Purpose
Not only do you get to make some amazing clothes that are unique, you are embarking on a journey of self-discovery, enrichment and purpose.
As you progress through each of the modules it is our hope that you learn new skills, and, in so doing, you will gain more confidence and better sense of well-being. With this better feeling on the inside it may allow you to tackle more of life’s challenges and maybe do more of the things that you really want to do.
A skill level is associated with each module:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Courageously stretch yourself along the path . . .
Tutorials
We are running tutorials to cover the basics of working with this pattern. Such topics as “How to measure your body correctly” and “How to adjust the pattern for your body” will be covered. Please check our online workshops for details.
Key learnings
As you use each module your skill set will increase giving you more confidence and the flexibility to try new things. As you create your ModularME #1 top you will learn:
How to measure your body
How to select a size that is right for you
How to grade the pattern (alter the fit of parts of the pattern to suit you)
How to lay your pattern pieces on the fabric
How to stay stitch curved edges
How to pin and stitch a dart
How to attach a facing
How to understitch
3/4 Sleeve Module
Our first module is a 3/4 Sleeve Module
This module features a simple 3/4 length sleeve that adds a whole new level of versatility to your top. With your top no longer just suitable for warm weather, you can now start creating garments for cooler weather. The sleeve is also an added bonus if you like a bit sun protection for your arms.
Other features:
- Can be lengthened or shortened to suit your style
- Can be cut as one piece or two to enable you to splice different fabrics
Tutorials
We hold online tutorials to provide instruction and to expand the possibilities with this sleeve module.
Skill level for this module
Beginner
Cost of this module: $5
(the price of a decent flat white)
Key learnings
In this 3/4 Sleeve Module you will learn:
How to lengthen or shorten the sleeve to suit your body or personal style
How to attach the sleeve
How to hem a sleeve
These photos show some of the possibilities when using the sleeve module.
The Patch Pocket Module
Pockets are one of the simplest pattern add-ons. They’re functional and elevate garments to the next level.
Patch Pockets are the simplest pockets you can add and are the kind that are used on the back of jeans for example, but you will have also seen them used on tops, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, aprons etc.
This module covers how to add Patch Pockets to your garment.
It is suited to use with the ModularME #1 Base Pattern. The instructions in this module refer to steps in the ModularME #1 Base Pattern instructions so please have them at the ready!
Key learnings
In this Patch Pocket Module you will learn:
How to create and cut curved edges of multiple sizes
How to fold and sew curved edges
How to edgestitch
Skill level for this module
Beginner
Cost of this module: $0
(that’s right – it’s a freebie)
The Highline Yoke Module
Adding a yoke adds versatility and personality to your garment. Once you have mastered this technique you can apply it to other areas of a garment to change the look, add a complimentary fabric panel, the options simply open up before you!
In this module, rather than give you a pattern, you will be shown the easy steps to create your own yoke pattern using the ModularME #1 Top pattern as a base. This simple skill will expand your understanding of garment construction and build your confidence to try other ways of altering patterns.
Key learnings
This module helps you expand your understanding of garment construction. In this Highline Yoke Module you will learn:
How to cut your original pattern piece to create new pattern pieces
How to use pattern trace to recreate your pattern pieces
Skill level for this module
Beginner
Cost of this module: $5
The Dress Module
Learning how to extend a top into a dress is one of the most wonderful skills in garment making you can acquire. Imagine being able to extend your favourite tops into dresses – even if you have a non-standard body shape! And isn’t that everybody!
In this module, you will be able to create a dress pattern that really fits you well. Once you have your dress pattern your possibilities of dress design will open before your eyes!
Key learnings
Besides giving you a huge boost in your sewing confidence, you’ll learn how to:
Combine modules
Shorten or lengthen hem lines
Skill level for this module
Beginner
Cost of this module: $5
The Story of ModularME
Hi, I’m Julie, the creator of Modular ME. I am a maker from way back in the last century….ha ha! Seriously though, I have been sewing for as long as I can remember! Sewing is my thing! My tonic, my joy, my love! After a circuitous career in a range of quasi-creative pursuits, I found myself opening a sewing studio in 2012. We called it Ministry of Handmade!
Since then I have taught LOTS of people to sew clothing, accessories and soft furnishings. While accessories and soft furnishings are fairly straight forward, people seemed to struggle more with clothing. Let’s face it, making a cover (dress or top) for a body, is a lot different to make a cover for a cushion!!!
People were struggling with:
- What shaped garments suited them
- How to fit their own body shape
- Sewing garments that suited their own personality and lifestyle
- How to take a basic pattern, master it and then reinvent creatively to look different
- Selecting patterns that matched their skill level
So, the seed of an idea stated to germinate!!!
What if I could create a simple pattern for a top, that someone could sew quickly and easily. Then, what if I started teaching how to turn that top into a dress, how to make the sleeves longer, how to add a roll collar, how to add pockets!!! Boy, I got excited! I still have my original sketches of my concepts, pencilled in a notebook while on a camping holiday on a quiet Queensland surf beach!
So the Simply Sewn Top was born in 2017. In quick succession, using my base pattern, I made ten different tops using fabrics I already had. (#tentopsintendays).
Gathering momentum
The base pattern has been used for lots of workshops since then and the project has gathered momentum.
The concept continued to grow and take on a life force of its own!! And now in 2020, our base pattern is ready to launch as a downloadable PDF. But now it is way more than a pattern, it is a pattern system! (That little seed has turned into a sturdy plant that is growing branches and reaching for the sky!)
Our pattern system is designed to help people learn to sew, step by step, technique by technique…building confidence and skills along the way!
Regularly published modules, will enable makers to modify the pattern to suit themselves…add sleeves, add pockets, add a yoke, add buttons, add colour blocking…..the aviations are literally limitless. And every garment created will be unique and original…..just like its maker!
The perfect antidote to fast fashion!
ModularME will empower makers to create garments at their own pace, in their own way, using fabrics of their choice (recycling existing garments, fabrics from their stash or using new fabric if they wish). Garments with inclusions and features that they love, garments that fit well, garments that they feel happy in!
The ModularME team!
While I birthed the idea, I have been encouraged and supported by two people I love dearly. Maurice, my husband, (whose computer skills, design capabilities and tenacity defy logic) has been beavering behind the scenes working on the pattern getting it ready for launch date! And Lauren, our daughter, whose sense of style, eye for detail, passion for teaching and love of the discipline of sewing, warms my heart!!
We hope you get as much joy from using the ModularME pattern as we have had creating it!