Just thought of something so here is an addendum for homework seeing there are a full 2 weeks between classes!
Homework addendum:  record model’s measurements right on the master pattern for future use, draft the Empire cut using personal measurements please. 
You know what they say; practice makes perfect! 

Another great class today, Snow notwithstanding!  Well it snowed overnight making everything white when we got up, the weather report was for snow later in the day but thank goodness it held off until we got home. 
Today everyone was fit with the strapless top and the class did a great job!  The tops were kept on for a while during all of the fittings and they stayed up even with no boning or zipper, they were only pinned at the back.  I asked if anyone wants to make a corset as outerwear and one of students almost fell off her chair as she raised her hand so fast!  I love that kind of enthusiasm!  In the end the class decided they would make a corset, it will be in another semester as the syllabus for this one has been set out plus for that project they will get to each draft their own and sew it.
I asked what the most important thing the class learned from the exercise of using different measurements  and they agreed it was the importance of the mock up to see how the garment will fit.  Some thought it was how to address the body issues, in the end seeing the differences in body shapes is the key to learning the fitting process. 
The second half of the class was dedicated to drafting an Empire cut dress, the students passed the measurement charts they used last week on to another student so once again they are working with a new set of numbers\issues.  This is the best way to learn how to address body issues to work with them as a study tool in a controlled environment with no pressure because mistakes are normal and part of the process and a learning tool rather than being frowned upon as a sign of failure. 
The Empire cut dress tends to bend the brain a bit with the waist moving up to under the bust, the catch is not only is the waist moving up but the bust also has to have enough fabric to be entirely covered with no pulling or gaping so the class needed to take 2 extra measurements; 1) from point A to under the bust going over the apex; 2) from the waist up just below the apex to see where the bottom half has to be separated from the top half.  You are probably saying to yourself "what is she talking about?"!  Well one can always register for classes to find out exactly what it is I'm talking about! 

Homework is to sew a mock up for the Empire cut dress to fit the body next class November 21, 2019 at 12:30 pm.  We will be drafting the asymmetrical top on page 71 for the second half of the class. 

January 16, 2020 been agreed upon for the skirts workshop from 9 to 4.