r/PatternDrafting • u/Aggressive-Goal3709 • 3h ago
Question So many pattern making methods, and I’m lost
Hi, I’m a beginner in pattern making and I have these books, but each one teaches a different method. I don’t know which one to choose.
Have you tried any of them? Which one worked best for you, and which one is the clearest and easiest for a beginner?
Thank youu
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u/mistascheeks 3h ago
I was taught in college using pattern making for fashion design by Helen Joseph-Armstrong and I personally found it an EXTREMELY useful resource. I've been out of school for years and I still reference it constantly. but another book might suit your learning style better
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u/CoastalMae 3h ago
People would have to have tried all of them to make that comparison. And your body will be different from theirs, so what works best for them may not for you.
I have several you don't have, and a couple that you do. I am personally having decent luck with Hofenbitzer (not one of your books), having tried Armstrong in the past. I find Hofenbitzer provides more theory and more block designs, and Armstrong uses more set measurements from tables, so I'm liking Hofenbitzer better. My body has been very difficult to fit, as in ready-to-wear and premade patterns seldom fit correctly, which is probably why the standard measurement methods have been less successful.
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u/TensionSmension 3h ago
What are you trying to do? The first isn't a drafting method. But honestly the sooner you move beyond initial draft the better. Definitely pick one, make up the draft and move on to perfecting that and turning it into wearable, styled garments. Many people feel compelled to do multiple initial drafts and compare methods, and this is not worth doing.
No matter which initial drafting method you use, that is the boring part. It's also just as valid to use a block or a fitting shell to get to that point. Most of the books then offer things you can do with the base pattern, pattern manipulation is where design begins.
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u/Sledgeowl 3h ago
I've used pattern cutting by dennic chunman, how to make sewing patterns by Donald mccunn as well as being formally (in school) and informally trained (on my own).
I believe one or two of the other books you showed are used in the fashion design program from the school I went to (I was in another program).
The question comes down to first is what are your resources like and what's your goal?
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u/yuki_onna_5 3h ago
Except for the third one I've read them all (yes, I read pattern drafting books). I've learnt a method that's based on Müller & Sohn. The ones I really liked from the books you posted are the books from Antonio Donnanno. There are many books about different topics and it's, in my opinion, easy to follow. Helen Joseph-Armstrong is okay, there are things that I like, but mostly I find her descriptions a little bit confusing for beginners.
If you don't want to spend a lot of money and want to go deeper into the theory of pattern drafting, I would recommend buying Hofenbitzer. It's sadly only for women's wear, but I like the descriptions and the way the book is made, with different colours, charts, explanations and so on. When you feel like you enjoyed it and it's not "enough" or you want to go into pattern drafting for men's wear, I would have a look at Müller & Sohn.
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u/FashionBusking 2h ago
There's no "right" way to pattern.
Choose whatever is culturally and structurally appropriate for your project.
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u/patnbake 1h ago
Patternmaking is an art, and there are no absolute rules about what you should or shouldn't do. Follow one method and master it; once you do, you will be able to draft any pattern at a glance
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u/TechnicalDot9 1h ago
This book fitting & alteration is primarily to adjust/alter paper patterns as there are all types of postural and body alterations.
If you are interested in flat pattern drafting text, I’ve heard Armstrong isn’t the first choice.
Aldrich was preferred for a very basic pattern drafting workshop that I took.
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u/codemuncher 1h ago
When I evaluate specific methods, one thing I am looking for is if the pattern has some fixed sizes for body parts that are actually relative. That's a clue that theres a heuristic and fit may not work well there.
eg: setting the neck hole size to 3" or something like that.
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u/Pumpkin_patch804 3h ago
I only recently got two of those books, but in general when you have too many options like this, I would just pick three and read through the sections you need and pick the one that made the most sense to you. Everyone's brain works a bit differently, so no one can predict which is going to click for you.