodices and Skirts

• understand grainlines, balance, and fabric behavior
• draping fitted bodices and skirts, incorporating ease, common fitting corrections

Day 2: Creative Draping: Collars & Bias Cowls

• pattern transfer tips
• create and manipulate collar styles
• drape bias-cut cowls and understand bias fabric behavior

Day 3: Draping with Knits & Design Project

• Drape with knit fabrics on a dress form
• Transfer draped muslins into usable paper patterns

Skills that Participants will obtain by taking this course:

• Accurate grain placement
• Smooth shaping
• Balance and accurate fitting
• Pattern markings
• Creative design elements used in draping
• Construction planning

 Note: Students are to bring some supplies of their own: basic sewing kit including fabric shears, paper scissors, measuring tape, pins, hand sewing needles, marking pencils, pattern paper, French curve, tracing wheel, notebook and rulers.

The studio will provide dress forms, muslin, knit and bias-cut fabric samples, twill tape, an iron and pressing station, table space, and measurement sheets.

Off the Wall will also have on hand the workshop reference book The Art of Fashion Draping by Connie Amaden-Crawford.

Join Lela in her Stratford Festival studio and learn how to transform fabrics through draping to create fashion magic.