Author: Marjorie Vaudreuil. Sewing Pattern Secrets | Design Secrets TheSewingBuzz.com and TheSewingBrew.com

The New Year is when people decide to finally learn something they’ve always been curious about.

Something creative.
Something enjoyable.
Something that quietly improves everything else they do.

Designers learn this first.
Most sewists learn it last — if at all.

And that single difference explains why some garments feel intentional… while others never quite do, even when the sewing itself is excellent.

We’ve just released a new course that fits this moment perfectly:
Intro to Fashion Illustration with Oksana Ivanchenko — the professional illustrator behind every fashion drawing inside Sewing Pattern Secrets and Design Secrets.

Now let me be very clear:

This is not about becoming an artist.
This is not about drawing pretty pictures.
And this is not an optional “extra.”

This is a planning skill — and learning it now saves you time, fabric, and frustration all year long.

Here’s what happens when sewists skip this step:

• Fabric looks right online but wrong in reality
• Necklines technically fit but feel off
• Style lines fight the body instead of working with it
• Finished garments disappoint — without an obvious reason

Those aren’t sewing mistakes.

They’re visual decisions made too late.

Fashion illustration teaches you to see the garment before it exists.

That’s why designers sketch.

Not for decoration — but for clarity.

Once you learn even the simplest form of this skill, something changes immediately:

• You evaluate drape before buying fabric
• You understand proportion before cutting
• You catch design problems early — when they’re easy to fix
• Sewing becomes more confident, more intentional, and frankly… more fun

That last part matters.

Because this is one of those rare skills that feels enjoyable to learn — yet improves everything that follows.

Oksana teaches the same foundational designer skills she uses professionally — without art-school pressure or overwhelm.

No talent required.
No guesswork.
No wasted effort.

This course started as a small bonus inside Design Secrets.

The response made it clear: this isn’t a bonus skill. It’s a missing one.

So we released it as its own training — for now.

👉 See exactly what you’ll learn inside Intro to Fashion Illustration
and decide if this is the skill you want to add at the start of your year.

— Margie
Founder, Sewing Pattern Secrets

✨ Click to Learn More about the Intro to Fashion Illustration, taught by Oksana.

The moment you learn from her, you’ll understand why so many of us adore her.

Margie, Founder Sewing Pattern Secrets, Design Secrets and now Intro to Fashion Illustration

🧵 What is Sewing Pattern Secrets (SPS)?

For the everyday sewist who wants it all—fast.

SPS is your go-to learning platform and sewing pattern vault, packed with:

✔️ 160 downloadable patterns (and new patterns added all the time!)
✔️ Sizes for women, men, kids, babies—even kid’s costumes and accessories
✔️ 50+ technical video tutorials
✔️ Step-by-step comprehensive written instructions and diagrams, fashion illustrations, and fabric links and coordinating design ideas on articles
✔️ 66+ beginner-friendly patterns
✔️ 77+ patterns that can be finished in a weekend

Whether you're teaching, sewing for your family, running an Etsy shop, or just want to stitch for joy, SPS gives you instant access to a wide range of patterns across every category and skill level.

🧵 Think of it as your always-on, easy-to-navigate sewing library—ready when you are.

🔐 One-time payment: Lifetime access
👉 Click here to explore the SPS Vault »

👉👉Zero Risk: 30 Day Money Back Guarantee for all of our products.

👗 What is Design Secrets?

For the sewist who’s ready to think like a designer.

Design Secrets is more than a course—it’s a creative classroom where fashion school professionals, illustrators, seamstresses, and flat pattern designers come together to teach a broader audience of home sewists and lifelong learners.

This program is about going deeper. You’ll gain:

✔️ 22 exclusive designer patterns in sizes 6–24X
✔️ 179+ lessons on flat pattern adjustments/fine sewing instruction and finishing, style lessons and extras.
✔️ Expert instruction on flat pattern design, style lines, silhouette shaping, fabric behavior, and visual design
✔️ Monthly drip content (for one year) to encourage mastery without overwhelm
✔️ Lifetime access, One time Price

Design Secrets helps you brush up or break through—whether you want to improve fit, redesign patterns with confidence, or create garments that turn heads for the right reasons.

🎓 It’s like having access to a fashion school, but tailored for your pace and lifestyle.

👉 Click here to view the Design Secrets Course »

✨ How They're Different (And How They Work Together)

If you're wondering which to choose, here’s the bottom line:

And the best part? Many members use both. SPS gives them quick wins and variety, while DS helps them refine their artistry and fit.

🧵 Need Help? We’re Here.

Whether you're inside SPS, Design Secrets, or both—we've got your back.

🕘 Customer Support Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM EST
📬 Contact Us: [email protected]

We’re real humans who sew. We can help you with printing questions, project recommendations, fabric advice, and more.

Wherever you are on your sewing path, we’re honored to be part of your journey.

Sew something wonderful,
💛 Margie
Founder, Sewing Pattern Secrets

More Brewing

More from Sewing Pattern Secrets

We offer a database of over 160+ sewing patterns, instructions, 50+ supporting sewing tutorials, and 5 ebooks. Learn more.

Existing Members: Access your Paid Library Here

Existing Members: Sign into your Five Free Pattern Access

Sign up for Access to the Five Free Pattern Mini Sampler Site Here

How to Print Our Patterns Blog Article

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Some of the links in this email and in The Sewing Brew newsletter contain affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, we authors may receive a small commission, at not extra cost to you. This helps support our work and allows us to to continue to provide valuable free content. I only recommend products that I use and love. Thank you for your support. The Team at www.sewingpatternsecrets.com