PATTERN MAKING

M.ROCH SOUMIA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPT OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY & COSTUME DESIGNING
SHRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI COLLEGE, TRICHY.
 WHAT IS A PATTERN?

• PAPER PIECES
• COMMUNICATES SHAPES
OF FABRIC PIECES TO CUT
TO MAKE A GARMENT IN A
SPECIFIC STYLE AND SIZE
• COMMUNICATES
MARKINGS NEEDED TO
CONSTRUCT THE
GARMENT
 TYPES OF PATTERNMAKING

• HOW ARE PATTERNS MADE?

• KNOCK-OFF
• TRACING THE PATTERN PIECES FROM AN EXISTING GARMENT
• DRAPING
• USING FABRIC ON A DRESS FORM TO CREATE PATTERN SHAPES, WHICH
ARE TRANSFERRED TO PAPER.
• PATTERN DRAFTING:
• USING MEASUREMENTS TAKEN FROM A FORM OR MODEL TO CREATE
SLOPER PATTERNS.
• SLOPER (“WORKING PATTERN”): ANY PATTERN USED AS A BASE FOR
MANIPULATION WHEN GENERATING DESIGN PATTERNS. IT IS
DEVELOPED WITHOUT DESIGN FEATURES.
• FLAT PATTERNMAKING:
• MANIPULATING PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED SLOPER PATTERNS TO CREATE
DESIGN PATTERNS.
 DART TERMINOLOGY
• DART:
• A WEDGE-SHAPED CUTOUT IN A PATTERN TO
CONTROL THE FIT OF A GARMENT.

• BUST POINT:
• A DESIGNATED PLACE ON THE BUST AND
PATTERN AND REFERRED TO IN FLAT
PATTERNMAKING AS THE PIVOTAL POINT OR
APEX.

• DART INTAKE:
• THE AMOUNT OF EXCESS (OR SPACE)
CONFINED BETWEEN DART LEGS.
• ITS PURPOSES ARE TO TAKE UP EXCESS
WHERE IT IS NOT NEEDED, AND TO
GRADUALLY RELEASE FABRIC WHERE IT IS
NEEDED TO CONTROL THE FIT OF THE
GARMENT.

• DART LEGS:
• THE TWO LINES THAT CONVERGE AT A
PREDETERMINED POINT ON THE PATTERN.
FUNCTION OF PATTERNMAKING
TOOLS
• CREATE PATTERN LINES AND CURVES
• MARK SYMBOLS
• COMMUNICATE IMPORTANT INFORMATION SO
GARMENT WILL BE CUT AND STITCHED
ACCURATELY
• THROUGHOUT FLOW OF PRODUCTION
 FUNCTION OF PATTERNMAKING
TOOLS

Patternma Seamstres Marker

Designer Grader
ker s Maker
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS
• CLEAR PLASTIC GRID RULER • TAILOR'S SQUARE (L-SQUARE):
• METAL
18” X 2”
• TWO ARMS FORMING A 90°
ANGLE THAT MEASURES,
RULES, AND SQUARES
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS -
REQUIRED
• FRENCH CURVE: • VARY FORM CURVE:
• IDEAL FOR SHAPING • BLENDS AND SHAPES
ARMHOLES AND ARMHOLES, NECKLINES,
NECKLINES AND OTHER CURVES
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS
• PATTERN SNIPS

• AWL:
• A SHARP POINTED
TOOL THAT PIERCES A
1/8 INCH HOLE IN
PATTERNS.
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS
• TRACING WHEELS:
• POINTED AND BLUNTED
WHEELS THAT TRANSFER
PATTERN SHAPES TO PAPER.
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS—PAPER

• PATTERN PAPER
• LIGHT WEIGHT
• USED FOR FIRST
PATTERNS

• TAG BOARD
• USED FOR SLOPERS AND
PRODUCTION PATTERNS
 PATTERNMAKING TOOLS—
MUSLIN
• A PLAIN-WOVEN COTTON MADE FROM BLEACHED OR
UNBLEACHED CORDED YARNS IN A VARIETY OF WEIGHTS:
• COARSE-WEAVE:
• USED FOR DRAPING AND TESTING BASIC PATTERNS;
• LIGHT-WEIGHT:
• USED FOR SOFTLY DRAPED GARMENTS;
• HEAVY-WEIGHT:
• FIRMLY WOVEN, USED FOR TESTING TAILORED GARMENTS,
JACKETS, AND COATS.
 THE IMPORTANT GRAIN LINE

• GRAIN:
• THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE YARN IS
WOVEN OR KNITTED.

• CROSSWISE GRAIN :
• YARNS WOVEN ACROSS THE FABRIC
FROM SELVAGE TO SELVAGE.
• CROSSWISE GRAIN YIELDS TO TENSION.

• LENGTHWISE GRAIN:
• YARNS PARALLEL WITH SELVAGE.
• IT IS THE MOST STABLE GRAIN.

• SELVAGE:
• THE NARROW, FIRMLY WOVEN, AND
FINISHED STRIP ON BOTH LENGTHWISE
GRAIN EDGES OF THE WOVEN FABRIC.
 MORE ABOUT GRAINLINES

• BIAS:
• ANY SLANTING OR DIAGONAL LINE
CUT OR SEWN ACROSS THE WEAVE
OF THE CLOTH.

• TRUE BIAS:
• THE LINE THAT INTERSECTS WITH
THE LENGTHWISE AND CROSSWISE
GRAINS AT A 45° ANGLE.
• TRUE BIAS HAS MAXIMUM GIVE AND
STRETCH, EASILY CONFORMING TO
THE FIGURE'S CONTOURS.
• FLARES, COWLS, AND DRAPES WORK
BEST WHEN CUT ON TRUE BIAS.
 GRAIN LINES ON PATTERNS

• A LINE DRAWN ON EACH • GRAINLINE ARROWS:

PATTERN PIECE • 1. ARROWS PLACED AT BOTH
ENDS
• INDICATES HOW THE PATTERN
• THE PATTERN MAY BE PLACED
SHOULD ALIGN WITH THE IN EITHER DIRECTION ALONG
LENGTHWISE GRAIN OF THE THE LENGTHWISE GRAINLINE OF
THE FABRIC (FOR FABRICS
FABRIC. WITHOUT A NAP).
• ALWAYS MARK THE • 2. AN ARROW PLACED AT THE
LENGTHWISE GRAIN ON EVERY TOP OR THE BOTTOM
PATTERN PIECE! • THE PATTERN MUST BE PLACED
• GRAINLINE SHOULD EXTEND IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY (FOR
FABRICS WITH A NAP).
FROM EDGE TO EDGE
 PATTERNMAKING PROCEDURES

• NEAT WORKMANSHIP IS ESSENTIAL.

• ALWAYS DRAFT FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY
• ALWAYS DRAFT WITHOUT SEAM ALLOWANCES.
• TRUEING:
• ESTABLISHING CORRECT SEAM LENGTHS—FOR EXAMPLE, TRUEING A SIDE SEAM
HAVING A SIDE DART.

• BLENDING
• THE SMOOTHING AND STRAIGHTENING OF PENCIL LINES, CROSSMARKS, AND DOT
MARKS

• WALKING
• BALANCING
 GUIDELINES FOR PATTERN
LABELING
• GRAINLINE: MARK LENGTHWISE ON • BUTTONHOLE [--------] AND BUTTON X
EVERY PIECE • DART POINTS - PUNCH HOLE ½” INSIDE
• 2” (OR MORE) AWAY FROM CF OR CB APEX AND CIRCLE
• PATTERN NUMBER - SIZE - NUMBER • THUMBNAIL SKETCH - A SMALL SKETCH
TO CUT: ALONG GRAINLINE TO REPRESENT THE FINISHED GARMENT ON
• 1050 - 8 - 2 A MAIN PATTERN PIECE

• NAME OF PATTERN PIECE • FABRICATION - WOVEN OR KNIT

• • RIGHT-SIDE-UP:
YOUR NAME
• INDICATES TO THE MARKER MAKER THAT
• CF AND CB: CENTER FRONT AND THE PATTERN IS TO BE PLACED FACE UP
CENTER BACK – ON THE MARKER (FOR ASYMMETRICAL
DESIGNS).
• FOLD LINES: DOTTED LINE . . . . . . . . . .
• DETAIL LOCATION:
• GATHERS: DASHED LINE ------------
• PLACEMENT OF FLOWER OR OTHER DETAIL
 GUIDELINES FOR NOTCHES

• USE A SINGLE NOTCH TO • NOTCH

INDICATE FRONT PATTERN • CF AND CB
PIECES • HEM DEPTH
• USE A DOUBLE NOTCH TO • 1" SIDE SEAMS
INDICATE BACK PATTERN • CONNECTING POINTS ON
PIECES STYLELINES
• USE A TRIPLE NOTCH TO • KNEE LEVEL
INDICATE CB AND BASE OF • WAIST LEVEL
ZIPPER • ELBOW LEVEL
 GUIDELINES FOR SEAM
ALLOWANCES
• ¼” • 1"
• NECKLINES WITH FACINGS • SIDE SEAMS
• ARMHOLES WITH FACINGS
• SEAMS WITH ZIPPERS
• FACINGS
• TIGHT CURVES
• 2"
• ½” • MOST TAILORED HEMS
• MAJOR CONNECTING SEAMS
• NECKLINES WITH COLLARS
•
• NOTCH OR OUTLINE ALL SEAM
ARMHOLES WITH SLEEVES
• STYLELINES ALLOWANCES (FOR
• NARROW ROLLED HEMS CLASSROOM PURPOSES)
 PATTERNMAKING PROCESS

Production
First pattern Marker
pattern

• The original • The final • The

pattern corrected and arrangement of
developed for error-free pattern pieces.
designs. version. • All pattern
• Generally made • The pattern symbols are
on marking contains every marked on the
paper pattern piece patterns.
• Requires fitting required to
and pattern complete the
corrections. garment.
• It is used by the
grader for sizing
and by the
 COST SHEET

• A COMPLETE RECORD OF
EACH DESIGN THAT IS
USED TO COST THE
GARMENT AND ESTABLISH
THE WHOLESALE PRICE.
 PATTERN CHART

• A COMPLETE RECORD OF
ALL PATTERN PIECES
WITHIN THE PATTERN SET.
• IT ALSO INCLUDES
SWATCHES AND SPECIAL
PATTERN INFORMATION.
 SPECIFICATION CHART

• A RECORD OF THE
FINISHING REQUIREMENTS
FOR EACH DESIGN.
• IT IS USED BY THOSE
RESPONSIBLE FOR
FINISHING TO ENSURE
THAT THE GARMENT
MEETS COMPANY
STANDARDS.
THANK
YOU