If you sew a lot, you may scratch your head at the confusing instructions in most ready-made patterns. Worse yet, you may have completed a sewing project, only to find that the finished garment does not fit your measurements! one of the best ways to avoid this confusion is to seek out the best pattern making books and learn how to draw your patterns.
The best pattern making books provide step-by-step instructions for drawing custom sewing patterns. pattern making guides often include several sample projects and custom measurement guides for practice. the most comprehensive guides also cover stylistic concepts and fashion design skills to help designers create unique garments.
You are reading: Pattern making books for fashion design
In this article, you’ll discover nine of the best books on pattern making. You will also learn some tips for good sewing projects and designs for beginners. Finally, you will find a drawing comparison of digital and hand-drawn patterns.
what is pattern design?
pattern drawing is the method used to design two-dimensional guides to create a garment. fashion designers and seamstresses create these patterns based on custom measurements.
Designers use two different methods to create the shape of a garment. Draping works in three dimensions and involves draping muslin over a 3D model to form the desired shape. 2d pattern drawing works, extrapolating the individual pieces of a garment and laying them flat.
Flat patterns are easy to replicate and cut before sewing a garment. You can think of this process as creating the individual puzzle pieces that you then stitch together to create the entire puzzle.
For either method, start by taking the correct measurements. Measurement techniques vary depending on whether you are designing an item for a man, a woman, a child, an animal, or a piece of furniture! Regardless of what you plan to sew, you’ll want to seek advice on taking accurate measurements before attempting to draw a pattern.
Next, you need to transcribe the measurements into digital or hand-drawn patterns. This is the hard part! the books provided in the list below will give you clear guidance on how to do this step.
drawing patterns involves understanding sewing concepts like darts, pleats, and pleats. it also means learning to qualify. grading means changing the dimensions of a design to fit different sizes and measurements.
This process requires a certain amount of artistic flair, but is primarily a mathematical process. once you learn the steps involved, anyone can draw patterns, even if you think you have no drawing skills!
best pattern making books
Good pattern making books explain how patterns work and teach you how to apply custom measurements to your designs. describe how to use special tools to draw two-dimensional designs to scale. They also often provide sample projects so you can learn step-by-step how to design patterns.
The books listed here describe pattern making. You can also find many useful titles that describe the draping method. both methods create custom garments for you!
one of the great advantages of using a book is that you can refer to it periodically. the titles listed here offer how-to guides like measurement tips and conversion tables. they can come in handy even after you’ve mastered the basics of the trade.
You’ll notice that the list starts with three titles for beginning writers. If you have more experience in this area, you may want to scroll down to the next section on garment making books.
As a final note, many of these books are priced high. If Amazon’s price seems overwhelming, consider checking your local public library to see if you can borrow the book you want for free.
the best pattern making book for beginners
pattern making and garment making books
best sewing books with patterns
how do I make a book pattern?
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Sewing books that contain patterns often function like the ready-made patterns you buy in a paper envelope at a sewing store. They come with detailed instructions intended for beginners to understand. these books often have clearer step-by-step instructions than the average pre-made pattern!
Sometimes books that include sewing patterns offer the patterns in miniature. in this case, they also provide a rating scale to help you resize the pieces to fit you.
This process takes a long time. you may want to find out if the included patterns are to scale or not before purchasing a book.
As with most sewing projects, you’ll need a variety of tools. most of these projects require a sewing machine. you may also need scissors, a cutting mat, and matching spools of thread.
can you make your own pattern?
yes, you can learn to design and draw your own patterns. you can choose from several ways to learn this skill.
You can search for a fashion design class near you if you like learning in person. if you want a free option, try looking for youtube videos that cover the basics.
Or you can read one of the books listed in this article! they will provide you with a solid foundation of all the skills and techniques you need to master.
pattern design is often considered an advanced sewing technique. in fact, you need to master some measurement and calculation skills to draw accurate designs. That said, you don’t need advanced sewing skills to do this!
making your own patterns almost always gives a better result. you will end up with a garment that fits you well when you based it on your measurements!
First, you must choose a learning resource. one of the beginner books listed in this article would be a good place to start.
Second, you’ll need to decide if you prefer to work on paper or work on the computer. You can find free digital design tools these days if you’re more comfortable with a mouse than a pen.
what are the easiest sewing patterns to follow?
The easiest to follow sewing patterns offer clear instructions and use basic skills. these designs do not include challenges like inserting zippers or sewing buttonholes. no jacket linings or complex linings with stitching!
If you’re new to sewing, look for a project like a bag, pillowcase, apron, or simple skirt. in general, anything that has sleeves will involve more challenging sewing. good starting skills are things like straight stitching and hemming.
Some reputable pattern design companies do a great job of providing easy-to-follow instructions. others, not so much. you may find yourself reading and rereading the instructions on popular pre-made patterns.
You may even wonder if the writer forgot to include some key steps!
The fact is that many designers expect seamstresses to have a fairly in-depth understanding of how sewing works. they often assume you understand how to get from point a to point c when in reality, you need point b explained to you!
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That said, kwik sew and new look often get rave reviews for their very comprehensive and easy to use instructions for beginners.
Many smaller designers have also made a name for themselves in recent years. Some of these designers include tilly and buttons, collette and grainline. they mostly sell digital patterns that you can buy, download, and print before you use them.
Sellers of digital patterns often host blogs and post videos on how to make the project. this might help you if you’re a visual learner!
Of course, all that aside, any pre-made pattern won’t offer the custom perfection of a pattern you design for yourself!
what is the best software to make patterns?
The best software for pattern design gives you digital tools to create patterns based on custom measurements. professional designers often work with expensive software like gerber and lectra. fashion design students and seamstresses may prefer to start with a free option.
seamly2d and valentina work well as free design software. these programs give you tools to create patterns on your computer screen!
If you’re comfortable with graphic design concepts, drawing your patterns digitally may work better for you. honestly, if you grew up typing instead of handwriting, you should at least look at digital design. you can find the most intuitive digital design for you.
You may like to use a popular graphic design program like Adobe Illustrator that you may already know how to use. however, if you want software designed specifically for fashion design and sewers, you should check out seamly2d.
You have to learn the software. after that, you’ll find yourself entering custom measurements in no time!
working digitally has some advantages. First of all, you can easily modify a design. if you hand-draw a neckline, you may need to scrap your drawing and start over to make changes.
Second, you can easily reproduce or share a digital design. you would have to redraw or photocopy a hand-drawn pattern to share it.
Finally, design software can do some of the work for you. why not let the computer handle the calculations and conversions?
Of course, unless you have a robotic assistant at home, you’ll need to measure yourself first!
conclusion
pattern making books provide a solid education in creating your own custom sewing patterns. they teach you how to take measurements and draw individual pattern pieces. most of these books also show you how to modify designs to fit unique body shapes.
The nine books listed in this article cover books that will help a beginner get started. the list also provides reference books for advanced cartoonists. finally, the last two books listed include full-scale patterns and instructions.
Have you ever tried to design a pattern? Did you find the process challenging? Leave a comment below to let us know which method or technique worked best for you!
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