What Your Patternmaker Needs for Your Project
If you are ready to hire a pattern maker, then you are probably looking to take a load off your shoulders. However, it’s not an automatic transition. Your vision looks perfect in your head, but I may interpret it differently because my psychic abilities have not yet been honed. There is much more to it than just passing along a sketch and expecting it to be perfect the first go around. This kind of pass off is a big investment and possibly the beginnings of a beautiful working relationship that can last for years. So let’s do it right!
Tell Me About Your Aesthetic
Why is this important as a pattern maker? Let’s say you ask me to make a T-shirt. Based on your sketch it looks like an oversized boxy fit, very generic. However, in your head, it fits like a slim fit A&F tee.
With the following information I can get a better idea of what you are going for:
· Target Customer Age - Please don’t give a span of 30 years. Either you are designing for the Zara customer or Chicos. They don’t exist in the same range and will have different fit requirements. Sometimes they overlap, but rarely. You don’t have to be spot on with your target customer profile, but it is a starting point until you figure out who is buying your product if you have not launched yet.
· Comparisons - Other brands/designers you relate to; like the look of.
· Price Point - What stores do you envision your products in and what is the approximate price range of products? Is your product designed for Target or Saks Fifth Ave?
· Show me stuff you like. This can be a mood board, Pinterest boards or magazine tears. It does not necessarily need to be the exact product you are working on but it gives me an idea of shapes you like and the look you are going for with your products.
Provide sketches, magazine tears, or original garments
Sketches:
Beautiful hand-drawn fashion sketches are nice, but not the most useful. (Money saving moment: don’t hire a fashion illustrator to show your pattern maker what you need.) What is important is that I know the details. Here is what I am looking for, as a pattern maker:
1. A sense of the garment proportions.
2. Placement of seams.
3. How are the edges finished? Facings will give a garment one look, whereas a bias taping finish lends a whole different appearance.
4. Functionality - how will she get it off and on?
Here’s a good example of a sketch that can be passed to a pattern maker:
But what if you can’t sketch?
Send a Photo - of a similar garment you like and detail the changes you would like to make:
Provide an Original Garment - This could be something from your closet that you love the fit of, a vintage piece, or something you bought for the project. Copying you say? Don’t worry about it. This is how the whole industry works and operates. Rarely does any designer start from 100% scratch. The fit and design details will become your own by the end anyway, and will not be recognized from your starting garment. Please don’t take this as an indication of my morals, it’s just the way it is, and perhaps merits a post for another day.
Don’t Be Afraid of Adjectives - Let’s say that you have a magazine tear that is sort of what you are looking for, but not quite. Then describe how yours will be different.
Your Own Development Patterns - I get clients who start a style but it’s not quite right so they ask me to step in. It’s a great help to have your pattern to get a sense of what you are looking for. I understand that maybe you would be embarrassed or worried that it’s not 100% correct, but from my point of view, it doesn’t matter. From this, I can understand approximate body widths you are a going for and styling details, etc. I may even take your pattern and just improve upon it.
Give Styling Measurements - Don’t worry, you need not be a technical designer for this part, just have access to a tape measure. There are certain measurements that are definitely subjective based on styling so you don’t have to worry about standard measurements. If you are unsure then it’s OK to give approximates, as this is just a rough draft. The key measurements I would be looking for would be:
Dresses and Tops:
1. Body length
2. Sleeve length
3. Neck width
4. Neck drop
Pants & Shorts:
1. Inseam length
2. Leg opening circumference
3. Approximate front rise height, or where you would like it to hit- at, below or above the belly button
4. Waistband height
Skirts:
1. Center front length
2. Approximate bottom opening (this will affect your overall garment cost, because it determines how much fabric is needed)
3. Waistband height
What fabric are you using?
Patterns are developed for a specific fabric, so it’s good to know from the start what it will be.
Is it a non-stretch woven?
Is it a woven that has some stretch (mechanical stretch)?
If it’s knit, how much stretch does it have? Is is a dry t-shirt jersey or a slinky rayon spandex?
Just keep in mind that everyone has different points of view. It’s good to go into a lot of details when you are first getting a project off the ground. As relationships grow, the process becomes much simpler. I guarantee it!
Looking to find out more info? Check out this post:
What Exactly Does a Pattern maker Do?