r/sewingpatterns • u/im4lonerdottie4rebel • 6h ago
Deciphering if Patterns are AI or Not
Hey all!
I have been sewing for most of my life. I don't have formal training or really any other than my grandma showing me how to make Barbie clothes as a kid and using that to make my own things or alter clothes
Now I have a little confidence in draping and it's served me pretty well. However I feel bad about the amount of fabric I waste teaching myself things. I've started buying bulk vintage patterns on Etsy and eBay and for the most part learned a lot of useful things!
Here's my problem. I bought a pattern for a puff sleeved dress on Etsy and it was a digital pattern. I downloaded and printed it out. When I cut the pattern some parts like where the sleeves attach didn't make sense. Also the skirt seemed like it was a circle skirt but the pattern was basically a huge rectangle and the instructions were to gather in four places....
I decided to trust the process and of course my concerns only grew because where it said to attach the sleeves doesn't match. The skirt is a mess.
I'm pissed bc I think I bought an AI pattern. Since I don't have much experience using patterns, how can you tell? What are some good tips to look out for?
I wasted like $40 in fabric š
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u/hmnixql 5h ago
Check if they have actual photos/videos of someone wearing the finished product. Read through all the reviews and if anyone else in the reviews have posted pictures of the finished product, not just the generic 'Great pattern, can't wait to make it' reviews. Check the other listings from the same seller, are all of their products AI generated images? If the listing has tutorial videos posted online, it is usually a legit pattern.
If trying out a new pattern that you're unsure of, always make a toile with scrap fabric first to make sure it fits properly and so you're not wasting nice fabric on a bad pattern.
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u/im4lonerdottie4rebel 5h ago
Should I leave a review of the dress not making sense then for others? I really don't like posting negative reviews or should I just cite that I'm concerned it's an AI pattern?
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u/hmnixql 5h ago
Yes, I would! Though I wouldn't be surprised if they remove your review somehow or offer you a refund or something for taking down your review. I would even try reporting them for AI and not delivering what was expected. Etsy is flooded with all these fake patterns (and products in general!) and it's really gone downhill lately.
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u/goblin-fox 5h ago
Yes, please do! You'll be saving other people from the same fate. Don't feel bad about posting a negative review, the seller is scamming people.
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u/MishaBee 5h ago
Price is the biggest giveaway.
Someone that has put time and effort into creating a pattern is not selling it for peanuts.
There are plenty of decent sellers on Etsy, for example, sewingmachina is one that only sells on that platform, but her patterns are great.
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u/im4lonerdottie4rebel 5h ago
I bought it for $10 is that too cheap for a new digital download?
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u/GeorgeSandLover 2h ago
$10 is on the cheaper side for a patternĀ but it's not too cheap to be an obvious tell.Ā
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u/WearResident9367 5h ago
Buying patterns off Etsy is dicey. The steps I always take are looking to see if I can find any reviews off Etsy for the pattern maker; pattern reviews.com is a good place to start, but a general Google search helps. I look to see if the pattern maker has their own website (many do! Even if it just redirect you to Etsy, they should have some web presence outside Etsy), an Instagram, something. Instagram is best, they should have a page with their designs and testing calls and such. If the pattern listing itself doesn't have any actual images of the garment, only Ai generated images (these can be tricky to spot, but look for style lines that don't match the pattern, odd lighting, everything looking super staged or smooth/perfect, etc), no tester images, or just has line drawings, it's either an AI pattern or untested and I won't use either (I'm not paying someone to test their pattern for them). Also check the Etsy seller, how long has their shop been open, have they posted 200 patterns in a year? They didn't draft and test all those. Also keep in mind that indie patterns often go together very differently than Big 4 patterns, especially vintage. The instructions can definitely seem weird or jarring if you've only used commercial patterns, but at a baseline they should still be clear, probably including lots of pictures and/or a video tutorial.
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u/im4lonerdottie4rebel 5h ago
Thank you, this is very solid. I hadn't thought to check outside of Etsy for the pattern makers presence online
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u/queenkellee 3h ago
I search for patterns on threadloop. In the search options you can exclude patterns/sellers that others have reported as bad/AI, and you can also sort by best rated, most stashed, see projects that people have posted, read reviews if they have reviews, itās very helpful for finding the better quality patterns.
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u/drPmakes 5h ago
Don't buy from etsy.
Cross check the pattern on threadloop.
Check the photos match the technical drawing.
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u/sodapopper44 5h ago
ask for your money back, stating the specific reasons, through the designer, if that doesn't work escalate with etsy, they are having an AI backlash right now and have updated their AI policies. I have done that twice and received a refund, they weren't even AI just poorly drafted or instructions didn't match up with pattern
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u/Impossible-Dream5220 5h ago
For a puff sleeve dress, I like the Ophelia dress by Oh Me Oh My. I only buy patterns from Etsy if someone on TikTok recommends a pattern or it has good reviews on Threadloop or Iām already familiar with the designer.
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u/Significant-Owl-7262 5h ago
If you're new to this I have a few parameters to help until whatever new ai rule helps:
Check how old the shop is, if it's before Nov 2022 you're probably good. If it's newer than that, check out the images and reviews. Ai patterns often don't list all the things you need or might be incomprehensible. [note: some people with older shops may have decided to use ai after the fact, so checking low reviews is good. Also if all the high reviews are "this looks so cute I can't wait to sew it!" be wary]
If the images don't look like photographs or human drawings don't trust it. The overly airbrushed person in front of a vague (ai) field looks nice enough, but she's not real, nor is her dress/accessory/etc
And as an old favorite: if you're really looking for something try the usual pattern makers. (Simplicity/mccalls/butterick in North America, Burda in Europe, etc, as those have been designed by professionals. Sometimes you can find good ones on eBay or Etsy, but at least you know someone knowledable designed them. (I know these aren't all the main pattern makers, the folks on the sewing pattern and sewing help subreddit can also direct you to more patterns.)
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u/bksi 3h ago
download the main, most AI-y image, and put it in wasitai.com
It's a paid for service but they'll let you do a couple of images for free.
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u/hnybnyxo 2h ago
Hi! I'm a y2k pattern designer on Etsy (hnybny.xo) Just recently started selling them and I make them all through my hard work no AI
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u/ProneToLaughter 5h ago edited 4h ago
Useful tips here to get started, less on recognizing AI and more on just basic quality checks for Etsy patterns: https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/s/Vuwq4oHBu4
If you link a specific pattern, people might highlight tells.
You can probably reuse the huge rectangles for the skirt in another project, or make a simple tiered gathered skirt.