This PatternMaker Just Finished Reading Fashion Design Course By Steven Faerm

I've just got finished reading Fashion Design Course by Steven Faerm,  the BFA Director of New Yorks Fashion Design at Parsons The New School For Design.  As a patternmaker / aspiring designer and someone who has already read quite a few books on the fashion industry I hadn't actually realized how informative and insightful this book would be.  And when I got it in the mail,  between it's saturation with pictures and it's apparent thinness,  I felt it would just be a fun read about things I'd already read about fashion design.

I was dead wrong!

Where can I start?  Yes,  there is a lot of pictures,  but once you read the deceptively small amount of text that comes with them Steven Faerm shares a wealth of key advice and tips in so many areas:

- how to find,  use,  and combine different sources of inspiration
- the intricate chemistry and importance of preparing color and fabric stories
- the key purpose and creation of mood/inspiration boards for your collections and how to put them together
- how to easily develop numerous looks for a single cohesive collection
- how to compose your collection to maintain viewers' interest and why collections should include a selection of day to evening wear
- how and why to create a 'one stop shopping' element in your collection
- demystifies the incorporation of important marketability in your collection
- how to choose, use and combine textiles for a collection in unique,  imaginative and appropriate ways
- ideas regarding the interpretation of chosen inspiritions
- how to create a focus collection that isn't redundant
- and so much more

And the images and layout which clearly demonstrates the information provided in the text is very professional and very cool:

Although a few things, (a very few) were in it that I've read before, (and previously only very lightly covered in a fairly uninformative way),  Just about everything in this book is new,  in depth information for me and as for the small size,  what Steven Faerm has done was outline many, many ways to learn more about each aspect of the elements that go into designing a fashion collection.  He's also explained why each of these elements are so important in fashion design so that any aspiring designer will have a clear understanding of their creative responsibilities and exactly what they have to do to meet them.

If you're serious about fashion design,  you have to get this book. Following the assignments given in the book,  it's truly a surprisingly outstanding crash course in fashion design.  If you're an aspiring designer,  or you are already a designer,  you should read this book,  you should read this book,  you should read this book.  The only thing missing that could get you hired is the networking opportunities.

The one thing I would have liked to see in this book however,  is discussion of fashion design theory regarding the art and science of using proportion, and more discussion and illustration of design styling dealing with garment components (as in types of sleeves,  skirts,  necklines,  hem finishes,  style lines etc, etc).  That's why the bulk is missing,  but hey,  for that I can always get the book The Fashion Designer's Directory of Shape and Style: Over 500 Mix-And-Match Elements for Creative Clothing Design.  I just need to get either that book on patternmaking for lingerie or Chunman's book on patternmaking,  the portfolio skills one.  Because as a patternmaker first,  I need to specialize in what I'm doing here.  I've got to get a book on draping for patternmaking too.  I'm going to get Connie Amaden Crawford's book for that.


If you're interested in my digital pattern making service (at $35 per garment pattern) contact me at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or on my FaceBook page "Fashion Patternmaking And Design"

Want more information on the industry and online schools?  Check out my site at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Want to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

If you would just like to order basic pattern blocks for bodice,  torso,  coat/jacket or skirt you can place an order for the size and kind you need here at  my fiverr gig Patternmaker 78, where I will draft a basic digital bodice or skirt pattern block in the size you require for $5

I've Got Pattern Making Work!

Wow,  this was some kind of day,  out of the blue,  I got a pattern client who happened to stumble across my blog.   She wants me to draft up the patterns for her line of childrens' clothing.   I had to draft up a size 5 children's bodice and sleeve to prepare for it,  fortunately,  even though my little girl is 3, she wears a size 5 so that's worked out just fine and I've got the size 5 blocks to start working on in the morning.

I want to see if I can complete a garment pattern a day for this lady.  As she does need them done by Friday,  I'll cross my fingers about the one pattern a day thing.  I love to do the three patterns that quickly. I may be getting more work from my hat pattern client too.

In all this strong prospective client thing going on,  it was kind of funny,  I wasn't able to finish those tweeks to my lemon tulip lingerie pattern again,  even though I hauled out my dress form and everything this morning.  Oh well,   maybe next weekend.  At least this time the thing that stopped me was patternmaking work :),  big    big plus there.   If I get a little extra time I'm going to email the other client of mine,  the design student over in New York,  see how she's been doing lately.


If you're interested in my digital pattern making service (at $35 per garment pattern) contact me at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or on my FaceBook page "Fashion Patternmaking And Design"

If you would just like to order basic pattern blocks for bodice,  torso,  coat/jacket or skirt you can place an order for the size and kind you need here at  my fiverr gig where I will draft a basic digital bodice or skirt pattern block in the size you require for $5

Want more information on the industry and online schools?  Check out my site at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Want to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page

Got My Fashion Design Book And Started My Pattern Revision

It's only Wednesday but a lot has happened this week to allow me to now actually have more time to work on my patternmaking and play with my kids more,  what a blessing.  See I got a sinus infection about a week ago,  and it was just getting worse,  till I looked up some herbs for it,  the three I started taking are cat's claw,  burdock and St John's Wort.

And what do you know?  Although it's been slow in treating my sinus infection,  it's brought my depression down to some positive side effects.  I can now quickly get my articles done in the morning,  with them only taking about 45 minutes a piece rather then 2 and 1/2 hours so I'm having time I haven't had in years and years.   It's like a miracle.   I recommend it to anyone who has any level of depression that your psychiatrist can't prescribe medicine for,  this herb is a God send.

Now for patternmaking,  I've been deciding to tie up loose ends with my pattern making stuff so this morning I checked out my basic bodice block, posted the image of the finished product on facebook and I've just finished a couple hours work on the revision for my lemon tulip lingerie pattern.  Next,  I'm going to do a couple extra blocks for the size 6 set of pattern blocks,  the jacket,  pant and skirt slopers.  Then I'll grade a set up to size 8.

After that though,  I think I really want to start working either on one of the designs in my personal collection,  or the other portfolio piece I designed (a light purple asymmetrical jacket and skirt set).  Then again,  although,  I like that portfolio piece,  I could use the one from my collection as my portfolio piece too.   I'll see how I feel about it later.

Now about the fashion design book I got from the book depository.  "Fashion Design Course" by Steven Faerm came in the mail on Monday and you know,  I'm just on the fifth section,  but I realize I should have gotten some books on specifically fashion design too rather then just getting all the other stuff,  portfolio development,   fashion illustration,  fashion designer's sewing secrets,  patternmaking and even how to survive as a fashion designer.  I actually made the mistake of thinking that fashion illustration and a book on how to make it as a fashion designer would basically cover everything that I'd need to know as a designer.  I was wrong though,

A book specifically about fashion design,  such as this one written by a leader in fashion design education (the director at Parsons,  no less) will cover history of fashion,  reasons why certain designers are so important,  why fashion changes as it does,  who controls it,  how and why.  The other things it covers are details in how a fashion designer works with other people,  such as the illustrators,  patternmakers and sample hands to create prototypes and so  on.  The responsibilities of the fashion designer are mapped out in great detail.

This book will also be teaching me about the different techniques designers use to develop collections,  like how to use inspiration around them,  how to combine things,  learn more about garment engineering and things like that.  I mean it's not to say I don't know anything about it already,  I do,  but I'll be learning so much more through this,  it'll open new doors and crystallize things I already have the right idea about. I'm hoping it'll cover a few extra 'designer' insights about patternmaking too though.


If you're interested in my digital pattern making service (at $35 per garment pattern) contact me at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or on my FaceBook page "Fashion Patternmaking And Design"

If you would just like to order basic pattern blocks for bodice,  torso,  coat/jacket or skirt you can place an order for the size and kind you need here at  my fiverr gig where I will draft a basic digital bodice or skirt pattern block in the size you require for $5

Want more information on the industry and online schools?  Check out my site at:
Budget Online Fashion Design Schools and Resources

Want to find some cool eco-friendly fabrics and more check out my resource page at:

The Eco-Friendly Fashion Designer's Resource Page