Has the new season of "Project Runway" got you itching to whip up a little something for yourself?

These online sources will have you designing in no time:

You know how fashion designers are always pinning up fabric on dress forms (the old-fashioned-looking mannequins on wheels)?

That's called "draping." It's the most fabulous way to design and not too hard once you learn the basics. This beginner's video on draping has many more where it came from.

Basic sketching skills will also give you a good idea of where your design is headed before you even pick up a straight pin and scissors. This tutorial will get you started.

For all-around great resources on sewing and garment designing, go to the BeSewStylish blog and ThreadsMagazine.com. You'll find tons of articles and tips from the foremost sewing and fashion apparel design experts. And the informative and fun Threadbanger.com will appeal to the hipster DIY designer in you.

A few good books are always handy to have when you want to strike out as a designer. To rev up your construction skills, get "Chic & Simple Sewing: Skirts, Dresses, Tops, and Jackets for the Modern Seamstress," a new book out by Christine Haynes.

For a complete guide to draping, Helen Joseph-Armstrong's book "Draping for Apparel Design" will have your atelier up and running in no time. A bit pricey, but so worth it.

And "Draping for Fashion Design" by Hilda Jaffe and Nurie Relis is the curriculum of choice for the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Speaking of dress forms, which can also fetch a pretty penny: Take a look at this video on how to make your own custom form ... from duct tape! Bizarre, I know, but clever and cheap -- all the struggling designers are doing it.

Smart Tip: Don't drape in your actual fashion fabric! Use a cheap cotton or fabric look-alike to make your muslin or cloth pattern. And to transfer from muslin to paper pattern, read this free article from Threadsmagazine.com.

That should give you more than enough to get started designing your dream collection. Next week, find out about some of the best tools of the trade when its comes to designing.


Amber Eden is the former editor-in-chief of Threads magazine and founding editor of SewStylish magazine and CraftStylish.com. She has studied draping and haute couture techniques at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and according to her, will probably be a student there for life.