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Next Intake: September 15, 2025

Behind The Seams: Building Costumes with Confidence (Halloween Edition)

Whether you dream of crafting fantastical stage costumes, screen-worthy characters, or bold personal creations, this class is your launchpad. We’ll begin with your original design idea and walk through the exciting (and sometimes delightfully chaotic) process of costume building. From concept to construction, you’ll gain hands-on experience with essential techniques and tools used in the world of costume creation.

What you'll learn
in this workshop

In this six-week course, we’ll cover essential garment construction and costume craft skills to help you bring your big visions to life! Starting with your own original design, we’ll discuss, plan and then dive in to the creative, fun, sometimes ridiculous process of costume building. Please come to the first class ready with an idea (or a couple ideas) for a costume you’d like to make.

Students will begin by brainstorming and selecting a costume idea, learning how to plan and adapt their vision into a feasible, buildable design

Through hands-on instruction, students will gain skills in sewing, draping, and other essential construction methods, tailored specifically for costume creation.

By the end of the course, students will bring their costume ideas to life, overcoming creative and technical challenges throughout the design and construction process.

Course Delivery

In-person

Next Start Date

September 15, 2025 (No class on Oct. 13)

Class Time

6-8pm, Mon & Wed

Course Length

6 weeks (Total 24 hours)

Tuition

$495 (CAD) tax incl.

Meet your
instructor

Jennifer Risk

Fashion Design Department Head

Jennifer Risk is a costume designer and maker with a background in opera, having worked at Opera Santa Barbara and Portland Opera. She holds a PhD in Geography and loves knitting, quilting, and fashion history.

Course
Information

  • Glass head pins with pin magnet or cushion,

  • Set of hand sewing needles,

  • Seam ripper,

  • Thread snips, fabric shears,

  • Craft scissors (any size), medium weight muslin (4 meters),

  • Soft tape measure, 2”x18”

  • Clear grid ruler, French or vary form curve,

  • 1 coil zipper (non-separating, 7” or less),

  • Set of tailors chalk (1 white, 1 blue) 

    [Thread, fabric and notions for final project – will depend on final project]  

    *all measuring tools should be in imperial! 

  • Set of coloured pencils, 2 graphite pencils – 1 soft, 1 hard (4B, 6B or 8B and HB, 2H or 4H),
  • A good eraser, a 11x14 mixed media sketchpad, a black Sharpie, a red Sharpie, set of 3 black micron pens, white Posca paint pen (1M or 3M), 1.5”-2” binder, clear plastic sleeves, lined paper for note taking 

Upcoming classes for 2025:

  • TBC

Make time for your creativity.

Join our evening design workshops and gain hands-on experience in high-demand creative fields—without leaving your day job. Perfect for professionals, upskillers, and career changers.

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