Wilson School of Design

Course Number: FSDP 9043
Course Price: Cost $100 + GST
Upcoming Dates: May 16 OR May 26, In-Person (course is one day only, offered on two dates) Online Option Available
Course Hours: 9am to 2:50pm  (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

This course is ideal for educators as well as anyone with a Cricut at home or those interested in learning how to use Cricut Design Space to create heat transfer applications and sticker sheets. It is especially beneficial for teachers looking to create classroom resources or engage with school club activities.

Course Number: FSDP 9042
Course Price:  $225 + GST
Upcoming Dates: May 24, May 31, Jun 7, In-Person & Online Option - 3 Saturdays
Course Hours: 9am to 2:50pm  (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

This is an introductory course on hand embroidery for ages 12+. Students will be introduced to various hand embroidery techniques including but not limited to: woven wheel, satin stitch, leaf stitch, back stitch, running stitch, blanket stitch, and French knot. Students will learn how to design and transfer embroidery patterns, plan for their design, and how to select threads and uses for various types of stitches for different functions. Students will use these stitches to create an embroidery design.

Course Number: FSDP 9017
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: July 21 - July 25, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Learn the art of working with plants and food to naturally dye fabric.  This course will provide participants with a unique and enjoyable exploration of various textile treatments and techniques especially focusing on the use of natural dyes. These techniques will be taught with instructions that make the processes a learning experience not only for the craft itself but also for the history and cultural understanding of these processes and their relevance to the textile work and innovations of today.

Why should you register?
Have a garden of plants that you would like to try and dye some fabric with, or have you seen some posts on social media of others who have explored natural fabric dying, but you aren’t sure where to start? Do you know that when fabric dying with avocado you end up with a pretty peach colour? Come join us and learn how to naturally dye fabric with a range of plant and food items.

Course Number: FSDP 9037
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: July 26 - August 30 (6 x Saturdays), In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 3:20pm  (includes half hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

This course covers foundational sewing knowledge including how to purchase fabrics and how to work with PDF sewing patterns. Throughout this course students will be constructing a unisex long-sleeve button-up utility shirt. Course content explores working with woven fabrics, sewing collars, collar stands, button plackets, pockets, setting in sleeves and sleeve cuffs. All the video demonstration tutorials include clear directions and trouble-shooting tips.

Course Number: FSDP 9041
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: July 28 - Aug 1, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Learn how to sew details and techniques commonly seen in dresses.  An overview of basic sewing knowledge relating to grainlines, finishing, and working with woven fabrics will be covered in this course. Depending on student’s sewing experience and areas of interest the following will be explored: facings, necklines, hemming, zippers, and seam types.  All in-class sewing will be done on industrial machines, no previous sewing experience is needed.

Why should you register?
Are you dreaming of a summery dress, or perhaps have some upcoming events to attend that you would like to make a special occasion item for and need some support? Join us and learn about some dress related details and tips for sewing, and even engage in some light pattern drafting or alterations to address fit and add details like pockets.

Course Number: FSDP 9040
Course Price: $300 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 5 - Aug 8, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 2:50pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

In this dynamic and hands-on course, you’ll gain practical experience using a range of industrial sewing machines, including straight stitch, sergers, and various specialty machines available on campus. You’ll develop a strong foundation in machine operation, with a focus on threading techniques, understanding fabric thickness, managing tension, and troubleshooting common issues.

As part of the course, you’ll apply your skills to an exciting upcycling project—transforming a pair of jeans and a t-shirt into a fully functional and stylish tote bag. Throughout this process, you’ll work with machines such as the coverstitch, flatlock, and buttonhole to explore different construction methods and machine uses.

Whether you're new to sewing or looking to strengthen your technical abilities, this course offers a creative, skill-building experience in a professional workshop setting. Join us and start creating with confidence!

Why should you register?
Curious about industrial machinery used in the fashion industry? Are you starting, or are you planning on applying to one of the Wilson School of Design programs and are itching to get in the labs and explore the machinery we have on site and their capabilities? Do you just want to better understand machinery and their capabilities to inform your designs? This is the course for you!

Course Number: FSDP 9001
Course Price: $300 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 5 - Aug 8, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 2:50pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Interested in learning more about what designers do? Learn from a range of design educators from the Wilson School of Design and create inspiration materials and illustrations, transform shapes into soft objects, and practice photo manipulation through computer programs like Adobe Photoshop. Each day includes a different design area and projects done at home while working with your instructor. Each student will build a personalized design portfolio and projects that will be valuable for a future in design. No previous experience needed ages 12+.

Why should you register?
Are you between the ages of 12-17, interested in design and itching to learn more? Join us in this course and we will share a range of skills so that you might develop your own design practice. If you are thinking of pursuing post-secondary design education this course will be a great one to help you start to develop a portfolio.

Course Number: FSDP 9004
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 11 - Aug 15, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Participants will learn pattern drafting and construction techniques for knits. They will construct and prototype knit tops and bottoms from commercial patterns, learning creative finishes for seams, hems, and necklines, while sampling a variety of industrial sewing machines on campus. During group conversations we will explore amounts of stretch, negative ease, and other considerations when working with knit fabrics.

Why should you register?
Do you have a favorite t-shirt in your closet that has perhaps seen better days? Maybe it's a hoodie? Join us in this course and you will learn tips and tricks for sewing with knit fabrics, and have a chance to work with the specialty knitwear machines we have on campus such as the coverstitch machine (if you are wearing a t-shirt right now look at the hem, if there are two lines of stitching on the front this has probably been done with a coverstitch machine), flatlock machines (think leggings and flat seams), industrial sergers and more!

Course Number: FSDP 9038
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 11 - Aug 15, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Learn the fundamentals of pattern drafting and sewing by working your way through making a tote bag and zippered pouch. Together we will draft patterns for these two bags, discussing pattern drafting basics, and pattern design, and pattern alterations.  Once we have patterns to work with, we will move on to sewing both bags covering skills such as selecting and cutting out fabric, working with zippers, linings, seam types and finishes, and much more.  Course content will also touch on troubleshooting techniques for pattern drafting and sewing, and tips for building on skills and knowledge covered in the course.

Why should you register?
Curious about how bags are made? Register in this course if you are looking to learn more about bag making, gain foundational skills in pattern drafting, and learn more about prototype processes.

Course Number: FSDP 9039
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 18 - Aug 22, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Students will learn pattern and design techniques as they manipulate commercial and pre-existing patterns. In this course we will explore pattern drafting basics, sew prototypes, and experiment with fit for different body types. Suitability of fabrics for design decisions will also be discussed.

Why should you register?
Have you worked with commercial and ready-made patterns but have struggled to get the fit right? Or perhaps you have a design in mind but can’t find the right pattern to act as a starting point. This course is for you if you are looking to gain skills in pattern alteration for both design and fit, and are excited to work with a commercial pattern as a starting point.

Course Number: FSDP 9007
Course Price: $350 + GST
Upcoming Dates: Aug 18 - Aug 22, In-Person
Course Hours: 9am to 5:20pm (includes one hour lunch)
Location: Richmond Campus, Wilson Building

Hands-on exploration of the fashion design process is at the core of this course. You'll develop themes and storyboards, learn to sketch fashion figures, experiment with fabric draping for garment ideas, and hone your digital drawing skills using industry-standard software like Adobe Illustrator. Content will be explored from a perspective of how  knowledge and skills covered in the course may also apply and relate to careers in the fashion industry. No prior drawing experience is necessary, making this course accessible to all.

Why should you register?
Are you considering applying to an art or design program but need guidance on creating a portfolio? Curious about how the skills you gain might relate to careers in the fashion industry, and the type of careers that are available? Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to enhance your existing skills, this course offers a focused approach to developing a fashion-oriented portfolio, along with knowledge of how these skills may be applied in an industry setting. While the emphasis is on fashion, the skills and knowledge covered are applicable across various art and design