Crafting patterns

Kuilan Price talks swiftly, all the while smiling. In the typical Singaporean style. And all the while her hands move in swift co-ordination to measure and gauge, convert a pattern on a piece of paper onto a piece of cloth, ready to be sewn into a perfect figure-hugging apparel.

Kuilan has been a professional dress-maker and teacher for more than 30 years. A certified teacher of home economics, she began teaching at Secondary Schools in Singapore continuing in Bahrain and England. In England, she made professional wedding dresses and formal ball-gowns.

She teaches at Dubai International Art Centre right now, a six-week-course that started in the second week of May with two lessons a week.

"To most people who enjoy sewing and making their own clothes, the most frustrating problem is finding a suitable pattern that fits well," she says. "Making your own patterns solves this problem and adds a new dimension to your sewing."

At DIAC, she teaches students to learn to take body measurements and draft the basic pattern on 'blocks' for bodice, skirt, trousers and sleeve. Then they learn to adapt the different patterns into different styles. "What they learn is a concept which will enable them to make patterns of their own designs. Not only will they be able to make the patterns to their exact requirements, they will also get a perfect fit."

Following on from the pattern-making course is the sewing course, where students can cut and sew garments to their own designs.

"That is the reason why the course is split into two parts, so students can learn both side-by-side," she explained.

The course caters for people with little or no knowledge of sewing, as well as the experienced dressmaker who has sewn only with commercially-bought patterns. "In order to learn one must have the basic desire and interest," she said.

Her teaching experience in Singapore had been different where the students had been very young, but here at DIAC, the environment is casual and friendly, like regular 'coffee mornings', and since interested adults only enroll, there are a lot of discussions regarding each pattern. She finds wedding gowns and fancy dresses more challenging, as they invite a lot of creativity.

Kuilan also dabbles a lot in oil and water-colour and attends classes for painting. "In Dubai, I had the opportunity of exploring the other art-related avenues and they give vent to my artistic abilities," she says.

Her happiest moment is when her students are able to create, cut and produce their own individually-styled outfit.
For more information, call DIAC on 3444398.