Maria Calautti, Founder of the European Pattern Making Course at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, learned to sew in grade 7, like so many of us, in home economics. The road to founding the European Pattern Making course has been unexpected and very fulfilling.
Maria was born in Italy in 1956, and immigrated to Canada with her parents in 1962. She developed her sewing skills with her mother’s help, and at 14, furthered her skills under her aunt’s guidance, who learned to design and sew from Le Grand Chic School of Fashion Design in Italy.
Sewing was definitely a pastime she enjoyed. She chose, however, once married to follow her husband into the restaurant business for the better part of 28 years. Although this wasn’t the career path she felt she was destined for, it fit the needs of her family at the time.
In 2002, her life path took a different turn after her husband had quadruple bypass surgery which signaled the end of the food business for her family. It was at this time she started doing alterations for stores in Barrie.
Through the powers of the internet she found the Italian school that taught the pattern drafting method and started to upgrade her techniques. While upgrading, the owner of the school suggested that she start teaching because she understood the method very well.
Maria translated the instruction book from Italian to English and inquired at Georgian College if they would be interested in having a course on pattern drafting, to which they enthusiastically agreed.
It has been 7 years since this course started and she’s now teaching 2 evenings per week and all day Saturday with some video conferencing with other campuses.
Read more in our Winter 2014 issue.
Maria Calautti
Le Grand Chic Italia School of Fashion
23 Grandview Crescent,
Oro-Medonte, Ontario L0L 2E0
705.487.2328
[email protected]
www.cynchitpants.com
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