Pattern Making

Riya Maharjan
 What is pattern making??
The pattern is a hard paper on which the pattern master
draws different components of apparel. The complete
process of producing pattern is called pattern making.

Definition: The making of exact image of each part

of a garments with flat hard board paper is call pattern
making.
Pattern-making refers to creating a garment blueprint
with a pattern to be used as a template to cut out fabric
to sew a garment. The pattern depends on fabric types,
the consumers, or any trims.

Moreover, pattern-making is the magic of any ‘ behind

the scene’ situation that turns your 2D drawing into the
clothing on a 3D body by bridging the gap between
conceptual design framing and actual creation.

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 Type of pattern
1.Basic Block: Known as block pattern. Very first pattern
made without any shape or allowance.

2.Working Pattern: Known as garments pattern: The pattern .

with shape and allowance.

3.Production Pattern: The pattern which is approved by

the buyer is called production pattern. It’s also known as approved pattern.

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 Drafting
• Fashion drafting is the art of translating design concepts into tangible patterns that can be used to construct
garments. It requires a combination of creativity, technical knowledge, and attention to detail. The process involves
several key steps:
1. Design Conceptualization: Fashion drafting begins with the conceptualization of garment designs. Designers
envision their ideas and sketch them on paper or digitally using design software.
2. Measurement and Sizing: Accurate body measurements are crucial in fashion drafting. Designers use standardized
sizing charts and take precise measurements to ensure proper fit and proportion in the final garment.
3. Pattern Creation: Patterns are the blueprints for garments. Fashion drafters create paper or digital patterns using
specialized techniques and tools. These patterns represent the various pieces of the garment, such as bodices, sleeves,
collars, and skirts.
4. Pattern Grading: Pattern grading involves adjusting the base pattern to different sizes. Fashion drafters use grading
rules and techniques to scale the pattern up or down while maintaining the original design proportions.
5. Mock-up Creation: Once the patterns are finalized, fashion drafters create mock-ups, also known as toiles or
muslins. These are test garments made from inexpensive fabric to evaluate the fit and make any necessary
adjustments before cutting the final fabric.
6. Final Garment Construction: After perfecting the patterns and fit, fashion drafters proceed to cut and sew the final
garment using the chosen fabrics and materials.

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 What is the difference between pattern
making and pattern drafting?
o There is a big difference between pattern making and pattern drafting. Pattern making is the process of creating a model or template from
which to create a final product. This can be anything from an Excel spreadsheet to a 3D CAD file. The goal is to create something that will
help you make future decisions about the design or layout of your project, without having to start from scratch each time.

o On the other hand, pattern drafting is the act of creating detailed drawings or sketches based on the model created in pattern making. These
drafts may include specifications for materials and dimensions, as well as specific instructions for how everything should look when finished.

o Pattern making is the process of creating a blueprint for the garment, on the basis of which the fabric is cut. This typically involves taking
measurements and drawing up sketches to create a precise plan of how each piece should look.

o Pattern drafting is the technical drawing or drafting of a garment. It involves using accurate measurements and detailed drawings to create an
exact representation of what will be seen in reality when wearing the clothing item.

o The main difference between pattern making and pattern drafting is that while pattern making focuses on creating a blueprint, pattern drafting
allows for more flexibility in terms of how garments will ultimately look once they are created. This can include adjusting details such as
sleeve length or collar size based on actual wearer preferences.

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Draping
Fashion draping is an important part of fashion design. Draping for
fashion design is the process of positioning and pinning fabric on a
dress form to develop the structure of a garment design. A garment
can be draped using a design sketch as a basis, or a fashion
designer can play with the way fabric falls to create new designs at
the start of the apparel design process. After draping, the fabric is
removed from the dress form and used to create the sewing pattern
for the garment.

Fashion draping and fitting are usually done with muslin (an
inexpensive, unbleached, loosely woven cotton) to resolve any
design and fitting issues of a garment before cutting the pattern in
real fabric. However, it is important to drape using a fabric that has
similar drape characteristics (the way it falls and folds) as the real
fabric of the finished garment. Muslin comes in a variety of weights,
and inexpensive synthetic fabrics can also be used in fitting and
draping for apparel design.
The general process for how to drape for fashion is as
follows:
• Pieces of muslin are cut and prepared. This includes
measuring, tearing, blocking, pressing, and marking
grain lines and other important reference lines.

• Now the actual “draping” begins. The fabric is pinned

to the dress form and positioned to form various
darts, tucks, gathers, etc., which give shape and fit to
the garment.

• Once the desired design is achieved, the muslin is

marked while still on the dress form to indicate where
the
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seam lines, darts, etc. are located on the fabric.
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• When marking is finished, the muslin is removed from
the dress form and laid flat on a table for
“truing”. Truing is the process of using rulers and
design curves to connect, smooth out and finalize the
markings.

• Once truing is complete, seam lines are added and

excess material is cut away.

• The muslin is then pinned together (with all darts

pinned) and placed back onto the dress form to check
for fit accuracy and to drape any additional parts of the
garment.
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• Once all pieces are the garment are draped, they are all pinned
together and placed on the dress form to check for fit accuracy.

• When the apparel designer is satisfied with the look and fit of the
pinned garment, the muslin is removed from the dress form,
pressed flat, and all seam lines, grain lines, markings, notches, etc.
are transferred to paper, creating the sewing pattern for the
garment.

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 Flowchart of Pattern Making
Garments Design/ ImageManual / Computer

Basic Block

Working Pattern Manual / Computer

Sample Garments Manual / Computer

Problem in Production

CostingApproved Sales Representative

Production Pattern Manual / Computer

 TERMS TO
KNOW
• APEX: THE HIGHEST POINT OF A DART.
• ARMSCYE: ARMHOLE MEASUREMENT.
• BALANCE POINTS: MARKS THAT REFER TO ALL NOTCHES AND DOTS THAT HELP ALIGN
FABRIC PIECES WHEN CONSTRUCTING A GARMENT.
• BASTING: TEMPORARY STITCHING BY HAND OR MACHINE. ALSO KNOWN AS TACKING.
• BIAS: THE DIAGONAL DIRECTION OF FABRIC BETWEEN THE WARP AND THE WEFT THREADS.
• BLEND: BLENDING IS A PROCESS OF SMOOTHING AND SHAPING LINES TO CREATE A
SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER.
• BLOCKS: PATTERN-MAKING BLOCKS GENERALLY REFER TO THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES THAT
TOGETHER CREATE A SLOPER. BLOCKS DO NOT CONTAIN SEAM ALLOWANCES, HEMS, OR
FACINGS.
• BUST POINT: THE FURTHEST PROTRUDING POINT OF THE BUST.
• CB: ABBREVIATION FOR CENTER BACK.
• CF: ABBREVIATION FOR CENTER FRONT.
• CUTTING LAYOUT: THE MANUFACTURE'S GUIDE TO LAYING PATTERN PIECES ON FABRIC IN
THE MOST ECONOMICAL WAY WHILE KEEPING PIECES "ON GRAIN" OR ON FOLD LINES.
• DART: A WEDGE OF FABRIC THAT IS PINCHED OUT OF A GARMENT TO ALLOW SHAPING OR
• Dart Intake: The distance between dart legs, measured at the seam line. The dart legs are
the lines on each side of a dart; the stitching lines for a dart.
• Dress Form: A mannequin used to assist in the making up of garments.
• Ease: Difference between body measurements and garment measurements. Also defined as
the amount of space in a garment that allows comfortable movement.
• Facing: Extra pattern pieces that are used to stabilize an area of a garment. Facings are often
used around curved areas such as neck and arm openings.
• Flat Pattern Making: A two-dimensional approach to creating and developing paper
sewing patterns based on basic blocks.
• Fold Line: A line indicating that the pattern piece is to be positioned on fabric that is folded
in half when cutting the garment.
• Grading: Increasing or decreasing the size of a pattern to fit a range of body sizes.
• Grain Line: The fabric grain is the direction of the woven fibers. Straight or lengthwise
grain runs along the warp thread, parallel to the selvages. Crosswise grain runs along the
weft, perpendicular to straight grain. Most dressmaking pattern pieces are cut on the
lengthwise grain, which has minimal stretch.
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• Interfacing: The term for a variety of materials that are used on the wrong side (either
fused or sewn in) of fabric to give it more stability or loft or whatever the desired effect
may be.
• Muslin: An inexpensive, normally un-dyed fabric used to create pattern pieces, or to
test out a garment before using the more expensive permanent fabric.
• Notches: Triangular markings on the pattern used to match two corresponding pieces.
• Placement Lines: The lines printed on patterns indicating where details, such as
pockets, flaps, and front plackets, should be placed.
• Pleat: A device used to style or fit; the fabric is folded under and then stitched.
• Princess Seam: A traditional curved seam placement extending from armhole to
hemline.
• Seam allowance: The area between the sewing line and the edge of the cloth.
• Slash and Spread: A technique used to add fullness or flare to a pattern by cutting it
apart and spreading the pieces to enlarge
• Sleeve Cap: Also known as sleeve head is the upper part of the sleeve that fits into the
shoulder.
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• Sloper: A basic pattern piece, usually without seam allowance, used as a foundation for
drafting different styles.
• Spread: A manipulation used to lengthen a fitting muslin or a pattern by an even amount.
• Sweep: The measurement for the full circumference of the hem on a skirt dress.
• Tailors Tacks: Temporary stitch used to mark the placement details, such as pockets on a piece
of fabric to be made up into a garment.
• Toile: An early prototype of a garment made in inexpensive fabric.
• Trueing: Checking that the seams on a pattern are blended nicely and that the two adjoining
seams are the same length or incorporate the desired amount of ease, then making any
necessary corrections.
• Tuck: A manipulation used to shorten a sitting muslin or a pattern by an even amount.
• Underwrap: The extension on a waistband for the fastening.
• Yoke: A horizontal seam line added for styling or fitting purposes to the top of a shirt, pant, or
skirt.
• Gathering: When a fabric is ruffled up usually using two rows of long stitches to reduce to the
length of a piece of fabric to fit your other pattern piece. It is often used on a sleeve head or the
cuff or just as a really nice design feature. ​
• Gusset: An extra section of fabric which is added in between two other panels to allow more
movement.
• Selvedge: The edge of the fabric which has been held on the loom when the fabric was woven.
Generally, this edge isn't used when you cut your pattern pieces out but it can be a good guide
for you to line your selvedge up parallel to the straight grain on your pattern piece.
• Top Stitch: A finishing stitch visible on the garment or project. It can be done with a slightly
thicker thread
• Warp: The vertical threads in a woven fabric, this is the grainline of a fabric
• Weft: The horizontal threads in a woven fabric
• Weight of fabric: The actual weight of a fabric per square meter usually written as grams per
square meter (gsm)
• Hem: The bottom of a garment with a finished edge so no raw edges can be seen at all.

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Tools used in pattern making
1. Pattern paper/ brown paper
2. ¼th scale
3. Curved Rules (French Curves)
4. Pattern notcher
5. Tracing wheel
6. Scissor
7. Masking tape
8. Glue stick
9. Long scale

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What Is Pattern Making? Methods, Types, Process (textiledetails.com)
What Is Seam Allowance? Your 101 Comprehensive Guide - Textile Details
What is Fashion Drafting? | CAD ACADEMY (cad-academy.com)
What Is Pattern Drafting In Sewing? - Wayne Arthur Gallery

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