Saturday, April 27, 2013

The Art Of Patterndrafting Today

By Bertha Wells


Today, anyone who likes to sew can be a designer. Patterndrafting techniques have given the average sewer the ability to create their own designs. That was not always the case. It used to be a very exclusive skill only done by a few individuals.

The next step in the process is to drape the design on a form or a person to get the right dimensions. This allows the garment to be broken down into sections that cover different parts of the body. The initial pattern is started with a block. Sometimes, it is also referred to as a slope.

The pattern maker then sketches the shape first. Then, the French curve, the hip curve, and the straight edge, are used to shape the armhole, neckline, and hipline. Now, a paper pattern can be made. To get the different sizes, professionals use precise calculations to make changes in the pattern pieces.

In order to do the proper sizing, the pattern has to be graded. This involves precise measurements for each of the different sizes. They are placed on each individual piece to show one size from another. The pattern maker has to have some skill in mathematics. Previously, the process was done manually, and this was very time consuming.

Today, technology has taken the process to a new level. It makes the task less tedious and more efficient. There are now programs that are available to the home sewer as well as the professional. They integrate the use of mathematics with creative thinking.

The computerized system can do all of the hard work. It will calculate, analyze and produce a pattern that have the right shape and the right sizing. It will even provide a image of what the garment will look like before the designer even cuts the first piece of fabric.

There are a few good programs on the market today. They are a part of the Computer Aided Design system. They are usually referred to as CAD. It doesn't matter which program the person uses they all calculate the measurements the user enters into the computer. The end results are the same.

In the past, customized and garments that fit were only available to those who were either of the aristocracy or extremely wealthy. Around the mid 1800s, a man by the name of Ebenezer Butterick patterns made out of tissue paper.

These prototypes were printed with size adjustments. He sold them and the birth of an industry was born. This came around about the same time that the industrial sewing machine became more practical to the home sewer. The two industries together opened up the world of the home sewer, and gave freedom and more efficiency to the commercial patternmaking business.

Patterndrafting has changed the world of high fashion forever. This world that was once close to the average sewer is now at their fingertips. They can also produce incredible designs from their own minds, and with the help of a few tools they too, can create beautiful clothes.




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