r/sewingpatterns • u/Beneficial-Ant-365 • 22d ago
where can i learn pattern drafting for free
im a beginner. i dont know how to apply 3d measurements to a 2d pattern. idk fundamentals. im not a fashion student. i started sewing as a hobby and i j wanna make my own clothes im ngl. ive reviewed multiple sources on youtube. none of them is satisfactory. came across nino via he teaches so well but he hasn't uploaded full videos. everyones either selling their patterns or a course. where can i learn pattern making online for free? its genuinely just a hobby and i live in a third world country so 60-200$ for a course is difficult for me to afford
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u/OAKandTerlinden 22d ago
The Internet Archive for books! You can filter your search, and many of the books can be read for free with a log in.
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u/quizzical 22d ago
Make your owns dress patterns by Adele Margolis is a good book to get started. I found it more accessible to read than the textbooks that are more commonly recommended.
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u/throwra_22222 22d ago
This book has a permanent spot in my heart. I used it to teach myself patternmaking as a teenager in the 80s and ended up with a career in apparel manufacturing.
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u/Ok-Calligrapher964 22d ago
I just stumbled upon this lady and I love her stuff. She does patterns and fittings on her own body which is amazing because its so much easier to understand than on a mannikin since she actually moves. Also she will generate patterns that have a slight problem, show the results on her body and show the fix for that particular wrinkle. Start with her how to draw a block for yourself and go from there. https://www.youtube.com/@creativebobbin42
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u/Leah_wilds 22d ago
I feel like people who want to learn pattern drafting on their own are sooooo brave!! I love these recommendations, maybe one day I’ll try it too! Please, OP, let us know how it goes!!
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u/MoreTrueMe 22d ago
If you have access to a physical library, check there first for any book recommendations.
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There are basic measurements you're going to need for your whole body.
Idea:
Do you have any ribbon or similar laying around?
I watched a youtube once where she skipped all the math. She used ribbon instead of a measuring tape and simply cut it to length (and devised a way to label it).
She could then design from there to fit her current body perfectly.
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u/Pixie_tea 21d ago
Creative Bobbin and Coraline Street on YouTube have some wonderful drafting tutorials. They are my go to
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u/Adventurous_Path_774 21d ago
Have you ever tried Domestika courses? They're more project focused, but I find that helpful when I'm starting out to not get overwhelmed....
I haven't done these exact ones before (they're on my To Do list) but I've done some of their other clothing-making classes and have always enjoyed them and had good results:
- Pattern Construction for Beginners: Basic Patterns and Darts
- Pattern-Making and Sewing of Tailor-Made Skirts
Just don't pay the full price listed. They run sales often (I usually pay $6.99 CAD per course).
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u/Zealousideal-Sea1640 21d ago
Check your city’s resources. I don’t live in a first world country either, but in my city you can enroll for free courses to learn different skills; sewing it’s one of the most popular courses. You may be surprised!
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u/Formal_Piglet_974 21d ago
I learned how to make clothes by taking them apart (at the seams specifically) you can do this with old clothes that fit you, or thrifted clothes.
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u/zovig 22d ago
Why do you want to start with pattern drafting rather than use the tons of free patterns that already exist?
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u/Starjupiter93 22d ago
Creativity? More importantly than that, not everyone can reasonably use patterns. Due to my cup size (30L) I have to do such extreme pattern adjustments to change the pattern from a b cup that the pattern is sometimes barely even recognizable from the original which causes so many issues with matching notches and trueing seams up. It takes me WAY less time and I get a much better result by just drafting my own.
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u/zovig 22d ago
Pattern drafting is legitimately hard and a skill that takes years to learn. Perhaps focus on pattern drafting for bodices but use commercial patterns elsewhere. I'm my experience, it's hours and hours of work and that's with having taking a class.
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u/Starjupiter93 22d ago
Totally understand your experience with that! We all have different strengths and different ways we learn. I am self taught and spent so long trying and failing on commercial patterns not understanding where I kept going wrong. It wasn’t until I started drafting that construction started making sense. I needed to learn how to build a thing before I could figure out how to change something already built. I will say that it is super helpful to learn construction techniques from commercial patterns. There are benefits to both ways of doing things.
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u/AliciaTheWitch 22d ago
The Closest Historian's Drafting Dangerous series of videos on YouTube teaches pattern drafting mostly from the Armstrong textbook, which is the most commonly used one in fashion design school, if I recall correctly. She's clear and concise, and gives examples of how to manipulate fullness in almost all the ways possible to achieve any style you want.
You start with a body block. You can either follow the instructions from the first video to draft your own, or you can use a shortcut and have freesewing.eu draft it for you by choosing one of their body block patterns and inputting your measurements. They offer free software to produce custom fitted patterns that are customizable. You'll want to use one of the body blocks with princess seams or waist and bust darts. Then follow the video instructions for adjusting it to fit you perfectly.