About – François Calitz Atelier

One of my fondest memories is watching my grandmother at her vintage Singer sewing machine, the type you operate with a foot pedal. The rhythmic hum of the machine, the scent of fabric… it was magical and deeply comforting. My greatest regret? I never took the opportunity to learn from her.

For the longest time, I believed you needed a fashion degree to design and make your own clothes. How wrong I was.

At the beginning of 2025, a random sewing post popped up on my Facebook feed and reignited a spark that had been dormant for years. My husband bought me a sewing machine, and I dusted off an overlocker that a friend had gifted me over a decade ago. I dived headfirst into learning… YouTube tutorials, Facebook Reels, countless links saved, and hundreds of pictures of stunning outfits saved on my phone.
My journey took a serious turn when I discovered Winifred Aldrich’s Metric Pattern Cutting books and Helen Joseph Armstrong’s Patternmaking for Fashion Design. These became my bibles, opening the world of pattern design and cutting for me. Hungry for more, I enrolled in the Sew-Ready Pattern Making Masterclass from GlowHigh & Fly with Nancy Tauber, the Pattern-Maker Queen, whose designs grace top fashion houses.

Through this experience, I realised that there must be countless people out there who, like me, dream of creating their own clothes but believe it’s impossible without formal training. That’s why I decided to put together training courses for absolute beginners and those with some sewing experience. My goal is simple: to make fashion design accessible for anyone with the drive and desire to learn.

Although I am still fairly new to the fashion scene, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, and I am passionate about sharing them with you. You don’t need to go to fashion school or to be a maths whizz to create your own patterns, make your basic blocks (slopers), or adjust industry patterns to fit your measurements perfectly.

I would love to help you unlock your creativity, build your confidence, and bring your fashion ideas to life. So, have a look at our courses or sign up for our mailing list so you never miss a stitch.