Creating your own sewing patterns lets you make clothes that fit just right and look exactly how you want. Can you really make your own patterns? Yes, absolutely! It takes practice and learning some basic ideas, but it’s a skill anyone can pick up. This guide gives you pro tips to get started.
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Why Make Your Own Patterns?
Making patterns yourself gives you total power over your clothes. You are not stuck with store sizes or styles. You can make truly custom clothing patterns for yourself or others. This means clothes that fit perfectly every time.
Getting Started: Your Toolkit
You need some basic tools to begin pattern making.
- Pattern paper: Big sheets of paper, often marked with a grid.
- Measuring tape: For taking body measurements and checking lines.
- Rulers: A straight ruler and a curved ruler (like a French curve or hip curve) help draw smooth lines.
- Pencils and Erasers: For drawing and fixing lines.
- Tracing wheel and paper: To copy patterns or lines.
- Pattern weights or pins: To hold paper still.
- Paper scissors: Only for cutting paper, not fabric!
- Awl or hole punch: To mark pivot points or dart ends.
The Foundation: Sloper Patterns
What are sloper patterns? They are basic patterns that fit your body exactly. Think of them as your body’s outline on paper. They have no style built in, just the basic shape. These are sometimes called block patterns.
Why are slopers important? They are the starting point for all other designs. Once you have a sloper that fits you well, you can change it in many ways to create any style of clothing.
You can get a sloper in a few ways:
1. Drafting: Drawing it from your body measurements.
2. Buying: Getting a commercial sloper pattern.
3. Draping: Creating it directly on a dress form.
Having a good sloper is key to successful pattern making techniques.
Drafting a Block Pattern: The Basics
Drafting a block pattern means drawing the basic shapes on paper using measurements. This is a core pattern drafting skill. Let’s look at how you might start drafting a basic bodice or skirt block.
You need specific body measurements first. We will cover how to measure for sewing patterns later.
- Bodice Block: Needs measurements like bust, waist, high bust, back width, shoulder slope, and more. You draw lines and curves based on these numbers, often using mathematical formulas and ratios. You draw the front and back pieces.
- Skirt Block: Needs waist, hip, skirt length, and hip depth. You draw a rectangle based on hip and length, then shape it at the waist and hips using measurements and curves.
This flat pattern drafting method relies on accuracy in measuring and drawing.
How To Measure For Sewing Patterns
Getting the right measurements is super important. If your measurements are wrong, your pattern will not fit. Here is how to measure for sewing patterns correctly.
- Use a flexible measuring tape.
- Stand naturally, do not pull the tape too tight or leave it too loose.
- Wear close-fitting clothes (like leggings and a tank top) or just underwear.
- Have someone help you for the most accurate results, especially for back and side measurements.
Here are key body measurements needed for pattern making:
- Bust/Chest: Around the fullest part of the bust/chest.
- High Bust: Around the chest, just above the bust. Helps determine shoulder and armscye fit.
- Waist: Around the narrowest part of your torso.
- Hips: Around the fullest part of your hips and backside.
- Back Waist Length: From the bone at the back of your neck down to your waist.
- Front Waist Length: From the shoulder (at the neck base) down over the bust to the waist.
- Shoulder Width: Across the back from shoulder bone to shoulder bone.
- Arm Length: From the shoulder bone down to the wrist (with arm slightly bent).
- Upper Arm: Around the fullest part of the upper arm.
- Neck Circumference: Around the base of the neck.
- Skirt Length: From the waist down to where you want the hem to be.
- Hip Depth: From the waist down to the fullest part of the hips.
- Crotch Depth: Sitting on a flat chair, measure from the waist to the chair seat (for pants).
- Inseam: From the crotch down to the ankle bone (for pants).
Write down all your measurements carefully. Keep them in a safe place for future patterns.
Exploring Pattern Making Techniques
There are different ways to create patterns. The two main pattern making techniques are flat pattern drafting and draping.
Flat Pattern Drafting
This is what we discussed earlier. You work on a flat surface, drawing lines and shapes on paper using measurements and rulers.
- Pros: Accurate based on measurements, easy to make copies, good for geometric shapes and tailored styles.
- Cons: Can be hard to imagine how the 2D pattern will look as a 3D garment, fit issues might only show up when you sew a test version.
Draping Fabric on a Dress Form
This technique involves shaping fabric directly on a dress form (also called a mannequin or dummy). This is one of the most creative pattern making techniques.
- How it works: You pin and shape muslin (a cheap cotton fabric) on a dress form that matches your body size and shape. You mark the lines of the design onto the fabric. Then, you take the pinned fabric off the form, lay it flat, and true up the lines to create the pattern piece.
- Pros: You see the design in 3D as you create it, great for complex shapes, gathers, and flowing styles, helps visualize fit and drape easily.
- Cons: Requires a dress form, can be messy with pins and fabric, takes practice to get smooth lines and shapes.
Many designers use both flat pattern drafting and draping fabric on a dress form together. They might drape a complex bodice and then draft a simple skirt to go with it.
From Block to Design: Pattern Alteration Methods
Once you have a basic block or sloper, you use pattern alteration methods to turn it into a specific style. This is where sewing pattern design really comes alive. You change the basic shape to add design features.
Here are some common pattern alteration methods:
- Dart Manipulation: Darts are shaped tucks that give a garment 3D form (like shaping for the bust or waist). You can move darts, split them into multiple darts, or change them into seams, gathers, or pleats. This is a fundamental skill in sewing pattern design.
- Adding Fullness: You can add volume for gathers, pleats, flares, or ruffles. This is often done by slashing (cutting) the pattern piece and spreading it apart.
- Reducing Fullness: You can remove volume by folding out sections of the pattern piece.
- Changing Necklines and Armholes: You draw new lines onto the basic block to create different neck shapes (round, V-neck, square) or armhole shapes.
- Adding Collars and Facings: You draft separate pattern pieces for these details, often based on the neckline shape of the main pattern.
- Adding Sleeves: You need a basic sleeve block. You alter this block to make different sleeve styles (puff sleeve, bell sleeve, fitted sleeve). The sleeve cap must fit into the armhole opening.
- Changing Length: Simply extend or shorten the pattern pieces.
Learning these pattern alteration methods lets you create endless designs from just a few basic blocks.
Example: Changing a Bodice Block
Let’s say you have a basic bodice block with a bust dart and a waist dart. You want to make a dress with gathers at the shoulder and no waist dart.
- Close the waist dart: Draw a line from the waist dart tip to the shoulder line. Cut along this line. Close the waist dart by pivoting the pattern piece. This makes the shoulder section spread open.
- Transfer the bust dart: You might need to move the bust dart too, maybe to the side seam or armhole, before you gather the shoulder.
- Add fullness at the shoulder: Cut and spread the shoulder line to add extra width for gathers.
- Remove the waist dart: Since you closed the waist dart earlier and transferred its fullness elsewhere (or simply want a looser fit at the waist), the new pattern piece will not have a waist dart.
This process uses dart manipulation and adding fullness, key pattern alteration methods.
Working with Digital Pattern Making Software
In today’s world, many people use digital pattern making software. This is a modern way to do pattern drafting and design.
- What it is: Computer programs made for creating and altering sewing patterns.
- Examples: Adobe Illustrator (with plugins), Valentina, Seamly2D (free), Optitex, Clo3D (3D simulation).
- Pros: Accurate lines, easy to make changes, can grade patterns to different sizes easily, easy to save and print, some have 3D views to see how the pattern will look.
- Cons: Can be expensive (though free options exist), takes time to learn the software, requires a computer and sometimes a large format printer.
Using digital pattern making software can speed up the pattern creation process once you know the basics of pattern drafting and alteration. It’s a powerful tool for custom clothing patterns.
Refining Your Design: Sewing Pattern Design Details
Creating the basic shape is one part. Finishing the sewing pattern design involves adding important details that make it usable for sewing.
- Seam Allowances: You need space to sew the pieces together. This is the distance from the cutting line to the stitching line. Standard seam allowances are often 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) or 5/8 inch (1.5 cm), but they can vary. You add these allowances after you finalize the pattern shape.
- Hem Allowances: Extra length added to the bottom of skirts, sleeves, or tops for folding up to make a hem.
- Grainlines: A line drawn on each pattern piece showing how it should line up with the fabric’s lengthwise grain. This is critical for how the fabric hangs.
- Notches: Small marks on the edges of pattern pieces that help you line up the pieces correctly when sewing.
- Pattern Markings: Dots or symbols indicating dart points, pocket placement, buttonholes, etc.
- Labels: Each pattern piece needs a label stating what it is (e.g., “Front Bodice,” “Back Skirt”), the size, the pattern name/number, and how many of that piece to cut.
Good sewing pattern design includes all these details clearly marked.
Testing Your Pattern: Make a Muslin
Before cutting into your nice fabric, always make a test garment. This is called a muslin or toile. You sew the pattern using cheap fabric (like muslin cloth).
- Why make a muslin?
- To check the fit on your body.
- To see how the design looks in 3D.
- To find any problems with the pattern shape or construction.
- To practice sewing tricky parts.
Fit the muslin on yourself or the person you are making the pattern for. Pin changes directly onto the muslin. Mark adjustments with a pen.
Improving Your Pattern After the Muslin
After fitting the muslin, you need to transfer the changes back to your paper pattern.
- Carefully take apart the muslin or cut into it to lay it flat.
- Place the altered muslin pieces over your original paper pattern.
- Redraw the lines on your paper pattern to match the changes you made to the muslin.
- Make sure your lines are smooth and correct. Use your rulers.
- Walk your pattern pieces: Check that seams that will be sewn together are the same length (e.g., the side seam of the front matches the side seam of the back).
This step is part of refining your pattern drafting work. You keep making muslins and refining the pattern until the fit and style are just right.
Creating Custom Clothing Patterns
The goal of learning pattern making is often to create custom clothing patterns. This means making patterns specifically for one person’s unique body size and shape.
- Start with their specific measurements.
- Draft a sloper or block pattern based on their measurements. This is better than altering a standard size sloper, especially if their shape is very different from standard sizes.
- Use their sloper as the base for designing new styles.
- Make a muslin based on the custom pattern and fit it on that person.
- Adjust the pattern based on the fitting.
Creating custom clothing patterns takes extra care with measurements and fittings, but it results in garments that fit like a glove.
More Advanced Pattern Making Techniques
Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can explore more complex pattern making techniques.
- Drafting specific garment types: Learning blocks for jackets, coats, tailored pants, or complex formal wear.
- Working with different fabrics: Understanding how fabric properties (stretch, drape, weight) affect pattern design.
- Grading: Learning how to make your base size pattern into a range of other sizes (smaller and larger). This is essential if you want to sell your patterns or make clothes for many people.
- Reverse Engineering: Taking an existing piece of clothing that fits well and carefully taking it apart to trace its pieces and create a pattern from it. This can be a shortcut to creating a pattern for a specific design you like.
Mastering pattern drafting and other techniques opens up endless possibilities for your sewing projects.
Key Takeaways for Success
- Start Simple: Do not try to draft a complex jacket pattern as your first project. Begin with a simple skirt or bodice block.
- Be Accurate: Measure carefully and draw lines precisely. Small errors early on can cause big fit problems later.
- Practice: Pattern making is a skill that gets better with practice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
- Use Muslin: Always, always make a test garment. It saves time and money in the long run.
- Learn from Resources: Books, online courses, and workshops can teach you pattern making techniques.
- Experiment: Do not be afraid to try different pattern alteration methods to see what happens.
Sewing pattern design is both technical and creative. It requires patience and attention to detail, but the reward is the ability to bring any clothing idea to life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How long does it take to learn pattern making?
A: It depends on how much time you spend practicing. Learning the basics like drafting a block pattern and simple pattern alteration methods might take a few weeks or months. Becoming truly skilled takes years of practice and making many patterns.
Q: Do I need a dress form to make patterns?
A: No, you do not need one, but it is very helpful, especially if you want to use draping fabric on a dress form as one of your pattern making techniques. You can do a lot with flat pattern drafting alone.
Q: Is digital pattern making software better than paper drafting?
A: Neither is strictly “better.” They are different tools. Digital software is great for speed, accuracy, and grading once you learn it. Paper drafting is hands-on and a great way to learn the core principles of pattern drafting before adding the complexity of software. Many people use both.
Q: Can I make a pattern from an old piece of clothing?
A: Yes, this is a form of pattern making called reverse engineering. You carefully take the garment apart at the seams and use the pieces as templates to trace new pattern pieces onto paper. This is a valid way to create a pattern for a specific design you like.
Q: How do I know if my sloper pattern fits correctly?
A: You must sew it up in muslin and try it on. A good sloper should be snug but not tight, smooth with no pulling or wrinkles (unless your body shape naturally creates them, which might need specific fitting adjustments), and allow for basic movement. It should follow the contours of your body.
Q: What’s the difference between a sloper and a block?
A: These terms are often used interchangeably. Generally, both refer to a basic, fitted pattern piece without style. Sometimes ‘sloper’ means a very close-fitting basic (like a dressmaker’s dummy) and ‘block’ is a slightly looser base used for specific garment types (like a jacket block). But for most people, they mean the same thing: your fitted foundation pattern.
Creating your own patterns is a deeply rewarding part of sewing. It gives you freedom and lets you make clothes that are truly yours. Start with the basics, practice your pattern drafting, learn pattern alteration methods, and do not be afraid to experiment. Happy creating!