Each style needs to be onboarded to the factory and you want to ensure that the factory will be able to use the patterns that you and your patternmaker have worked so hard to perfect. Here are the different pattern formats that work for production and let’s figure out which one you need.
When something is not right with your garment or sample, how do you know what to fix? There are many steps in the production process that could be the cause. Here are signs to look for to know if you are dealing with a sewing, cutting, or pattern problem.
When people talk about fashion design involving a lot of problem solving, you probably didn’t think they were talking about math problems. It’s true, though. The solution to some of the problems you run into in fashion entrepreneurship do involve math.
Print (the textile design) and pattern (the garment sewing pattern) may start out separately in design and development, but they converge in production before they meet in the finished garment. The different ways the two can come together have pros and cons within the final product that need to be accounted for during development.
It’s a situation I see happen far too often to brands. I hate to see it. The brand has developed a design with a full package production factory, but the factory made them and they won’t release them. So, what options does the brand have if they decide to switch factories?
You might not be ready to work with a patternmaker. For the investment in product development to be worth it, the design needs to be more than just a rough concept. It needs direction and you need clarity. Here’s how to know you’ve reached that point and are ready to work with a patternmaker.
The difference between a good idea and a successful product is a team that can make it happen. For apparel brands, a key member of this team is your patternmaker. Here are ten questions to ask that will help you decide if a particular patternmaker is the person you want to work with.
Once you’ve selected your stretch materials and planned the fit of the garment, it is time to start drafting your pattern. The pattern harnesses the stretch properties of your fabric to shape the fit and hug and support the wearer in all the right places. It is at this stage that creative design gets technical.
Drafting a good pattern requires knowledge of the fabric it will be made in. This is especially true when working with stretch materials. The combination of fabric properties and the pattern shape create the finished garment’s fit. Your design depends on getting this combination right.
Fitting is one of the key steps of producing any garment. Armholes and pant rises are two areas that seem to cause the most problems. They are very different areas of the garment, but they actually have a lot in common.