My last post of the season about blocks takes me back to one of my biggest loves: creative pattern cutting. I wanted to write about this because a couple of birdies have told me that they’re not sure what it is, so I’ll explain what it means (to me, anyway). And towards the end, I’ll explain why having your own block is the perfect companion to creative pattern cutting.
Creative pattern cutting is what most people are looking for when they search for courses on fashion design, or maybe clothing design. It’s a technical and creative process that covers how to manipulate your block – bodice, skirt, trouser, sleeve, whatever – to create infinite styles and silhouettes. Once upon a time (mid-20th century), fashion designers also had to be pattern cutters. However (this is deliberately short) changes in the fashion industry meant that the role was split.
As often found on the internet, fashion design courses cover a lot of illustration. Professional illustrators teach quite a few of them, too. This side of the job covers visual research, trend analysis, and beautiful artistic illustrations. You’ll learn how to be a good visual communicator and pick up some fine art skills. BUT – and this is usually what ‘normal people’ are looking for – you won’t learn a thing about how to actually bring those ideas to life.
This is because it’s the pattern cutter’s job.
Fashion design conceptualises. Pattern cutting realises.
You don’t know it yet, but these tools will be the VERY best friends you’ve ever made. Seriously!
What is creative pattern cutting?
Creative pattern cutters are the wonderful people who can look at a sketch, see how the garments are made, and create a paper pattern that enables them to be cut and made from fabric. The best ones also have deep knowledge of garment construction. The gold is understanding how the pieces fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle on the human body. The ability to look at an item of clothing and interpret the styling or design features is a great starting point. For example:
Is it an A-line skirt or a straight skirt?
If you’re looking at a full, voluminous sleeve, are there pleats or gathers? How has that volume been created? Which techniques have been used?
Do you know the differences between a Peter Pan collar, a classic shirt collar, and a rever collar? Hint: Most people will definitely be able to see the differences, but all these styling features have names and create particular looks. Some folk might not know what a particular type of collar is called – or that it even has a name. I can assure you that EVERY design detail has a name!
Bonus tip: Pinterest is your friend.
Cute infographics like this – there are loads on Pinterest if you search ‘types of collar’ (or whatever):
This kind of knowledge is helpful for creative pattern cutting because you need to be able to identify what you’re looking at. If you want something in greater depth and can spend a bit of money, resources like Fashionary and the Fashionpedia book are useful.
You need to have a picture or some kind of image of your goal or finished design. You don’t need to be a brilliant artist – annotation is your friend if you’re not confident. It’s most important to be a good communicator. But you do need to be confident about what you want to make and how you want it to look when it’s finished. Identifying the features – and consequently the pattern pieces – is a vital step. A solid idea is still a solid idea, no matter how you feel about your drawings. The pattern is what you want at the end of the day. Without that, you’ll have nothing to wear. So don’t worry about producing pretty drawings!
Creative pattern cutting = knowing what clothes you want to make, and how to make them
You can begin to design and create patterns once you have this goal in mind. Once you know that you want to make a gathered skirt with a waistband and slanted pockets, you can figure out which pattern pieces you’ll need. Lists are helpful here! For this example, we need a waistband piece, a skirt front, a skirt back, and pocket pieces. We also need to think about how to get in and out of the skirt. A zip is the usual option, but there are alternatives – take a look at Riola by Pauline Alice and Flint by Megan Nielsen. A related question is where to put the closure – back, front, or side?
You might gather that executive decisions are a strong point when you design clothes ;-). This is why it’s important to know what you want, what your goals are for the item of clothing you want to make for yourself.
Your teacher will ask you questions like this if you take a creative pattern cutting course. They’ll want to check that you have some focus and purpose. There are multitudes upon multitudes of clothing features, so the possibilities are infinite when you design a pattern. Creative problem solving is skill you’ll develop if you don’t have it already. Your teacher will support you with this too.
This is where it gets technical
When people talk about pattern cutting as a technical subject, they’re often referring to precision. Remember the jigsaw puzzle analogy above? Pieces cannot fit together unless they’re measured and cut accurately. The same goes for your clothes.
Manipulating, cutting, and sculpting paper to create shapes and pattern pieces is a lot of fun! It’s very tactile and a wonderful way to develop your spatial skills. You can design and create any pattern you like, so long as you draw and measure accurately. This is where you have to pay attention to detail.
If you already have experience of sewing clothes, you’ll know what I mean. It’s reassuring to have notches and pattern pieces that line up; it creates confidence that what you’re making will come together. It’s like having signage, telling you you’re on the right path or road. We all appreciate precision and attention to detail. So, if this is your idea of comfort, give yourself that gift when drafting your own patterns! Shall we call it self-care? Why not 🙂 Because that’s exactly what it is.
This is where your personal block comes in
The beauty of using your own block, drafted to your own measurements, for creative pattern cutting is simple. You’ll never have to worry about fitting and alterations, unlike with commercial patterns. It is not always easy to fit yourself, even when your body measurements are close to the company’s size chart. You’ll need to work out whether the ease and comfort the pattern company or designer has put in also suits you personally. Plus, you won’t know for sure without making a toile, or – if you’re bold – making the actual thing.
Creative pattern cutting using your made-to-measure block gives you complete creative control. You can decide how closely or loosely you want the garment to fit, right down to the finest detail. Every dimension and proportion of the design is in your hands. You can focus on the creative work – the designing, the sewing up – without worrying about whether the clothes will fit.
Drafting your personal block is like laying the foundations or putting down roots, but it’s worth it. It does take time. 15 hours is usual for a bodice or trouser block, the two most complex ones of the set. But – that 15 hours is an investment that will pay you dividends for the rest of your life.
Having a set of blocks is the strongest taproot you can imagine for your wardrobe to grow and survive sustainably. It’s part of a clothing ecosystem that naturally makes you less wasteful, because you’re putting your needs first. You don’t have to hunt around looking for unicorn brands or clothing items anymore, taking up precious time, energy, and money. You can direct the resources you have into a process that’s guaranteed to give you what you want or need.
Last words
Most creative pattern cutting courses teach you the craft by using industry standard blocks, but this can be problematic. Chances are, you’re into making your own clothes because your body doesn’t agree with industry standards somehow. Or, you can’t find the things you want to wear in the shops. You really do have to put yourself first – and that’s why drafting your own blocks is the key.
To me, it makes sense and has the most impact to learn creative pattern cutting by using your personal blocks. So I’d recommend – and this is what I do in my own course – drafting your blocks first, and then moving on to the fun stuff. It’s an investment, but you’re putting roots down so your creative potential can blossom.
This is my last post before spring break, so I’ll see you back here in late April. Have a lovely Easter if you’re celebrating! And in the meantime, please share, pin, and save this post if you found it helpful and think others will too. I also appreciate hot chocolates or tips in my Ko-Fi jar if you’re feeling super generous. Thank you! 😊
