Loose Leaf : On Becoming a Pattern Maker
an Ask Judy segment a year in the making
This one is FREE TO ALL! Enjoy!
In the next few Loose Leafs I’m finally getting into answering your questions regarding becoming a pattern maker. I’ve received loads of questions around this subject that I’ll get into answering but first I want to talk about my personal journey for context.
I graduated high school during the peak Project Runway years so of course I wanted to be a fashion designer. I was hell bent on going to New York City and applied to FIT twice and got waitlisted twice. I ended up attending the University of Rhode Island for my undergrad and completed a BS in Textile Science, Fashion Merchandising and Design. Looking back, I believe that someone was looking out for me and knew that FIT wasn’t my path.
During that time, as many fashion design programs will have, I took pattern making 101 and 102 and it all clicked. I was going to be a pattern maker, not a designer. Unfortunately after graduating there were barely any jobs for a junior, assistant, apprentice pattern makers (still really aren’t) so I took a job at Ralph Lauren doing production on Collection (runway) sweaters . Our category would sometimes create delicate crochet tanks or dresses and we’d need to work with the atelier on the 3rd floor who would make us slips or camisoles to go underneath for shows. I got to know the pattern makers and tailors there and when I asked how I could transfer here they asked “what’s your experience?”.
At that point I had nothing but my degree and my time working upstairs. All of them came from overseas and had learned at a trade school (which we greatly lack in the States) or it was a family trade. Our tailoring team was grandfather, father and son from Italy.
I wasn’t sure about going overseas and found a master’s program at Parsons (NYC). During my application process however they pulled the program completely so I pivoted to Milan and attended Istituto Secoli for a one year intensive. So thank you Parsons for giving up on pattern makers because it was exactly the education I was looking for.
After that year I felt I finally had a strong hold on the subject and enough to get a job. My first gig was at Alice + Olivia which I quickly left after 5 months, iykyk. I then spent a year under a French trained pattern maker who was incredibly talented but also made me learn his handwriting for the nomenclature on the paper patterns (….yea). I’ve been freelancing ever since but my second round of pattern making education came from working under Inni Choi at Rachel Comey. She taught me so much and focused me on pants so I could hone that garment. I found repetition and mistakes to be my biggest teacher during those years and I was fortunate to have a patient mentor there.
It wasn’t until I had worked as a pattern maker for 8 years that I started thinking about Daughter Judy and another 2 after that before I launched it, but we’ll save those stories for the next Loose Leaf.
[Please note that the following are my personal views and experience. If you have any further questions on anything please feel free to ask in the comments below because there’s a good chance others have them too!]
Resources + Courses
[What books do you recommend? Are there any good online courses in pattern making? How can I build my skills?]
Here are a few that I like.
Books :
Il Modellismo [Italy] - from the school Istituto Burgo, closest to the modules from my school Istituto Secoli and has English translations
Bunka Fashion Series [Japan] - series from Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. The link is for a Reddit page that links to an online site where you can download PDFs.
Patternmaking [UK] - from Dennic Chunman Lo at London College of Fashion
The Ultimate Pattern Drafting Series [Canada] - very in depth series with easy to follow instructions
Courses :
The best way to learn pattern making is in person at an institution. Preferably one that focuses on pattern making or the teacher has years of experience. I say this because those curriculums are expansive, they tend to teach how the body changes across sizes and what makes a completed pattern good vs needs adjusting.
Of course this is a big financial and time commitment but you will get the best educational outcome from this that will pay you back ten fold when you’re done. I do think you can learn online, some of these schools offer online courses, just make sure there is a person who has experience and the knowledge to answer your questions because you will have many of them!
As for building your skills, it comes from practice and mistake making. Even after 12 years as a pattern maker I am still learning and honing by trying different methods, fitting on different bodies, and challenging myself in more advance construction methods. Also don’t be afraid to reach out to people who have that experience if you’re stuck on something or want to understand the why’s. Maybe it’s an old teacher or someone you know who has more experience. I would gladly answer any questions if you’re new to pattern making and feeling blocked! qcc@daughterjudypatterns.com
Industry Requirements
[Can you be self taught or is that not viable for getting hired? What is expected from an industry job in terms of a portfolio or samples? Do companies require a certain qualification? Do you need to write up detailed instructions and illustration for industry patterns?]
In my experience it is less about if you’re self taught or not and more about the experience you have for getting hired. I know this is a bit of a chicken and egg type answer but to be hired for most roles you need to prove some sort of experience. If you’re coming from an accredited school that shows a dedicated study. If you’re coming from a few projects or roles that shows experience. I’ve known many self taught pattern makers that have high paying technical design jobs and they have climbed their way up to that position after years of working for one or multiple companies.
When I was looking for roles I had put together a small portfolio of my school work and any recent work with brands. I like to show (and as a hiring manager would like to see) final photos of the garment on body along with the pattern pieces flat. As a hiring manager I’d want to see if you understand how best to set up the pattern for the sample sewers and I’d want to see the pattern shapes.
Lastly, to answer the question about writing instructions and illustrations the answer there is no. As a pattern maker typically you are responsible for creating the pattern and passing it off with a cutters must which will have some information for sewing but really was created for the cutter. The pattern itself should have markings to make it easier for the sewer to construct. Technical designers will create a flat with lines and text for the garment needs which is more for overseas factories. Some pattern makers might do this but in my experience having a garment to follow is the better resource than sketches.
Career Switching
[Is it possible to learn/break into the field while still working a 9-5? Curious the education needed as someone considering this for a mid-life career pivot.]
If you’re looking to make a career switch you’ll run into the same requirements as above, experience. Again that can be that you spent your non 9-5 hours studying or assisting a local pattern maker who could give you some training. This is definitely where online courses are more accessible unless you’re able to take a break and attend in person study. Overall it’s pretty much the same needs if you’re starting out or making a career switch.
Finances
[What would you say is a fair wage for the job and how much do they typically get paid? How difficult/how long did it take to make enough income to do this full time? Is this a financially viable career, is there a demand for it?]
This was the most asked question outside of resources and courses question by far. The thing to take in here is that it varies depending on where you live. Pay rates tend to follow cost of living (or at least try to) and companies big and small have their own pay brackets they can afford. Experience level will also change how much you would be paid so here is a little breakdown of what my financial experience has been and what I’m understanding from recent conversations.
When I first started in 2012, and was living in New York City, I was charging around $35/hour (USD) and probably made around 50k annually. Jump to 2024 and I charge over $100/hour and can make 6 figures in a year depending on the amount of work I take on. Again these are New York City prices and clients that are able to pay this amount so definitely at the higher end of the pricing tier (there are some people that get paid even more than this).
Today I would say that a newly trained pattern maker with good education could charge $40-$55/hour freelancing and earn around 60k annually working full time. Someone who is more experienced could really charge whatever but definitely $75-$90/hour freelancing and earn around 80-100k annually working full time.
I personally found it took a few years for my finances to feel stable but that’s also considering that I was living in a very expensive city. It’s dependent on the circumstances of if you’re working full time for a company or if you’re freelancing and have more client turnover. Client turnover is also something to consider. You may work with a brand one season or one year and then they’re gone the next and you’re working to fill that gap.
So to answer if this is a financially viable career my answer is yes. The demand for these jobs is very high but there are factors on where you live and the type of clients you have.
Software
[What software do you use? Is it enough to make pattern in Adobe Illustrator or do I need to know Gerber or Clo3D?]
I use a software called Optitex. It is an industry software used by larger companies that I’ve been using for almost a decade now so to switch now sounds, not fun. I chose Optitex because of its usability and its conversion capabilities. Example, I have one client (I still freelance) that works with an overseas factory whose software takes ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) files better and I have another client whose overseas factory takess AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturers Association) files better. These are both types of DXF files - Drawing Exchange Format.
I know, very confusing but basically because there are many software options out there, they don’t all talk to each other so the ability to convert is important. (Optitex also converts to AI but I’ll get more into that in the next Loose Leaf.)
With my license I also have the ability to grade and walk my grading across pieces. I also have marker making which is how the pattern gets laid out on the fabric for production cutting. This has been a game changer for my cutting layouts.
However, this software is higher in price. For 1 license it’s around $13K which would also be on par with Gerber/Accumark and Lectra (both owned by Lectra). There are other softwares that have lower price points and do come highly recommended!
TukaTech - 3 monthly options depending on needs, $19, $99 and $199
PAD System - 2 monthly options depending on needs, $15 or $45
Browzwear VStitcher - I’m unable to find pricing online but know it’s more accessible
Clo3D - Student $25/month and Individual $50/month
[Personally I’d go with one of the first 2 because I don’t give a hoot about 3D]
As for the question around using Adobe Illustrator my answer there is more no. You can use Illustrator to make a pattern but you will need to convert it into a readable file for whoever is receiving it on the other end (ex. grader, factory, etc.). If you find it easier for yourself to draft in Adobe out of comfort you would likely want to invest in a software that can convert AI to be compatible with pattern making softwares. (I know you can export to an AutoCAD DXF but I yet to see if those files come into Optitex well)
Where to find work
[What are the paths to become a pattern maker from home? Do you need to be able to travel to a fashion city? Can you do it remotely?]
Most pattern making jobs are in cities and even more available in fashion cities. So yes being in or close to a New York, London, Tokyo, etc. you’ll have an easier time finding those jobs which will also be higher paying.
If your plan is to do this remotely my opinion is that you will find it hard to get clients because fitting in person is very important to this process. Now, if you have a relationship with clients after working with them a while it’s much easier to make this happen. I worked with Apiece Apart for a year and a half (after 6 years as a pattern maker) and then decided to move to Portland. Because we liked working together we pivoted to a remote situation since both sides were confident in the relationship. Now that I’m back in the area (1.5 hours north of NYC) I’m still remote with them but able to be in person more which I’m looking forward to.
This answer goes along with the financial one. If you’re in a place where apparel is being created, the jobs are more available, the pay is better and you will take away experience when you want to pivot to remote working leading to more consistent clients.
Size Inclusivity
[Is anyone teaching or including drafting for plus bodies? How can we get pattern making education programs to be more size inclusive?]
I think one of the biggest hinderances for getting institutions to include plus and size inclusive education is the fact that those teacher themselves aren’t educated enough in larger sizes. Some schools have launched clubs, like Parsons SIF Lab run by Dr. Leila Kelleher, but they are few and far between.
I do know of two (2) books in the works but as with most book publishing it takes so much time and work that the release dates are tentative. Til then I highly recommend reading Ready to Sew blog post where she goes into her size expansion journey and lists more resources.
Drafting
[How do you decide your base blocks from which to draft? What are the differences between American and Italian drafting styles?]
Typically in the industry a base block is a size 4 or 6. Some companies will go higher and that decision should be coming from their customers. If they find their customers buy the most in a certain size they will use that as their base for fittings and grade up and down from there.
So in this world you’re relegated to what the client or companies use. I’ll speak more in the next Loose Leaf around my decisions for Daughter Judy!
As for the differences between American and Italian drafting, I find Italian drafting to be more detailed and have more specs getting you better fit results. I also liked how I was set up to understand grading better since they have you work off a size chart instead of leaning more made to measure, which was the education I was wanting. They also went into much more detail around subtle changes in drafting when working with larger or smaller sizes than the base they taught on. It all just felt more scientific and reasoned than pick a size, here are some guidelines, do a lot of adjustments in fitting.
Grading
[Is there a formula or software for grading out sizes? What resources are there for grading?]
Grading is so nebulous. If you compare charts across North America, Europe, Asia, etc. there are significant differences because the bodies in each location are different. You might see smaller jumps in Europe and Asia when compared to the US or larger height jumps when comparing the East and West. There is no standardization, which I personally think is a good thing.
In the US there is a general standardization of 1” between sizes for numeric (2,4,6,8,etc) and 2” between sizes for alpha (S,M,L). However, and a very big however, there are tweaks when you get to the largest end and smallest end which you can see if you start reading size charts (these came from a study many many decades ago and the industry here has held onto them in a way and most people have played along).
So even though we do not have an entity controlling these measurements there are players that have become the standard. Alvanon would be my biggest recommendation. They work with most of the big companies and have done extensive research on the different body types around the globe. Fortunately for us they share their size charts.
There are also people out there that do grading so you don’t have to and you can find them in those larger fashion cities. In the US, the CFDA has a resource page where you can search for graders. If you’re looking to try grading yourself, the softwares I mentioned above all have grading built into them and they are MUCH easier to use than Illustrator. In Optitex, I plug in my measurements and the sizes are auto created and built into the pattern pieces. Another reason why an investment into any system is worth it, especially for grading.
I hope this answers the questions you had about becoming a pattern maker. I could go on and on about these topics but I’ll leave you with this. If there’s something I missed or you want deeper explanation on something drop it in the comments below!
Next Loose Leaf : Staying on topic but pivoting to the home sewing world! I’ll answer your questions around starting a home sewing pattern company and give you a look at what my calendar looks like so you can see the workload involved.
In Case You Missed It -
The Thompson Coat is back!
Some other Ask Judy questions answered
I enjoyed your in depth discussion of pattern making and your personal journey! I attended a 2 yr trade school in San Francisco circa 1989. It was a wonderful program run by 2 very talented Japanese women. In this studio environment we drafted our own patterns and sewed all of our own garments. At the end of the 2 yrs you would get a diploma if our teacher thought you had successfully completed the work. I was an apprentice to another freelance designer before I started working for different companies. Back then San Francisco was at its peak I terms of the no. of companies and sewing contractors who actually made the clothes. I worked mostly in production, a very high stress environment and I burned out after a few years. Fast forward many decades, I returned to making clothes for a few people and got back to my love of sewing. Do I draft my own patterns? No, because there are so many wonderful pattern companies (like yours) with very modern designs. Despite that, my experience at the San Francisco Fashion Institute was invaluable!
You are amazing! That’s all I’ve got to say……!
( well, except that I love your patterns & the detail you put into them )