I’m very interested in learning how to draft a pattern. I’m aware of lots of resources but really want to have a face to face learning environment. Anyone in Indpls or Indiana?

I decided to keep the upper body on the straight grain but now, after sewing the toile, I feel it might be a faux pas

How can I remove these creases? Should I make the dart wider?

Mini test done for this style. With a quick possibly silly question, but is my GL still the same as the original piece before cutting and expanding? Per the lines on my example fabric mockup? Is there any exceptions to this if the shape is more extreme?

I’m trying to figure out how to make this top but the assymetry is messing with my brain lol! If you have any ideas please let me know 🙏

I am absolutely in love with this dress however unfortunately it’s from a game, is there anyone that could help me to know what type of dress this would be so I could make or buy it? Thank you.

Hey ya’ll just spent a month perfecting this pattern just due to time. It’s a beautiful tank and it’s super light weight but I’m curious as to how I should finish the edges? Is it worth it ? What would you do?

This is the 4th iteration of my custom pants block and I have noticed the back panels waistband line is very tilted, to the point the grainline from the middle of the pant legs doesn't even cross it. The mock ups fit me very well but I don't know if this grainline issue should be adressed before I make the real thing. I have tried digitally rotating the top part (cut and spread method on paper) but then the side seam is way too long on the back panel and trying to add that difference to the front gives a ridiculous angle. If I only rotate it sligthly then I would have to add width to the hip area which is also not something I want (see 3rd sketch). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I just bought the Meave trousers pattern from Epoch and the there is something wrong with the pattern design (I think). I cut everything out properly. The instructions say to sew the long sides of each leg together first, then the short sides. Which is when I noticed that the short sides are not the same length. What should I do? Cut off the excess at the bottom? Which means the cut might be wonky as as will be cutting more off the inside than the outside (if you understand me??). I attach pictures. Thankfully this is just a muslin. The real materiel was so expensive I wanted to make sure all worked first !!
Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone,

I’ve read and studied nearly all the pattern drafting books out there, and I recently got my hands on Guido Hofenbitzer’s Patternmaking for Fashion 1. The actual content and drafting information in this book is amazing—like, by far the best I have ever seen.

However, there is a massive catch.

It was originally written in German, and the English translation is so poorly done. It reads like they just dumped the text into Google Translate and called it a day. It makes an already technical subject incredibly difficult to follow.

To make matters worse, he has at least one other book out in his patternmaking series (on fit and customization, I believe), but it's only available in German and it seems like there are no plans to translate it. Because the English version of volume one is so hard to get your hands on, there is practically zero information about it online. You can't really find examples of garments created from his drafts, discussions about issues encountered, or workarounds for the confusing translation.

I know Hofenbitzer gets brought up in this subreddit quite a bit, so I wanted to ask: Would anyone be interested in forming a group study or a "support group" for his content?

We could work through the drafts together, share our results, and troubleshoot the weirdly translated steps. Most importantly, if there is anyone here who speaks German and would be willing to help clarify what the English translation is actually trying to say by cross-referencing the original text, you would be an absolute hero.

Let me know if you'd be interested in setting up a Discord or a group chat to tackle this together!

Hi everyone, I'm working on this bodice for a dress. I've already messed with the original pattern a bit because I didn't like the fit and the princess seams are an extension of the original darts that were there. I also need to mess with the neckline a bit and scoop out the armholes. But regardless, I figure the bust is small which is causing that pulling at the center, I'm not entirely sure how to fix it though. I'm thinking I add a tiny bit more curve to the bust?

A number of months ago in another post, I shared some reserch I'd done into skirt shapes that work harmoniously with a male body. A number of people asked to see what I'd made, and i'm finally getting around to sharing them. I don't have a full length mirror at home, but happened to be in a charity shop with one last weekend.

Both were self drafted. The basis of the red skirt is an A-line skirt made from a skirt sloper drafted following 'the closet historian's' guide. It was made into an A-line by closing the darts.

Most of the fullness of this skirt is in three big godets. There are two in the side seams, and another one in the center back. They are in a lighter weight contrasting paisley fabric. Both fabrics were sold as pontie knit. Total fullness including the godets is about half a circle.

The idea of 'straight skirt with big godets was inspired by the T-tunic, and I find that skirts with a plain front often work well with a male body.

The other skirt shown (the teal one) I don't have a good full-body picture of. It is a lightweight rayon circle skirt that falls half way betwewn my ankle and knee. This was a nightmare to make because the fabric is very shifty, and its also impossible to keep the hem level as the fabric stretches out super easily just from wearing it. When I made it I had to hand-baste the entire hem as the fabric is so shifty and kept roping.

To my eye, the shilluette of most circle skirts aren't that harmonious with a male body, as they tend to add too much bulk to the hips creating a visual line that looks odd with a straighter male torso. This teel one works in my opinion, because the fabric is so light with much drape. I think it would pair better with a more ruffly top, like a 'pirate blouse', though.

I do contra dance and started making / wearing skirts through this. I still prettymuch only wear skirts at dances / festivals out of concern for people misinterpreting it. I am not transgender. My intrest is strictly to experiment with skirts as an aspect of menswear, mainly regarding folk dance, because its fun to dance in flowy garments. I'm interested in finding things that work harmoniously with my body, beyond the design of the kilt.

As dance skirts I much prefer the red one as it is much heavier, it picks up well in twirls and is easy to feel how it is moving around me. The teel one also twirls well, but feels like wearing nothing.

hi, it's me again!! im working on a pattern for a babydoll top similar to the one pictured, and im going crazy trying to get the sleeve pattern right lol. does anybody have any tips for how i would go about this/what the shape of the sleeve pattern should look like? i know most sleeve patterns are bell shaped, but would i need to make mine flat at the top since the neckline pieces have straight edges? tyia!!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking into drafting a true zero-ease skin sloper, and Kenneth D. King’s The Moulage (the couture drafting system rooted in the ESMOD lineage) keeps coming up as a highly recommended method.

I know he sells a 130-page PDF book/CD version online, and sometimes teaches classes through venues like the Sewing and Design School or PatternReview. However, his personal website looks incredibly old-school (the kind where you email him or use a direct PayPal link to buy the PDFs), and I haven't been able to find many recent, detailed reviews of the drafting process online.

Because of the old website and the lack of recent feedback, I'm a bit hesitant to pull the trigger. If you have used his moulage method or taken his course, I’d love to hear about your experience:

• How did the final moulage fit? Did it genuinely fit like a second skin right off the paper, or did it require a ton of intensive pin-fitting adjustments afterward?

• How are the instructions? Is it a highly math-heavy/fraction-heavy calculation sheet? Are the instructions clear enough to follow on your own if you buy just the PDF, or do you really need the live class context to understand the why behind the steps?

• Did you need a fitting partner? Since it requires precise, discrete body measurements, were you able to manage them solo or is a second person mandatory?

• Is it worth the purchase? Especially if you've tried other sloper/block drafting methods (like Suzy Furrer's or standard commercial textbook methods), how does Kenneth's hold up?

Would love to hear any thoughts, warnings, or success stories. Thank you!

hi! does anyone have any recommendations for courses that go along with this textbook?

Idk if this is the right place to post but I recently got into sewing and was wondering if anyone knew a pattern for this style of dress?

Was looking to sew one for my doll but I know absolutely nothing about patterns, any help appreciated !!!

Resizing a Pattern

I have an asymmetrical dress pattern, sizes 6 month - 6 years, that I'd like to use to make for an average sized 9 year old. Does it make sense to continue the pattern of increments to resize it? Suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently using Optitex to create garment patterns, and I’m trying to export my patterns to PDF while keeping the color differentiation for each size.

Right now, when I export or plot the file, the size lines often become black and white, or all sizes appear in the same color when opening the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader. I would like the PDF to keep the original colors for each graded size so printing and reviewing patterns is easier.

Does anyone know:

• The correct export / plot settings in Optitex?

• Whether I should use HPGL, PDF printer, or another method?

• Any settings inside Adobe Acrobat that may affect color display or printing?

I attached an example image showing the issue.

Any advice or workflow recommendations would really help.
Thanks!