Meet Aly. She wants to start her own men’s clothing line in LA. The problem, however, is that she is new to the field of fashion design. And although she knows how to sketch and draw, she can’t seem to make her sample pieces look the way she wants them to.

Hmm… Looks like Aly needs some help with pattern making.

What is pattern making?

Put simply, pattern making is the skill of making a 2-D paper copy of the garment. Each piece of the garment has its own pattern, which contains essential design information such as sizing, cut numbers, grain lines, notches etc.

Think of a pattern as a blueprint.

To create a garment from scratch, designers first need to make a pattern for that garment. The pattern is then traced onto fabric, after which, the fabric pieces are cut out, assembled and sewn together. If there are any fit modifications that need to be carried out, they should be done on the pattern level, which ensures design accuracy and saves resources from being wasted. When the garment needs to be recreated, manufacturers can use the information from the pattern specific to the garment and produce hundreds or thousands of pieces.

So, to summarize the benefits of pattern making:

· Pattern making serves as a bridge between garment design and production, as it is a key step in prototype development

· Pattern making enables designs with better fit

· Pattern making makes it easier for garment manufacturers to recreate the same piece of garment—in variable sizes—over and over again

Methods of pattern making

Predominantly, patterns in the garment industry are produced using the drafting method. This technique involves the use of brown paper for pattern production, while the drawings are drawn based on the body measurements or a standard measurement chart. Advanced software is often used in place of physical paper.  This is the most efficient and economical method of producing patterns.

The other common method of pattern making is called pattern draping. This method revolves around manipulating a two dimensional fabric (usually, muslin) on a three dimensional dress form to develop the structure of a garment design. It is less commonly used than pattern drafting.

The next big thing in the LA fashion industry…

Aly finally has a solution to her design woes. She’s happy that she can finally start producing sample pieces that look exactly like she wants them to. She’s all ready to go.

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur like Aly who would like to start their own clothing line?

Lefty Production Co. can help!

We’re a leading garment manufacturing company Los Angeles and clothing pattern maker Los Angeles. Our clientele includes both small and large brands; next, could be yours. Reach out to us for more information.