What You Get When You Join The Couture Sewing Academy: The Couture Sewing Academy is an indepth video-based training program that gives you the tools, techniques, and tips you need to begin sewing with couture methods. As a student you receive access to all the videos immediately and you can learn at your own pace.   

About The Curriculum: Couture is a wild and wonderful world of amazing techniques, beautiful fabrics, and luxurious finished garments. Nothing can compare to holding a really beautifully constructed piece of clothing in your hands! Given the small scale of doll clothing, sewing doll couture specifically is an amazing canvas for these techniques, and provides a unique opportunity to workshop new methods and produce amazing art. 

Cost: The program cost is just $59.

Prerequisite: Students should have a good understanding of basic sewing and sewing machine use.

Money Back Guarantee: We know you’ll love the program, but if you’re unhappy with it for any reason, we are happy to provide a 100% money back refund – no questions asked. So there is absolutely no reason not to try the program.

Pixie Points: Be sure to enroll in our Pixie Perks program to receive Pixie Points on these purchases. Points earned for every dollar you spend can be redeemed for a a variety of offers on a future purchase. 

What Is Haute Couture?

Simply put, Haute Couture is exclusive, custom-fitted fashion constructed largely by hand. It's a dedication to quality, perfection, and excellence; couture also tackles unique design challenges with creative solutions, and focuses intently on details.

Couture garments are marked by gorgeous, luxurious fabrics; strong designs; creative use of basic construction techniques; extensive inner support; and a dedication to craftsmanship and precision throughout. Experienced and capable sewers (who are called mains -- the French word for "hand") spend hours constructing, pressing, basting, and fitting these garments. A true haute couture garment can take hundreds of hours to create, and cost in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this respect, couture is definitely an art form.

In France, the phrase haute couture (which just means "high sewing") is regulated by strict standards; for a garment or house to be called "haute couture" requires extensive certification and approval by the ChambreSyndicale de la Haute Couture. Currently there are only a handful of certified couture houses in Paris; in the past, there were about 200. In other parts of the world, the term “couture” is used more loosely to refer to high-fashion garments.

One step below couture is called "Luxury Ready-To-Wear" (prêt-à-porter in French). Ready-to-wear garments often feature extensive machine sewing, quicker construction methods, and a more generalized fit. They still often feature fabulous materials and outstanding designs, but the customized, hand-embellished and finished couture bit isn’t there. Ready to wear also usually looks more like our expectations of a "finished" garment, including linings, facings and, occasionally, serged seam allowances. By contrast, a couture garment can appear unfinished on the inside; while linings are used in couture garments, it’s also not uncommon to see hand-overcast seam allowances, stays, and other structural components. Every aspect of a couture garment has been engineered for the correct hang and shaping of the garment, rather than for hanger appeal or expediency.

Most garments in America that are marketed as "couture" are actually much more like ready-to-wear garments, rather than true haute couture. This blurring of the lines between couture and ready-to-wear is a marketing thing. For the purposes of this class, we’ll focus on the Parisian tradition of couture, and then examine its application to doll clothing, as well as mention pertinent ready-to-wear techniques.

What You'll Learn In This Program: This course will cover the following topics:

Introduction to Couture: In this section we'll learn about Couture and begin to understand Doll Couture vs. Haute Couture. We also cover Hand Stitching and Preparing and Marking Fabric.

Pressing Matters: In this section we cover Theory of Pressing, Pressing Tools, and Pressing Technique.

Controlling Bulk: In this section we'll cover the Theory related to fabric bulk, Preparing the Garment, Clipping, Grading, and Pounding.

Engineering a Couture Garment: In this section we'll cover choosing your Fashion Fabric, methods for Perfecting the Fit, how to use Backing Fabrics, Interfacing, Stays, Weights and Boning.

Edge Finishes: In this section we cover Hems, Facings, Bindings, Seam Finishes, and methods for choosing an Edge Finish.

Closures: In this section we cover Zippers, Plackets, Snaps and Hooks as well as Buttons and Buttonholes.

Embellishments: In this section we cover Applying Sequins, Beads, Embroidery, and Passementerie. We also cover Fabric as Embellishment and using Lace.

Specialty Techniques: In this section we cover Welt Pockets, Windowpanes, and Sewing Curved Seams with Success.

Your Couture Journey: In this section we cover gathering inspiration, Adding Couture Techniques to an existing pattern, and Fabric Selection

FAQ

Q: Would this be appropriate for homeschool curriculum?

A: Yes, as long as the student has a sewing machine. 

Q: Do you need to purchase additional patterns to get started with?

A: No everything is provided to learn the techniques.

Q: Do I need any additional tools or resources?

A: Yes. Students need the following supplies:

• Standard-sized notebook
• Sharp hand needles
• Thread for hand sewing
• Silk thread
• Beeswax
• Standard Iron
• White or off-white Silk Organza (1/2 or 1 yd, available online at Mood Fabrics or NYFashionCenterFabrics.com)
• Tailor’s chalk
• Chalk wheel
• Clear flexible ruler
• Sharp dressmaker’s shears and small clipping scissors
• Dressmaker's Awl or Stiletto
• Sharp, glass-headed pins
• Fabric scraps for completing optional Samples
• Embellishment Supplies (beads, sequins, embroidery floss, cording, &c)
• Embroidery Hoop

Q. What happens after I buy?

A. You will receive the download links instantly to download or stream your videos. The files are large - about 900MB each. It is recommended that you download and save the files for watching offline. Streaming the videos may not work well if you have a poor/slower internet connection or data limits.

More Questions? If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]