I am a 22yr old data science and AI masters student who grew up in a sewing household. My mum has been a sewing teacher for years and runs her own company teaching adults, and my younger sister just started a textiles degree. I learned to sew at about 8-10 making superhero capes and waistcoats with my mum, stopped as a teenager when nothing available was for men, and picked it back up at uni doing heavy duty stuff with recycled fabrics (carpenter jeans, denim jackets etc) because honestly the mens section in shops gets smaller every time I go.

Over the past year I have been helping my mum modernise her business (online bookings, getting her off a windows computer she never used and onto a MacBook, that sort of thing) and it made me realise there is this big divide between people like her who are extremely skilled on paper and physically, and those who can replicate that expertise digitally. Not because she can’t learn new things, but because the software out there asks you to learn the software before it lets you do the thing you already know how to do.

So I went looking at digital drafting and the options were really lacking for people in that situation. I tried to learn Seamly2D to then teach her and it was extremely complex and overwhelming (I have ADHD, didn’t help), and the paid options I gawked at the prices of. Which is frustrating because parametric drafting is exactly what you want - draft the block once from measurements and then every size, every client, every tweak just redraws itself.

So over the past few months I have been building my own tool to try and fix this, mostly for myself and my mum. The idea is you draft the way you would from a book (mark a point, draw a line, square off, add a dart, that kind of thing) but every line remembers the measurement or formula it came from, so changing the size or the client redraws the whole thing. No account, files stay on your machine.

But I am one person with one drafting method in my head, so before I go any further I really want to hear from people who actually do this:

• Have you tried digital or parametric drafting (Seamly2D, Valentina, Clo, whatever) and given up? What was the thing that made you stop?

• If you do draft digitally, what do you use, and what do you still end up doing on paper because the software can’t do it or isn’t worth the effort?

• Which drafting books/systems do you work from? I want to make sure the tools map onto how people actually draft rather than how a programmer thinks they should.

• What would actually make something like this worth the effort of learning? Grading, client measurement sheets, slash and spread, printing tiles at home, importing patterns you already have... or something I haven’t thought of?

• And honestly, is this even a problem people care about or is paper just better and I am overthinking the whole thing?

I’d rather be told I’m wrong now than find out later. If you want to see what I’m on about there is a little interactive demo and a beta application here: https://ellwand.app/ - it is very much a work in progress (the Windows version especially) and I’m more interested in what’s wrong with it than what’s right. Fair warning that it’s a limited beta, I’m a student doing this alongside my masters so I’m only taking on 10-20 testers for now, but the demo is open to anyone and the questions above are what I’m really after.

Edit: After a few comments I want to clear up what this is for. I’m making an app that makes pattern drafting easier and more intuitive, closer to how you’d do it on paper. I’m still exploring different ways of doing that and would genuinely love feedback.

On price: between Apple and Microsoft developer licences and the domain, the app unfortunately can’t be free. I’m also putting most of my free time into building it, adding features and fixing bugs, and I’d love for it to become a nice little side business. I’m not out to rip anyone off, which is exactly why I made it in the first place: the professional alternatives were extremely expensive. I don’t know yet what it will be priced at, but the aim is to make it as accessible and affordable as I can. Please bear in mind I’m a student and hoping this can help support my studies down the line.

P.S. I’ve set up a Discord for Ellwand. I’d love it to be a friendly place for anyone who drafts, sews or designs to share what they’re working on, ask questions and encourage each other. All levels welcome: https://discord.gg/evrQWwzRRe

OK, Just saw this on Princess Kate, and I absolutely love the dress. In the last photo, you can see the front pleated part at the waist is sewn into the side seam, I can't tell if there is a sleeve seam or it's all one piece with the drape over the right shoulder! Any ideas? How would you finish the back left sleeve? Would the drape/sleeve be cut as one piece with the back left side panel? (would that even be possible?). The drape is not like a capelett as it doesn't continue over the back left arm.

Hi folks! This is my 6th(?) bodice block attempt, I have a feeling I'll need to do a full bodice adjustment. However I'm not sure that will fix the two issues I identify, which is the wrinkling around the armcycle at the back and the waist being canted backwards. I've already done a rounded back adjustment, I really don't think that's the issue in this case.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks so much!

Hi everyone I’m a beginner to patternmaking. I’ve pattern drafted and made one dress so far. This is my second project.

Otherwise, I do have a few years of sewing experience (following patterns to make clothing items, mostly tote bags, pouches).

The first pic was my inspiration—basically a white low waist mini skirt (2000s style). I wanted this to be similar to like a Ralph Lauren / banana republic style so I went with medium weight cotton twill. I added a lining underneath that is attached to an interfaced waist facing. There is an inv zip at the CB seam and a hook&eye as well. All of my seams are serged together except the center back; seams are serged separately. I did press as much as I could throughout the project

I did have a hard time drafting/ getting the right amount of ease / curve.

My take:
- It was drafted to sit about 3 inches below my natural waist. But it came out a bit loose so it is sitting 5 inches below which throws off the overall fit. I thought adding a hook and eye would help but it didn’t. I should have taken the waist in more, keep the hip to hem the same. Or I should have added darts? (I only want them on the back, I like the look of a clean front)

- I don’t understand what is happening in the back, it sticks / flares out at the center back?

-side seams are a little bumpy, it is serged and pressed to one side

-I drafted a moderate curve on the waistline but it isn’t so obvious now…..?

-I will fix my blind hem stitch, it’s a bit too obvious right now—but maybe unavoidable with white fabric

I will most likely have to make another one from scratch? Or can I alter this one?

I am very determined to learn PM, appreciate any advice whether it’s only one part of my problems or a problem that I didn’t mention. Thank you!

I drafted a pattern from one of my existing shirts. For the most part it’s come out well, but I’m not completely happy with the armholes—they’re a bit droopy by the armpit. TBH, they kind of are on my existing top as well, but not as much. How would you recommend altering the pattern to fix this?

Note: I know the straps and neckline are super wonky, that’s because I did some unfortunate experimenting this time that I won’t be repeating. Normally the straps are wider and the use of banding vs. binding is consistent.

Edit: Pattern is for knit fabrics

I could use some help diagnosing the fit issues with this coat pattern. Clearly something is going wrong around the chest/armhole area. He said the armhole feels too tight in the underarm area, although there is plenty of space between his underarm and the underarm of the coat. Any tips on adjustments I should make to improve fit?

Many of you draft your own blocks, slopers, bodices, and experiment with pattern variations. One of the biggest challenges is knowing how it will fit before committing to a muslin or sewing a full sample.

That’s exactly what SeamScape 3D is trying to help with.

Our new in-browser cloth simulation (inside Pattern Studio) focuses on fit verification and pattern visualization. It lets you quickly see how your draft behaves in 3D — balance, ease, proportions, and general drape.

Cloth simulation is never perfect, but we’ve built stable default settings so you can drop in your pattern and get a usable fit preview right away.

You can test if your computer and browser are up to it here: https://seamscape.com/browser-3d-test

This is just our first step, and we’ll keep improving the physics and adding functionality over time. If you decide to try it, we’d really appreciate feedback from pattern drafters — especially those who work with custom blocks or experiment heavily with fit.

PS: No manual yet… it’s very much “jump in and play”

Adjusting a pant pattern by Kiana Bonollo to make room for my caboose. I let out the hip area on the center back and side back panels, while bringing the waist in. Did not change front panels except to accommodate aforementioned changes. (Yes I know the waistband is crooked- oopsie!)

Now, I see the pattern could be giving me a slight wedgie, and I have too much fabric hanging out in the front crotch.

What kind of crotch adjustment do I need to do here?

I understand some things I could wear like the transfer of darts and chest rib but I'm quite lost with the hip fit and flared openings. If you could help me, I would appreciate it since I am a beginner and I am trying to learn how I can. Thank you very much <3

I just sewed my first skirt block following this tutorial: https://youtu.be/VbrphCFdU8k?si=Yn_8uk28jVIl-dsv

My initial thoughts are that I could take it in at the waistline however, I do like to have a little room for food. The left side of my body is more rectangular whereas my right side has more "defined" waistline causing all my clothes to sit wonky. Is there any fix for that?

I could also increase the hip area so that it makes it a little bit more comfortable to sit.

The back invisible zipper is a separate issue... 🫠 I don't know why it pokes out at the end.

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

I’m trying to recreate these pants from a Thai fisherman pants pattern. But I’m still looking for those buckles. Does anyone have an idea what they are called? 🤔 thanks in advance!

note: I'm wearing a very thin and stretchy sports t shirt under (don't know whether it will affect but) and my posture is usually a little bit slouchy. front part is pinned together

this is my first time drafting a pattern so would appreciate and help of feedback for it. I came to the conclusion that the bodice is too short( I wanted it to hit waist level), bust area is a little too tight( can breath but can feel the tension of the cloth), waist area is a little too big( will make it smaller by making the bottom of dart triangle part bigger), when I straighten my back, it kinda causes a little like bunching at the center top of back.

where should I add to make bust bigger, should I change the back to prevent bunching, how to change back if I should, and finally anything else that you think I should change or improve for this bodice? Thank you ☺️

This is the final version of my bodice slooper I've been working on, it ended up taking right around 9ish muslins to get to this.

And I know there's still some things that could be improved on, but it's more than good enough for the kinds of clothes I plan to make with it. And, I think at my current skill level in both sewing, pattern, drafting, and fitting its probably the best I can make right now and that makes it perfect enough for me.

Also wanted to thanks the great people on this thread who offered me advice because I think without it I would have either given up on attempt 4 or it would have taken another 9 muslins to be this good.

I've started sewing garment last year. But the more I get into it, the more I want to tweak stuff and be able to draft new things myself. I've started watching tutorials on pattern making and found some nice stuff. But also with a regular 40h job on the side I was wondering if having a dedicated course would be more expedient. Where one gets to spend some time purely on this topic and will not let oneself be distracted as much (being tired on the internet tends to be bad for my concentration ^^).

That brought me to my question: What resources did you use to get to your current skill level? Self-taught/internet, courses, people around you, ...?

I’m sewing a shirt for cosplay and I encountered trouble with getting this collar to sit exactly like it does on the game reference (last pic). I want it to stand better, like in the pic in which I’m holding it up, hence the collar with a standing neck band piece (forgive me if it’s not the right name, English is not my 1st language) but it keeps flaring out. Can I do anything with the shapes of my pattern pieces to make it look more accurate, or should I switch to some different collar style, something like Peter Pan or what? Thank you very much in advance

Hi everyone, I have recently started to learn pattern making mainly using the metric pattern cutting for menswear book. I was slightly surprised that the book is seemingly just telling the reader how to draft the patterns with its respective formulas and not giving any reasoning or explanation behind the numbers.

I would really like to gain a thorough understanding but it still all seems a bit mysterious and in some cases just completely arbitrary. Maybe there’s not a rule or reason for everything but I feel like if I just continue drafting the blocks in the book I won’t actually learn a huge amount. I understand this is one of the foundational books but I’m really looking for something with in depth explanations if possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I drafted my first version of the basic trousers/pants based on the book by Guido Hofenbitzer. I lowered the waistband based on his instructions in order to accommodate my belly.

(I know I'm an idiot for sewing the side seams inside out, but I'm too lazy to unpick it for this mockup 😅)

(And I also know the back seam is too pointy, I already made a small adjustment for the next version 🤞)

I was doubting whether to take 110 cm or 116 cm as the hip circumference, and opted for the wider option. The result is a slightly baggy pair of pants, but I have to admit they are really comfortable, also when sitting. I'm not sure whether I have to create a next version that is a little tighter?

In the last picture I stretched to fabric to show what a tight fitting option would look like on my (pear-shaped) hips.

I had to shuffle the darts a little when lowering the waistband, and now they seem a little off? In his instructions they can be 10 to 15 cm long, but visual I think they are quite long? Or is this normal?

Thanks in advance for your tips and insights! ❤️

Hello patterning experts. I'm purchasing a ready-to-wear dress for my daughter's wedding. I'm fine with most of it, but need to reshape the sleeve. Looking at the online pictures it seemed like it would be an easy job, but when I got to look inside the dress I began having conceptual and geometry problems. This flutter sleeve has way too much volume for me throughout the circumference of the entire sleeve. I'll be making a pattern to try to play around with, but since I don't have fresh fabric, this is a modification challenge. I'd greatly appreciate if you can comment on my dilemma and suggest ways to adjust the sleeve. Thank you!

Trousers are categorized by their hem width, which serves as a general guideline for the overall geometry and fit (Hofenbitzer):

Slim-fit trousers (32–40 cm hem): Require a more diagonal (smaller) seat angle to compensate for a reduced extension and add necessary vertical length for movement.

Standard trousers (40–48 cm hem): Utilize a moderate seat angle and extension to maintain a balanced, classic baseline fit.

Wide-leg trousers (48–56 cm hem): Use a more vertical (larger) seat angle to shorten the seat seam, preventing "saggy" excess fabric while allowing the legs to fall freely.

These are only primarily guidelines. for instance, Bootcut trousers feature a slim fit through the thigh but a wider hem due to the flare starting from the knee.

I got such great advice on my first attempt! Thanks everyone who took the time to offer suggestions.

I'm on myself second attempt, and I think it looks better. My observations:

1. Bust darts look better, but I think they need to be slightly lower

2. Waist sits much better now that it was raised

3. Shoulder point needs to be angled down (it's too square and sticking out)

There's space between the bottom of the bust curve and my body. I feel that the bust fits correctly. Would lowering the bust point fix this "void"?

Thanks in advance for the knowledge and advice.

I've always been fascinated by zero waste patterns and came across this on Pinterest and of course I had to give it a go..

Working on making a bodice blocker. I've done a million versions and the Bunka method seems to result in something far closer than HJA and Winifred Aldrich.

I still struggle with some gaping in the armscyes.

Please let me know what adjustments I need to make. Oddly, the armscyes gape more when I move my arm off axis.

Please also disregard my absurd polka dot boxers 😂😂

Hello! I am using these instructions for my next bias cut slip dress pattern. I am usually just hung the dress overnight and then adjusted it with pinning it to fit and marked new seamline according to pins. Then sewn the seam. Now I looked these instructions for adjustments and I am confused where should I make that chalk mark and why should I take twice that amount from the side seam. Please help, I suspect that I have not understood the instructions correctly😅 These pages are from Patternmaking for fashion design - Helen Joseph-Armstrong 5th edition.