How to Design and Create a Clothing Pattern for Profit or Fun

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By MyJB
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Design and Create a Clothing Pattern for Profit or Fun

Fashion designers are an artistic group and creative, too. Their passion is for creating beautiful clothing and they can sit for hours coming up with new designs for people to wear. Clothing is for them art. It is never something that you just get up in the morning a put on so you can get out of the house. Fashion is who they are and not just what they do. Designers dream of seeing people walk down the street wearing one of their creations. They create everything from couture to jeans for children, teens, and adults. Fashion designers Get their ideas from everywhere, including other designers.

There ideas are rendered onto their sketch pad for later consideration; they make tons of drawings before deciding which to make a sample of. A sample is the model for a garment or designs, which be discarded or chosen for a spring, summer, fall, or winter collection.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, salaries run between $42,000 to 87,500. Of course there are designers who make millions of dollars each year and those who make next to nothing. Garment designers tend to stick with this career once they've entered it, therefore, growth is slow. They receive their associates or baccalaureate degree from an art institute or a fashion design school.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Sketch pads
Pencils
Dress form
Muslin
Designers Chalk
Dressmaker pins
Tape measure
Pin cushions
Pattern paper
Dressmakers rulers
Fabric sheers
Sewing machine

Step 1

Sketching your ideas

Sketch out your ideas until you create something that you like. Think in terms of pattern construction, as some ideas are almost impossible to make into a pattern.
Step 2

Choosing the designs

Put your clothing designs aside for a day or two. After which you will choose those you wish to make into a pattern.
Step 3

Drape your design

Drape half of the mannequin, not the entire dress form; look at your sketch, tear a piece of muslin and shape it on your dress form according to your design. This is the preliminary step in making your clothing pattern. Your draping will come directly from the sketch. You will tear off pieces of muslin and place them on the dress form in accordance with your drawing.
Step 4

Use black dressmaker's chalk to outline your draped muslin design at the seams; take your chalk and rub it across each seam. After you've completed your markings, remove the muslin pieces from the dress form, cut along the lines that are marked in black chalk to get your pattern pieces.
Step 5

Label pattern pieces

Number and label your pattern pieces, such as #1 front until all of your pieces are labeled. Remove your pattern pieces from the form and lay them on your fabric. Pin the muslin design pattern piece by piece to the dress form.
Step 6

Lay pattern pieces

Place the pattern pieces properly on the muslin to make a sample garment. For example, the front of a pull-over blouse is placed on the fold of the fabric; sleeves are placed away from the fold in order to get a right and left sleeve; and an open front blouse, with buttons or a zipper, is placed away from the fold of the fabric to get a left and right side.
Step 7

Check pattern construction

Make sure that the pieces fit together properly when sewing; for instance, sleeves must fit the armhole and collars must match the neck shape.
Step 8

Pattern layout and cutting

Make a sample of your garment in muslin before you use your actual or designer fabric. Cut your pieces along the outer edges of the pattern. Sew your pattern pieces and complete your garment.
Step 9

Check the fit

Let a model try on the garment for needed adjustments. Once all the kinks are corrected, sew your garment and let a model try it on for the final fitting.
Step 10

Choosing fabric

Determine the type of fabric for your finished garment or that is most suitable for your piece. Choose the fabric that creates the look you want to achieve. Example, choose wool gabardine for a conservative, but elegant effect for a coat design.
Step 11

Decide on color

Decide on the color of your garment. Choose neutral colors if designing conservative fashions: black, white, tan, or brown. Also, try more popular colors for innovative trends.
Step 12

Time to sew

Get out your sewing machine. It's time to complete your design by coordinating the numbered pattern pieces. Since you've made all the necessary adjustments along the way, your garment should turn out just fine.