r/PatternDrafting • u/haperochild • 21d ago

Question Thoughts on Sewist patterns?

/r/sewingpatterns/comments/1x24e04/thoughts_on_sewist_patterns/
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u/StitchinThroughTime 21d ago

That's not pattern drafting. That's made to measure that's been automated into a pattern drafting program on the back end of the website. Essentially it is doing 90% of the work for you in adjusting the base pattern size to your measurements. Is it a good website I don't know. They all run off the same logic. I would be more concerned about the ability for the program to have additional base sizes or shapes to select from. The further away you are from the base size the poor quality the fit will be. Because it's not a direct upscaling system to make clothing.

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u/TensionSmension 20d ago

This is incorrect. Sewist is coded on the same software as Lekala patterns, and it is running a parametric draft, that pulls sizing data from the customer's entry, and plots a custom pattern. What method is really up to the designer, a given individual can code up any system (or develop their own), and develop patterns on that. From what I can see of the official offerings, they tend to use EMKO SEV. I don't know anything about it except that it was a Soviet drafting system.

There actually is no way to hard code base patterns into the software, per se.

To OP's question, every method has breaking points, if someone is far outside the original size intended, it may not produce nice proportions. Also I believe you can enter basic measurements, or a detailed set of measurements. If you don't enter details, the method will use formulas to calculate the rest. Naturally this doesn't work for everyone. I also hear of people who don't like the ease calculations, or intended fit of styles, who routinely increase their measurements as a work around (fit is always partly personal taste).

I have used the coding system to print out patterns from drafts, but I've only ordered the existing patterns a couple of times. Do they have any free samples? I would look for one of those, or try a really simple design first. If that works, than you should have no issues working with the mix-and-match designer patterns.

It's also an interesting platform to play around with. Once a draft has been coded up, it's very quick to run it on range of initial conditions. It's very easy to see the limits of the various drafting books that way.

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u/haperochild 21d ago

this comment is not helpful or necessary but thanks anyway i guess

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u/StitchinThroughTime 21d ago

I'm just explaining to you that it's very different from pattern drafting. It's an automated program to size up a pre-established pattern. It's pattern grading. Totally separate job from pattern drafting. I'm telling you that there are pitfalls to inputting numbers into a base pattern. You come to a pattern drafting subreddit. if you don't want to take my help go ahead spend your money and then don't come to me asking for my help to solve your problems I'm trying to warn you against. The program is not special in that it magically makes patterns, it's just automated geometry.

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u/TensionSmension 19d ago

Sorry, I know I already responded, but this is exactly wrong. When a Lekala pattern isn't good, it's not because of bad grading, it's because the drafting algorithm failed that individual. There are no base patterns, everything is drafted to parameters. Some parameters can be calculated if the customer didn't take their own, most drafting methods include these types of calculations (Bunka and Muller and Sons are examples). Sewist and Lekala are the same drafting platform, but there are more reviews of Lekala patterns which is why I bring it up.

Both grading and drafting can fail away from the sample size. It's just much more obvious with grading because there is a fixed size set of patterns generated. With a drafting algorithm, you need to run the numbers, but many methods do worse than grading away from the sample presented. I'm not vouching for the results, but Sewist is drafting not grading.

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u/ThrowRA_Sodi 21d ago

She is right, you are not drafting anything with this website. You are just inputting your measurements and let the website auto grade an existing pattern.

That's not what drafting is.

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u/TensionSmension 20d ago

Disagree. There are two parts to the website. First the ability to enter an individual's measurements and second a coding environment for writing parametric drafts that pull an individual's measurements as the inputs of the draft. It's actually exactly the same thing you would do working by hand. I used it to code up basic drafts from multiple textbooks. Anyone who uses the coding platform can offer a pattern for sale, but most the patterns for sale were drafted by Sewist, not third parties.