Fitting is the cornerstone of dressmaking. If you are seeking a fitting expert, I highly recommend Elizabeth Vana Bryant, a talented Palmer/Pletsch tissue-fitting teacher. She ably walks you through each step of the Palmer/Pletsch pattern alteration techniques, including full bust adjustment, forward head, rounded back and shoulder adjustments. Jean construction is part of her wheelhouse too. Always eager to share sewing techniques and answer all questions, she is an invaluable asset to the sewing world.

Elizabeth explained over the course of a couple of hours what took me months - actually, years - of trying to figure out. I have been lightly sewing for years and always struggled with the fit. After learning about tissue fitting from the Fit for Real People book, I realized that I'd been sewing the wrong size; but I was still struggling to tissue fit myself. It really did take a pro looking at the pattern to see what was going on. First of all, it's hard to see things on yourself and pin your back (it's just physically difficult). Second of all, I am new to the tissue fitting, and I just didn't know what to look for. I feel that I have a body map now that I can apply to hopefully any pattern, and Elizabeth also went through some of my patterns with me and showed me how I would work with their specific configuration. I wish I had made an appointment with her sooner.

I scheduled 6 hrs of class time with Elizabeth while visiting my son in LA. I am an experienced seamstress and have sewn for 50 years. I have never learned the art of fitting, so the class was a wealth of information for me. Especially as I have aged, the clothes that I have made have not fit as well as I would like. Elizabeth is very easy to work with. She does a great job of teaching, giving you the foundation you will need to fit your pattern . She shares abundant resources for reinforcing what she taught for fitting your body when you are working on your own. Very rewarding time spent and well worth the money spent.