Beginner Guide: How To Make My Own Sewing Patterns

How To Make My Own Sewing Patterns
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Beginner Guide: How To Make My Own Sewing Patterns

Can I make my own sewing patterns? Yes, you absolutely can make your own sewing patterns! It might seem hard at first, but with simple steps, you can learn this skill. What is making your own pattern? It means drawing the shapes needed to cut fabric for a garment based on measurements and design ideas. This guide will show you how to begin this fun journey. You can create clothes that fit you perfectly and look exactly how you want. Let’s start making your own unique sewing pattern design.

Why Make Your Own Patterns?

Why would someone want to make their own patterns? There are many good reasons.

Get the Perfect Fit: Store patterns are made for average sizes. Your body is unique! Making your own pattern means you can make custom fit sewing patterns. Clothes will fit you like a dream.
Create Unique Styles: Do you have a cool clothing idea? You can draw it and make a pattern for it. This is where fashion pattern making comes alive. You are not limited to what you find in stores.
Learn More About Clothes: Making patterns helps you see how clothes are put together. You learn about garment structure. You also improve your sewing techniques. Pattern making and sewing go hand in hand.
Save Money (Sometimes): Once you learn, you can make many designs from basic shapes. You won’t need to buy a new pattern for every single project.
It’s Rewarding: Finishing a garment from a pattern you made yourself feels great. It’s a true creative act.

Making your own patterns is a core part of garment pattern making. It lets you control every part of how your clothes look and fit.

Getting Ready: Your Tools

You need some basic tools to start making patterns. Think of these as your art supplies for fabric projects.

Paper: Big rolls of paper are best. You can use pattern paper, tracing paper, or even strong wrapping paper. It needs to be wide enough for large pieces.
Pencils and Erasers: For drawing and making changes. A mechanical pencil keeps a sharp point.
Rulers: You need straight rulers of different lengths. Clear rulers are helpful.
Measuring Tape: Get a flexible fabric measuring tape. You need it for body measurements.
Curve Rulers: French curves and hip curves help you draw smooth, rounded lines for necklines, armholes, and hips.
Pattern Weights: These hold your paper down while you draw. Cans, washers, or special pattern weights work.
Paper Scissors: Only use these for paper! Fabric scissors will get dull if you cut paper with them.
Notchers (Optional but Handy): These make small cuts on the pattern edge to mark key spots.
Tracing Wheel (Optional): Used to transfer lines from one paper layer to another.
Awl (Optional): Makes small holes to mark points like dart ends.
Clear Grid Ruler: Great for adding seam allowances and drawing straight lines at right angles.

These tools help you with the basic steps of drafting sewing patterns. Drafting means drawing the pattern pieces on paper based on measurements and math.

Grasping the Core Methods

There are a few main ways to create patterns. As a beginner, you will likely start with one or two.

Flat Pattern Making (Drafting): This is the most common method for beginners. You work on a flat surface (a table) and draw the pattern pieces on paper. You use measurements and geometric shapes. Drafting sewing patterns is all about drawing with precision.
Draping: This method uses fabric placed directly on a dress form (a dummy shaped like a body). You pin and shape the fabric on the form. Then you mark the lines and take the fabric off to create the paper pattern pieces. Draping for patterns is very hands-on and helps you see how fabric will hang. It’s often used for more fluid or complex designs.
Block Pattern Making: This method uses pre-made base patterns called “blocks” or “slopers.” A block is a simple, fitted pattern piece with no design features (like a plain bodice front). You use your own body measurements to create or adjust these basic blocks. Then, you change the block to create new designs. Block pattern making and sloper pattern drafting are fundamental skills for flat pattern making.

This guide will focus mostly on flat pattern making using blocks, as it’s a great way for beginners to start creating custom fit sewing patterns.

Comprehending Slopers and Blocks

What are slopers and blocks? They are the building blocks of pattern making!

Sloper: A basic pattern piece that fits your body with no ease (extra room for movement). It’s like a second skin shape. Slopers are usually made for a specific type of garment, like a bodice, skirt, or sleeve.
Block: Similar to a sloper, but it usually includes a small amount of ease. This makes it more comfortable to wear right away. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.

Why are they important?
They give you a starting point. Instead of drawing a whole dress pattern from scratch every time, you start with a basic bodice block and a skirt block. Then you change them to make your new design.

Making your own slopers/blocks based on your measurements is the best way to ensure a custom fit sewing pattern. This is the heart of sloper pattern drafting.

Step 1: Taking Accurate Measurements

Good measurements are key to good fit. Get a friend to help you for the most accurate results. Wear close-fitting clothes (like leggings and a tank top) or your underwear. Don’t pull the tape too tight or leave it too loose.

Here are some common measurements you will need, especially for garment pattern making:

Bust: Around the fullest part of your bust.
Waist: Around the narrowest part of your torso.
Hips: Around the fullest part of your hips/seat.
High Bust (or Upper Bust): Around your chest, just under your armpits, above the fullest part of your bust.
Back Waist Length: From the bone at the base of your neck (where it meets your shoulders) down to your natural waistline.
Front Waist Length: From the dip at the base of your neck down to your natural waistline (often goes over the bust).
Shoulder Seam: From the base of your neck to the end of your shoulder bone.
Across Back: From shoulder blade to shoulder blade.
Across Chest: Across your chest, usually a few inches above the fullest part of your bust.
Arm Length: From the shoulder bone to your wrist (with elbow slightly bent).
Bicep: Around the fullest part of your upper arm.
Wrist: Around your wrist bone.
Skirt Length: From natural waistline down to where you want the hem to be.
Pant Inseam: From the crotch point down to where you want the hem to be.
Rise (Front/Back): From waistline to crotch point (sitting down helps).

Keep a notebook with all your measurements. Update them now and then, as bodies change.

Step 2: Drafting Your First Block (Sloper)

Let’s focus on drafting a basic block, like a simple bodice front or back. This is the core of block pattern making. You will use your measurements and some basic math.

You can find many guides online or in books for drafting specific blocks (bodice, skirt, sleeve, pants). Each guide will give you steps and formulas based on measurements.

Here’s a simple idea of the steps involved in drafting sewing patterns for a block:

Draw a Base Line: Start with a long vertical line on your paper. This is often the center front or center back line.
Mark Key Points: Use your measurements (like back waist length, bust height) to mark points along the base line and out from it.
Draw Horizontal Lines: Square lines out from your marked points using a ruler at a perfect 90-degree angle. These lines represent things like the bust line, waist line, and hip line.
Mark Widths: Use your width measurements (like bust width, waist width, hip width) to mark points along the horizontal lines. Remember you are usually drafting only one-half or one-quarter of the body shape. You divide the full body measurement by 2 or 4.
Add Ease: For a block (not a tight sloper), add a small amount of ease to width measurements (like 1-2 inches for bust/waist/hip). This is extra room for comfort.
Shape Curves: Use your curve rulers to connect the marked points smoothly. This is how you get the shape of the armhole, neckline, side seams, and hip curve.
Add Darts: Darts are folds sewn into the fabric to shape it to the body’s curves (like the bust or waist). Your drafting guide will show you where to place darts and how big to make them based on your measurements. This is a key part of getting a custom fit sewing pattern.
Add Notches and Grainline: Mark notches (small lines) that help match pattern pieces when sewing. Draw a line showing the grainline (how the pattern piece should line up with the fabric’s threads).

This process is called sloper pattern drafting or block pattern making. It takes practice, but once you have a well-fitting block, you can use it again and again.

Table: Basic Measurements Needed for Blocks

Body Part	Measurement Needed For…	Notes
Bust, Waist, Hip	Bodice, Skirt, Pants Blocks	For width
High Bust	Better Bodice Fit, Especially Large Busts	Helps shape the upper chest area
Back Waist Length	Bodice Block, Dress Block	Sets waist position on the back
Front Waist Length	Bodice Block, Dress Block	Sets waist position on the front
Shoulder Seam	Bodice Block, Sleeve Block Armhole	Key for shoulder fit
Arm Length, Bicep	Sleeve Block	For sleeve length and width
Skirt Length	Skirt Block	Sets length
Inseam, Rise	Pants Block	Sets leg length and crotch depth

Step 3: Changing Your Block for a New Design

Now for the fun part! Using your basic block to create a new sewing pattern design. This is pattern manipulation.

Let’s say you have a basic bodice block. You want to make a top with a wider neckline and added fullness at the hem.

Here’s how you might change the block:

Trace the Block: Lay a new piece of paper over your basic bodice block. Trace the original block lines carefully. This is your starting point for the new design. Don’t draw on your original block!
Change the Neckline: Draw a new, wider neckline shape on your traced pattern. You might draw it lower or wider at the shoulders.
Change the Hem: Draw a new hemline. If you want it longer, draw a line lower down.
Add Fullness: If you want a flowing top, you need to add fullness.
- Decide where you want the fullness (e.g., from the waist down).
- Draw lines on your pattern piece from the waist down to the hem.
- Cut along these lines, but do not cut all the way through the hem edge. Leave a small paper hinge.
- Spread the cut pieces apart on a new piece of paper. The amount you spread them controls how much fullness you add. Tape them down.
- Smooth out the hemline at the bottom.
Move Darts (If Needed): Sometimes, to add fullness or change the style, you need to move the dart. This is called dart manipulation. For example, you might change a waist dart into gathers or ease at the shoulder. This is a key skill in garment pattern making.
Add Seam Allowance: Your block does not include seam allowance (the extra fabric needed to sew the seams). Once your design is drawn, you need to add seam allowance all around the edges (usually 5/8 inch or 1.5 cm). Use your grid ruler to draw lines parallel to your pattern edges.
Add Hem Allowance: Add extra paper at the bottom for the hem (maybe 1-2 inches).
Add Markings: Draw in the grainline, notches, dots, and any other needed marks (like where gathers start or end). Write the pattern piece name (e.g., “Bodice Front – Cut 1 on Fold”), size (your measurements), and design name on the piece.

This process of changing a block is how you create endless new sewing pattern design ideas from just a few basic shapes. It’s a key part of fashion pattern making.

Creating Custom Fit Patterns

Using your own body measurements to draft blocks is the most direct way to make custom fit sewing patterns.

Start with Your Shape: Your blocks are already based on your unique curves and lengths.
Adjust As You Go: When you change a block to create a design, you keep your original fit in mind.
Trial and Error: The best way to get a perfect custom fit is to test your pattern. We’ll talk about that next.

Making patterns this way means you can make clothes that fit areas that store patterns don’t cater to well. For example, you can adjust for wider shoulders, a smaller waist with larger hips, or differences in bust size. This level of personalization is the main benefit of garment pattern making.

The Digital Age: Sewing Pattern Software

You don’t have to do everything on paper. There is sewing pattern software available.

What it Does: This software lets you draw, edit, and print patterns on your computer. Some programs can even create a basic pattern based on your measurements.
Benefits:
- Easy to make changes (no erasing!).
- Can save and organize many patterns.
- Precise drawing tools.
- Can print patterns on a home printer (tiled) or send them to a copy shop.
Downsides:
- Can be expensive.
- Takes time to learn the software.
- You still need to understand pattern making principles (like sloper pattern drafting and dart manipulation).

Some popular options range from simple drawing programs to complex professional fashion pattern making software. Start with paper first to grasp the basics. Then, if you enjoy it, you can explore digital tools.

Interpreting Your Design Ideas

How do you turn a picture or an idea in your head into a pattern? This is part of sewing pattern design.

Sketch Your Idea: Draw your garment from the front, back, and maybe side. Add details like seams, darts, gathers, and closures (zippers, buttons).
Analyze the Design: Look at your sketch. Break it down into basic shapes. Does it look like a changed bodice block, skirt block, or pants block?
- Does it have sleeves? What kind? (Use a sleeve block)
- What is the neckline shape? (Change the bodice block neckline)
- Does it have a collar? What kind? (You’ll need to draft a collar pattern piece)
- Is it fitted or loose? (Adjust ease on the block)
- Where is the waistline? (Change the waistline on the block or join bodice and skirt blocks)
- Are there gathers, pleats, or ruffles? (These require adding fullness to the pattern piece)
Choose Your Block: Select the basic block(s) that are closest to your design idea.
Plan the Changes: Figure out exactly how you will change the block(s) using the techniques discussed earlier (changing necklines, adding fullness, moving darts, etc.).
Draft New Pieces: Draft any extra pieces needed that aren’t part of the main block (like collars, facings, waistbands, pockets). This requires more drafting sewing patterns skills.

Turning an idea into a pattern is a creative puzzle. It combines your fashion pattern making knowledge with your drawing and planning skills.

Step 4: Testing Your Pattern (Making a Muslin)

You’ve made your pattern pieces. Now you need to test the fit and look before cutting into your nice fabric! This step is crucial for custom fit sewing patterns.

What is a Muslin? A “muslin” (or “toile” in French) is a test garment made from cheap fabric, usually plain cotton or muslin cloth. Choose a fabric that is similar in weight and drape to your final fabric.
Sewing the Muslin: Cut your pattern pieces from the muslin fabric. Mark key lines like the waist, bust, and hip lines onto the fabric using tailor’s chalk or thread tracing. Sew the garment together using basic sewing techniques. Use long stitches (basting) so it’s easy to take apart. Don’t worry about finishing seams or adding zippers yet. Just sew the main seams (shoulders, sides, sleeves, etc.).
Fitting the Muslin: Try on the muslin. Look in a mirror. How does it fit?
- Is it too tight or too loose?
- Are there wrinkles pointing towards a spot? This often shows where there’s pulling or too much/too little fabric.
- Is the neckline flat? The armhole smooth?
- Is the length right?
- Do the darts point to the right spot?
Making Adjustments: Pin the muslin directly on your body to fix the fit. Pinch out extra fabric, or slash and spread areas that are too tight. Mark the changes with a pencil or pen.
Transfer Changes: Carefully take off the muslin. Lay your original paper pattern pieces over the muslin. Transfer the fitting changes you marked on the muslin onto your paper pattern. Redraw the lines smoothly.

This fitting process is essential. Your first drafted pattern is rarely perfect. Making a muslin helps you fine-tune your garment pattern making for a perfect fit. It uses basic sewing techniques to improve your pattern.

Step 5: Refining and Finalizing Your Pattern

Once you’ve adjusted your pattern based on your muslin fitting, you need to get it ready for cutting fabric.

True Up Lines: Check that all seam lines meet smoothly, especially where pieces join (like side seams or shoulder seams).
Add Seam Allowance (Again): If you made changes to the fit lines, you might need to add seam allowance again around the adjusted edges. Make sure seam allowances match where pieces will be sewn together.
Add Notches: Add notches again where needed (matching points, centers).
Label Clearly: Write clearly on every pattern piece:
- The garment name
- The piece name (e.g., “Back Bodice”)
- The size or your measurements
- How many to cut (e.g., “Cut 2”, “Cut 1 on Fold”)
- Any special instructions (e.g., “Gather”, “Place on Fold”)
Add Grainline: Make sure the grainline is clearly marked with arrows. This is very important for how the fabric hangs.
Punch Holes: Use an awl or hole punch to mark dart points, pocket placements, etc.

Your final pattern pieces are now ready to be used to cut fabric for your actual garment. This careful finishing makes your sewing pattern design usable.

Bringing It All Together

So, making your own pattern involves several steps:

Taking your body measurements.
Drafting sewing patterns for basic blocks based on those measurements (sloper pattern drafting / block pattern making).
Using your blocks to create a new sewing pattern design by changing the shapes and adding design features. This is garment pattern making in action.
Testing the pattern by making a muslin and checking the fit to get custom fit sewing patterns.
Adjusting the paper pattern based on the muslin fit.
Finalizing the pattern pieces with seam allowances and markings.

Each step uses different skills, from careful measuring and drawing (drafting sewing patterns) to basic garment construction (sewing techniques) and problem-solving during fitting.

Beyond the First Pattern

Making your first block and changing it for a simple design is a big step. As you learn more, you can explore:

Different Styles: Learn how to create patterns for pants, jackets, coats, and more complex dresses. This expands your fashion pattern making skills.
Advanced Techniques: Study more complex pattern changes like creating pleats, gathers, collars, cuffs, and pockets.
Working with Different Fabrics: Learn how fabric type affects pattern design and fit (e.g., knits vs. woven).
Draping: If you want to explore more flowing designs, learn draping for patterns on a dress form.

Making your own patterns is a skill you build over time. Start simple, practice often, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every mistake is a chance to learn.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

h4 What kind of paper is best for pattern making?

Heavy paper is good for basic blocks that you will use a lot. Pattern paper or tracing paper is good for tracing blocks to make new designs. It’s thin enough to see through but strong enough to work with. Kraft paper or even newspaper can work for test patterns.

h4 How much fabric do I need for a pattern I made?

This depends on your design and your pattern pieces. After you finish your pattern, you will lay out the pieces on fabric (or paper cut to fabric width) to see how much space they take up. This is called creating a “layout” or “cutting plan.” It will tell you how much fabric you need.

h4 Can I copy clothes I already own to make a pattern?

Yes, you can! This is called “rub-off” or “reverse engineering.” You trace the shape of the garment piece by piece. It’s a good way to learn how clothes are shaped, but it doesn’t teach you drafting from measurements. It’s a different skill within garment pattern making.

h4 Do I need a dress form?

A dress form is very helpful, especially if you want to try draping for patterns or if you find it hard to fit yourself when sewing. But you do not need one to start drafting sewing patterns from measurements. You can make a muslin and fit it on your body or ask a friend to help.

h4 Is it hard to learn pattern making?

It takes practice, like learning any new skill. Start with simple projects, like a basic skirt or bodice block. Be patient with yourself. There are many resources (books, online courses, videos) to help you learn sewing pattern design and block pattern making.

Making your own sewing pattern design opens up a world of creative possibilities. With your own custom fit sewing patterns, you can create clothes that fit perfectly and express your unique style. Gather your tools, take those measurements, and start drafting sewing patterns today! You can do this!