Patterns
Patterns and pattern making are apart of the foundations of Fashion Design. Fact. Patterns are where you separate the acceptable garments from the exceptional ones. Your pattern is the difference between a pair of pants from F21 and a pair from Salvatore Ferragamo. Simply put, a pattern is the building plan of the garment. It has all your measurements and sewing instructions/info listed on it.
Knowing how to create my own patterns has been extremely beneficial to my design career. It has helped me stand out from the pack in several ways. My work is unique, I can size for almost any size client and any silhouette….all thanks to pattern making. But it wasn't always like this for me.
It hasn’t always been natural to me. During design school I I absolutely hated pattern making. Looking back now I can still feel the level of personal frustration I felt while tackling anything pattern based. I felt defeated and inept whenever I struggled with the work. I wish I could go back in time and give myself some encouragement and a few tips. So here are some helpful tips for working with patterns.
Patience and practice. Sewing takes tons of patience and practice. It’s like learning to drive, the more and longer you do it, the better you become.
Make sure you are able to use and convert fractions. Pattern making is 1/2 creative development and 1/2 math. This is why I originally hated patterns. In school I was pretty good at math. But honey!!! I was not ready for the Chinese arithmetic that was pattern making. Get comfortable with fractions again sooner rather than later. It will be your cheat code. Thank me later.
Start small. Get started by keeping your actual sewing light. That way you can devote time to working with the pattern. Measure twice, cut once. I typically start my sewing students with pillows. These are very simple to construct.
If you're interested in some beginner patterns including but not limited to throw pillows, check out our shop page. We have added some pattern we use while teaching sewing and fashion design. Best part….they are all $5 each.