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May 2026
Cochenille Retreat: Fashion, Textiles, and Silk Painting in France
Fashion, Textiles, and Silk Painting in France May 26th - June 5th, 2026 Lyon and Burgundy, France $1800 Silk Painting in Burgundy This year we are combining our days of exploring Lyon with days of textile and garment design and Silk Painting in Burgundy with textile artist Nadja Lancelot. Our France retreat will begin in Burgundy where we will embark on a magical time with artist Nadja Lancelot, creating various fabrics using a variety of textile art techniques on…
Find out more »June 2026
Webinar: Smarty Pants
Saturday, June 6, 2026 9 a.m. PT Web-136 Legging Pattern In this Webinar Susan will show you how to think outside of the box while patterning non-traditional pants in Garment Designer. Learn new and creative ways to achieve stylish, unique, and even some funky styles when patterning in Garment Designer with Professor of Fashion and owner of Cochenille, Susan Lazear, as your guide. Leggings without side seams, two-panel pants, and other atypical bottom variations will be discussed. To purchase the…
Find out more »Webinar: Let’s Make a Dress
Tuesday, June 16th, 9 a.m. PT Web-157 Click here to purchase. Let’s Make a Dress will cover the development of a variety of dress styles ranging from the classic shirtwaist to an A-line dress, to dresses with yokes, and an assortment of summer styles. Topics include design considerations, fabric choice, appropriate styles in Garment Designer, and the sequence of steps in building sleeved and sleeveless dresses. Darts and fit options will be included as will the use of collars, bands/ruffles,…
Find out more »Webinar: Garment Designer: Working with the Extras Menu
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 2 p.m. PT Click here to purchase.Designing garments is step one, but accessorizing that garment with the right 'add-ons' is what makes it unique. In this webinar you will learn how to use all the items in the Extras menu to add Collars, Cuffs, Pockets, Edgings, and Additional Shapes to the body of your garment. Learn the lingo of styles, how to plan and place them, and how to build them. Fashionable inspirations will be shown…
Find out more »Webinar: Let’s Make a Skirt (with Garment Designer)
Monday, June 29th, 2026, 2 p.m. PT Web 158 Skirt example Everyone should have a few favorite skirts to wear. Not only do they make us feel a bit more feminine, skirts are cooler to wear in summer heat. Let’s Make a Skirt will cover the development of skirt styles (and variations) including straight, A-line, gore, flared, tiered, layered, wrap, and more. Learn how to add a yoke, flounce, kick pleat, pockets, and other skirt accoutrements. Also learn which styles…
Find out more »August 2026
Convergence 2026, New Orleans, LA. August 13 – 16, 2026
Cochenille Design Studio and Susan Lazear will be at Convergence this coming summer in New Orleans, LA. We will have a booth during the vending days, and Susan is actively teaching lectures, seminars, and workshops. Convergence 2026 Both Susan and Dottie will be in the booth during the conference. Susan is teaching at Convergence. Go here to see the full slate of classes. Here are video links for a preview discussion of Susan's Classes. Several instructors are featured in each…
Find out more »New Mexico Garment Designer Retreat 2026
From Fabric/Yarn to Garment Garment Designer Retreat August 21st - 25th, 2026 Cimarron, New Mexico $420.00 The Casa, site of your 2025 Design Retreat. We are continuing our tradition of truly retreating in an amazing location and spending focused time with Garment Designer. So, we return to Cimarron, New Mexico and the 100-year-old inn we have grown to love. Skill Level: All you really need is computer comfort and some sewing experience. It is advisable to get the software in…
Find out more »October 2026
Italy Fashion, Craft and Food Retreat 2026
Italy Fashion, Craft, and Food Retreat Verona, Italy October 8-18th, 2026 Italy Fashion, Craft, and Food Retreat Verona, Italy October 8-18th, 2026 Susan has been going to Verona since 2007 and she now lives there half-time. She has developed a sense for Italian fashion, food, and lifestyle. She has also established contacts with various artists, designers, stores, museums, and food-related businesses. This year, our 2026 retreat, centered in Verona, will include day-trips to Venice and Vicenza. The Retreat will…
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