Pattern

The development of a garment comprises of different process. Fit is the most important factor
leading to the final acceptance or rejection of a garment. Fit must be designed into the original
pattern through subtleties in the pattern that provide fullness unobtrusively at appropriate
locations to accommodate body bulges in a flattering manner. Good customized fit is
dependent on the pattern drafting incorporating various shapes and proportions of the
individual customer. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, standardized patterns were
essential to the success of ready-to-wear clothing.
Pattern making is an art. It is the art of manipulating and shaping a flat piece of fabric to
conform to one or more curves of the human figure. Pattern making is a bridge function
between design and production. A sketch can be turned into a garment via a pattern which
interprets the design in the form of the garment components.
A pattern is flat while the body is not. The body has height, width and depth. In this roughly
cylindrical framework there are a series of secondary curves and bulges, which are of concern
to the pattern maker. Darts are the basis of all pattern making. They convert the flat piece of
cloth into a three dimensional form, which fits the bulges of the body.
A patternmaker typically makes a pattern from a flat sketch with measurements or a two
dimensional fashion illustration. The basic pattern is the very foundation upon which pattern
making, fit and design are based. The basic pattern is the starting point for flat pattern
designing. It is a simple pattern that fits the body with just enough ease for movement and
comfort.
Methods of pattern making

There are three types of pattern making methods used in apparel industry. These are in below:-
 Pattern drafting method
 Pattern draping method
 Flat pattern making method
1. Pattern drafting method/ Flat Method (Block pattern):
Pattern drafting method is mainly depended on accurate measurements taken on a person,
dress or dummy. To complete the pattern, measurements are taken for chest, waist, hip and so
on, and ease allowances are marked on paper and construction lines are drawn also. This
drafting method is used to made basic, foundation or design patterns. Basic pattern set is the
example of drafting method.

2. Pattern draping method/ Modeling method:

Pattern draping method is a three-dimensional process of pattern making. In this pattern
making method, muslin cloth is used to drape over a Human body or on a mannequin. For
making this draping method muslin, plain weave fabrics of unfinished cotton fabric are
commonly used. When a two dimensional (2D) piece of fabric is around on a form of dress or a
model, following its shape, creating a three-dimensional (3D) fabric pattern. To get an actual
design for finished garment, pattern maker give ease allowances for movement before the
garment piece is cut and sewn. This pattern can be marked with pencil lines and the finished
muslin pattern can be used repeatedly. But, it requires more material, more expense and time
than flat paper pattern making method.
3. Flat pattern making method/ Working pattern making method:
Flat paper pattern making method is used to the development of a fitted basic pattern with
ease movement and comfort to fit a person or body form. For developing a standard pattern, it
is the fastest and most efficient method, so that the basic block is modified to create new and
various styles. It is dependent on previously developed patterns. In flat pattern making, the
patterns are manipulated by using a slash or pivotal method to create design patterns.
A sloper is the starting point for flat pattern making or designing. Sloper is types of basic
pattern that drafted on specific body measurements and do not attached a seam allowance,
comfort ease, or any other design elements. Slopers are manipulated to create different styles
of fashion garment. In the present day it is mainly draped by Computer aid techniques. To get a
good pattern making, accurate measurements are most important.
PATTERN MAKING TOOLS

a. Manual pattern making tools

“L” Square: The “L” square is one of the most basic of the pattern making rulers. This ruler
helps to create accurate 90° angles and straight edges. It measures, rules, and squares
simultaneously.

Hip Curve: The hip curve helps to shape the hip line, hem, and lapels.

Vary Form: The vary form ruler blends and shapes armholes, necklines, side seam curves, and
more! Just as the name suggests, it does a variety of jobs!

French Curve: Essential tool for accurately shaping armholes, necklines, and collars.

Dritz Design Ruler: This design ruler contains a straight ruler, French curve, hip curve as well as
cut-out slots.
Awl: A handy tool and often overlooked, the awl will pierce a small hole in your pattern to
indicate the end of a dart, pocket, trim, or button hole. The awl is also handy for scoring paper
to fold, as well as “walking” your measuring tape around curves for accurate measuring.

Notcher: The pattern notcher will create flawless pattern markings. For example, dart legs,
seam allowance, center lines, ease, and to identify front from back patterns.

Tracing wheel: Pointed and very sharp wheel transfers marking onto a clean sheet of paper.
This tools is often used when retracing patterns or when transfer draped muslin onto paper.

Clear Plastic Ruler: Perfect for measuring seam allowances and drawing dart legs.

Stapler: While a stapler isn’t a necessity, it is handy to have around. The extended arm stapler
is especially helpful when need to close darts.

The “rabbit”: It helps to hang and organize patterns. The rabbit will punch a perfectly sized,
perfectly round hole in pattern pieces. And, once you start to build your pattern library,
organization will be crucial to your sanity!
Pattern Hooks: These are awesome because they give you way the easiest way to hang your
patterns. You could use string, but, pattern hooks are so inexpensive and so cool!

Pattern Notcher: This tool is used to mark dart legs, hems, sleeve caps, and so much more! The
pattern notcher is a very simple and clever tool to keep things neat and clean.

b. CAD pattern tools

When moving into the CAD domain, the most elementary way to transit manual patterns to a
CAD environment is to digitise or trace physical patterns via a digitizing table or pattern scanner
into vector files. Many preproduction work methods prefer to use a mixture of manual and CAD
pattern construction processes. For example, a first pattern for a new style may be derived
from a combination of methods of flat patternmaking combined with some shape modelling on
a mannequin to create the pattern template for the first prototype garment. Once the
prototype garment fit has been approved, the pattern template can be manually digitised or
scanned into a CAD system.
The capacity to attribute various grading rules at strategic coordinate points (x/y) on the
pattern in turn defines the required increase or decrease (þ/) to form a set of graded pattern
pieces (Figure). This is also known as a ‘graded nest’ of patterns. Once the pattern is digitised
with the CAD system as a vector, the CAD file can be used to make subsequent style changes
and amendments.
 Figure: CAD pattern with graded size nest.

c. Future technology tools

The transition from 2D CAD to 3D CAD technology in programs was previously noted; clo3d and
Marvellous Designer, V-Stitcher, and OptiTex are creating new methodologies for apparel
design and development. The transition to the 3D mode increasingly offers the capacity for
virtual prototyping, textile print and pattern simulations to extend the patternmakers domain
beyond a 2D mode. The 3D view also creates the interface to technologies such as engineered
pattern print design, 3D printing and seamless knitting. This further supports a broadening of
the craft of patternmaking to a new digital trade craft where a greater range of design variables
can be factored into the pattern development process. The laptop and computer are replacing
the traditional manual patternmaking tools to develop the next generation of digital
patternmakers.
2D and 3D CAD Web sites
Information on 2D and 3D CAD systems can be obtained from the following websites:
http://www.optitex.com/
http://www.browzwear.com/
http://www.lectra.com/
http://www.gerbertechnology.com/
http://www.grafis.com/
http://www.stylecad.com/
http://www.clo3d.com/
http://www.marvelousdesigner.com/
Pattern making Software:
1. Lectra
2. Gerber Accumark
3. GT CAD Software
4. Optitex
5. Etelestia
6. Tuka Cad
7. Fashion CAD
8. Richpeace
9. Gemini CAD Systems
10. PAD Systems
11. Tanya Contour
12. Romans CAD
13. Dimension CAD

Body measurement guide

Pattern grading
Grading in the apparel manufacturing industry is well known as the art of proportionally
increasing or decreasing a given size pattern part from one size to another, retaining everything
true to its original form.
Pattern grading is the process of manual or digital adjustment of your sample pattern from one
size to another with the help of size specification chart and without changing the original style,
initial look, and shape etc.
Pattern grading means the step wise increase or decrease of a master pattern piece to create
larger or smaller sizes. The starting point can be smallest size or the middle size. Pattern grading
alters the overall size of a design but not its general shape and appearance. Computer aided
pattern grading system utilize internal calculation algorithms (grading rules) for pattern
construction.
The way of resizing the master pattern is called "grading." In the apparel industry production
patterns is generally made for medium size but if the buyer requires different size, then
manufacturers have to grade the dimension like S, L, XL, XXL, etc. For example, if the sample
pattern size is 10(M), then it must be made larger to accommodate sizes like 12(L), 14(XL) and
16(XXL) and to make smaller for sizes 8(S) and 6(YS).
The objectives of pattern grading is to properly increase or decrease the size of a master
pattern, but keep up with shape, fit, balance, style and scale of the apparel.
Types of garment pattern grading techniques:

In apparel manufacturing basic pattern grading methods are mainly divided into 2 types. They
are:
1. Manual pattern grading or two dimensional grading.
2. Computer-aided pattern grading or three dimensional grading.
1. Manual pattern grading:

The desired range of sizes is created, one by one, using a pattern template. Marks are made
around the master pattern at the appropriate distances and then the marks, later joined up to
form the enlarge pattern.
grading machine eases the task of creating the pattern set. The device grips the master or basic
pattern and displaces it by a precise vertical and horizontal distance, after which the
appropriate edge can be traced.

Figure: Manual pattern grading

Now-a-days manual pattern grading methods are classified in 2 ways. These are mentioned and
shortly describe in below:
a. Cut and Spread
b. Pattern Shifting
a. Cut and Spread:
Cut and Spread grading method are starts by the use of tracing and marking techniques from
the original master pattern to a white paper. Ensure that all the marking lines like grain line,
darts are visible here. In this method original patterns are cut vertically into 3 parts and spread
the cutting pieces by a specific amount to grade up. Then overlap them to grade down. To do
this process, only scissors, a pencil, measurement tape, and a ruler is required.
b. Pattern Shifting:
Pattern shifting is another process of pattern grading. When pattern or fashion designer want
to increase or decrease the overall dimensions of a pattern to get different sizes is called
pattern shifting. To make the pattern larger, transfer the original pattern onto another sheet of
paper. To make it smaller, they will have to trim the edges to the desired dimensions. It is done
by moving the master pattern a certain measured distance up and down and left and right using
a special designed ruler. To get the same result as the cut and spread method designer redraw
the outlines.
2. Computer-aided pattern grading:
Computed grading (CAD) is the fastest pattern grading techniques. But when it first came, it
was only used by larger fashion or apparel manufacturers for their production process. Now
CAD is more affordable software. By this method every manufacturer’s get more accurate,
precise, detailed patterns in a short time.

Fig: Computer-aided pattern grading

The pattern maker guides a cursor around the edges of the sample pattern on a digitized table.
At each of the key points, he or she pushes a button to record a grade point. Each point is cross
referenced by a grade-rule table stored in the computer, which enlarges or reduces the pattern
automatically according to the predetermined direction. If the pattern was originally made by
computer, data are already in the computer and can be enlarged or reduced automatically.

Factors upon which pattern making depends on:

1. Method of pattern making
2. Body measurements
3. Style of pattern
4. Type of fabric
5. Allowances
General information of a pattern piece:

Every pattern piece has general information printed in the center. Each piece is numbered
and the number indicates the order in which the pieces are sewn together. For example:
Skirt Front 1 is joined to Skirt Back 2.
Other helpful information includes:
• Pattern brand and style number
• View letter (if there is more than one view)
• Size
• Name of the piece (skirt front, sleeve, pleat underlay, etc.) and its number
• Cutting information (cut one on fold, cut two, etc.)
• Lining/interfacing information (if applicable)

Bias Stretch:

The true bias refers to the 45 degree angle that

intersects the warp (length of grain) and the weft
(cross grain) of a woven fabric. Every piece of
woven fabric has two true biases perpendicular
to each other. Though technically any diagonal
cut that is not on the lengthwise or crosswise
grain is a bias cut, in conventional usage when
people refer to a bias cut they are usually talking
about the true bias.
The bias of woven fabric offers both stretch and
malleability, and can easily be molded to take
shape. These properties are both the advantage
and disadvantage that most experience when
working on the bias. Though it offers a forgiving
fit, the instability of the fabric can be difficult to
work with.