Learn How to Turn Your Design into a Sewing Pattern with This Easy Trick | Simple Pattern Making
Have you ever wondered how to turn your ideas and sketches into the real thing? - then you’re in the right place. Pattern drafting is the engineering of fashion, creating the two-dimensional shapes that, once cut in cloth, turn into the three-dimensional garment. You may be familiar with sewing patterns if you’ve bought them for your own projects, but creating your own or making amendments can feel super overwhelming.
I’m not saying there’s no equations, maths or head-scratching calculations involved along the process, but when I started out, one of the first techniques I was taught felt so simple and easy - I was kicking myself.
Whilst this method may be lesser-known to hobby sewists, it is considered a pivotal step to help connect the dots between concept and idea. Now for full transparency, I do encourage my members inside The DPL Atelier to create a proportionately accurate technical sketch to strengthen their creative process, but if you want to practice this method to strengthen your skills then feel free to use any drawing you like - or even an existing picture of a garment to practice.
With this technique, you can unlock the start of the entire fashion process by applying it to your design and translating it onto a pattern. It further helps you replicate garments at home like the ones you've seen in a high-street store or off the runway. So let’s get started by learning an easy and beginner friendly theory of connecting the dots that you don’t want to miss!
What You Will Need
Your chosen design printed out
A basic garment block that fits you well (need help with this? Click here.)
A PatternMaster or ruler
A mechanical pencil
Design Example and Considerations
To illustrate, I’m using a hand-drawn design I did way back in the October 2023 Design Challenge. If you are doing this for your personal wardrobe, you might have seen a design in a shop or online that you’d like to make for yourself. Therefore, you can twist and tweak or change the design as you wish - it’s important to never do this for commercial purposes, as I do not advocate nor endorse plagiarism.
The sketch or image you’re working from should clearly show all design details of the garment. If a model is wearing the garment, ensure the pose doesn’t obstruct any elements of the design, it’s important we can clearly assess the proportion and any placement of details such as pockets in relation to the body.
Whilst my example in this blog post and the video below uses Adobe design software for the purpose of ease when demonstrating, this is much easier to achieve at home with a printed image and a pencil.
Plotting the C.F. or C.B. line.
When it comes to analysing how to connect the dots between sketch and sewing pattern, the first step is to plot the C.F. or C.B. line. Retrospectively, these stand for the Centre Front (C.F.) and Centre Back (C.B.). These are imaginary lines that run down the mid-point of the front or back of the body from the top of the head to between the feet or from the neckline of a garment to the hemline.
For more pattern making terminology, why not enrol in our free mini-course?
As I am just working with the jumper element of this look, I plotted my Centre Front line from the base of the neck and a little beyond the hem of the garment.
If applicable, apply this to both your front and back image. If you do not have a back image, you can use creative license to imagine what it looks like and apply these changes to your pattern.
Horizontal Balance Lines
Here’s the simple yet effective secret, it all lies within your HBLs.
Horizontal Balance Lines are often drawn across the key points including the bust, waist, and hip. They can also include the bicep, elbow and wrist, and as seen on this diagram, the thigh, knee and calf (and ankle!).
Whilst these should predominantly be parallel to the floor, you may notice my elbow and wrist line slightly angle on the example to reflect the natural bend at the joints in the arm. If you are working from a flat-lay image of a garment that isn’t on a human figure, you can take an educated guess where these HBLs lie.
Some helpful tips:
Your bustline is the fullest point of your upper torso passing across your Apex to Apex (or nipple to nipple!)
Whilst for some, the waistline is the narrowest part of the torso, there are tips and tricks to identify where your unique waistline lies - you can learn these inside our Free Pattern Cutting Basics course.
Contrary to popular belief that your hipline is the bony part of your hips (I mean you’re forgiven for this easy, and arguably logical mistake) it, in fact, crosses over the fullest and widest part of your buttocks.
Even if you are working with a top that finishes before the hipline, it is worth marking to determine the proportions. If the top finishes before the waistline, then just mark to the waistline.
In addition, should you have a design with sleeves, it is helpful to mark the location of your bicep on your arm which is the widest part of the upper arm.
The elbow roughly falls in-line with your waistline or halfway down the sleeve.
Marking your wrist, which is the joint at the end of your forearm, can help with assessing your sleeve length, so unless your hem finishes above the elbow, make a note of this too!
Similarly, your thigh is the widest part of the upper leg.
If you’re guesstimating the knee line, mark halfway down the leg.
And, you guessed it, the calf is the widest part of the lower leg.
You can even do your ankle which gives you more visual markers not just for the hem length but it also includes the details and your design placement.
Analysing Your Design and Applying it to your pattern
By sketching these balance lines, you can easily recognise and visually plot where design details are. Your basic block should have the corresponding balance lines labelled, allowing you to start transferring all the clues you see onto the sewing pattern.
Don’t overcomplicate it!
In this example, I am transferring the curved style line of my top onto the pattern being mindful to copy the same shape and proportions. Whilst I am using these quarter-scale pattern blocks that are available in the free Pattern Cutting Basics course, I have loosely traced over them to demonstrate the shape of my pattern.
The Ripple Effect
Whenever we make changes to a set of sewing patterns, it’s important to remember the ripple effect this can have to other pieces.
Amendments to the shoulder seam can affect the sleeve head. Taking something in at the waist can affect the fit on the hips.
In this instance, when applying it to design, I needed to be conscious of where my bodice aligned to my sleeve. This organic, wavy style line seamlessly flowed across the chest and I therefore needed to ensure my patterns matched up.
So, by walking my pattern, I established where to continue my style line onto the sleeve and connected the same points.
From here, it’s a case of continuing to sketch upon your pattern block until you’re confident you’ve transferred all design details and seam lines. Where possible, you may wish to notch between the lines by drawing a small mark intersecting both pieces - this way, when you come to separate these pattern pieces into your new design, the notches will act as a balance marker when you come to sew, ensuring everything aligns back up accordingly.
To Complete the Pattern
Separate your panels and trace them off as your new individual sewing pattern pieces. Transfer your grainline, notches, HBLs and other pattern information for added clarity and don’t forget to add your seam allowance!
It is integral you toile your design. You can click here for a video on the importance of toiling and why this matters so much more when you enter the realm of custom designs, patterns and clothing.
For a more extensive demonstration and additional example, be sure to watch the video below as I walk you through some tips and tricks as I analyse both this top and a coat for preparation of pattern making.
So what are you waiting for?!
Digital Pattern Library is stuffed full of resources to help you learn the entire fashion process and unleash your inner designer. I can’t wait to see how you apply these skills to your dream wardrobe and if you do, be sure to tag me on socials @digitalpatternlibrary
For now, stay safe, keep creative and I’ll catch you on the flip side x
Enrol in our FREE pattern cutting basics Course
Over the course of 3 lessons, learn everything you need to know to get started with pattern cutting theory and drafting your own clothes.
This is beginner friendly and walks you through
Tools & terminology
Measurements & markings
Basic pattern manipulation techniques