Two Great Fashion Industry and Pattern Making Books I'm Reading

 Okay,  it's been a while since I last posted but I wanted to have something great to write to you all about and here it is.  Just this month I've received two very important book orders (the books pictured below) and I've just got to tell you about them even before I'm finished reading them.

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing

Pattern Cutting for Lingerie, Beachwear and Leisurewear

Because I'm trying to professionalize my pattern making as much as possible the term "production patterns" that I read a while back made me realize that I had to learn how to make patterns that were worthy of the factory floor and if I didn't seek out the specifics on making patterns for production purposes, then maybe I wouldn't be ready to work for larger,  or more well known design entities.  I mean,  I want to know that beyond a shadow of a doubt I'm giving my current designers the very best work I can give them as well. So I got this book by Kathleen Fasenella finally,  entitled "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing" .  I went straight to the pattern area of the book and learned a few important things I had not yet known and realized why I never heard back from one of my prospective clients.  eeeck!  This previous client required a complex pleat and tuck design for her pattern and I was completely clueless as how to notch and mark the thing for manufacturing.  Now I do though...if only I had this book sooner.

The other totally awesome thing about this book so far,  is from just reading the very first chapter,  I've already learnt about the unexpected places a pattern maker should be looking to find work,  I was like whoa,  I would have never thought of those people!   Also what I'm learning is about who to trust your designs with in the fashion industry and who you may not be able to trust so much.  But I don't want to spoil it for you.  Just the way Kathleen writes the book gives you some insight on the attitudes in the industry,  also very important to get acquainted with,  right down to a matter of being the difference between getting and keeping your dream job...and loosing it the same day.  If you'd like to get your hands on this book just click on it's title below the images.

As for the second book, "Pattern Cutting for Lingerie, Beachwear and Leisurewear"  I actually wanted to get a book on advanced grading first,  but one of my clients needs me to do a dress that requires me to construct a open back, strapless evening gown that's going to require me to draft a corset like support garment so I needed this one first.  Now the truth is I was a little nervous about this book because I'd read a review on someone who was disappointed in the instructions as not being clear enough or something,  I've got to say,  it's a good thing that I now pattern making already because if I didn't the description of how to draft a basic bodice would have probably chased me away.  However,  because I already learning how to draft and grade bodice patterns I was able to learn, just this morning,  how to draft a bra block!  This is some way in the book,  page 60 where Ann Haggar starts to describe how to draft the very close fitting lingerie garments (bras and corsets and similar types).   I can't wait to try that out!  I'll have to post the results on my blog for sure,  that will be so fun.   For now though,  I've got to read through to the instructions for the corsets so I can do a great job on this dress pattern coming up.  If you'd like to get this book yourself just click on it's title below the images.

On top of all this,  I've been putting together a foundation for a 'free' online fashion design course.  This foundation is actually a book list.  While an aspiring fashion designer or pattern maker will have to decide which books to buy,  the 'free' part of this online fashion design course comes in with information on how to use these books to educate themselves in preparation to provide professional design or pattern making services.  I'll also be putting together articles on which books are best to start with,  what each covers and why certain information they contain is so crucial to the success to the budding design or pattern maker.  And what a person should do to develop the necessary skills to compete in the industry.  While this project is one I've been working on for a few years now, it's still going to take me at least another year or two to complete.  I'll be posting links to book reviews as I read these books and articles that I write as I get a chance to write them.  This project will take a while though because my clients must always come first.

If you'd like to check out my book list on Pinterest so far here's the link: http://pinterest.com/ayisha1978/my-pattern-making-fashion-design-and-illustration-/ (mind you I haven't mentioned the two books I've wrote about here yet,  because I haven't finished reading them yet,  all in due time though.)

If you are interested in my discount digital pattern cutting or digitization service however,  or you have any questions,  please email me for more information at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or visit my Facebook page to learn more.

Grading Shortcut For Patternmaker's Without Pattern Maker Software

Wow,  sorry there's often so much time between posts,  it's been a struggle between projects,  my kids devouring computer time and other responsibilities but,  I never forget about my patternmaker blog and while I get more experience in pattern cutting and grading I'm slowly coming across different shortcuts and techniques as well.

I haven't actually gotten around to doing any grading work on my sloper library lately,  but this weekend I figured out a way to grade both the front and back sloper sections simultaneously to save a bit of time.  This is how I managed it:

First you've got to slice your sloper sections up in the required areas,  then,  because the sliced portions of the front and back sections have to spread apart the same amount of distance all you really need to do is group together the corresponding vertical and horizontal portions and move them to where they need to be.   See below for an example:

Vertical Sections Selected For Spreading

Horizontal Sections Selected For Spreading

Now,  when your doing any kind of patternmaking work, grading or drafting,  you've got to always check things over,  your measurements of everything,  the 1/2" difference between the front and back sections and their armscye curve measurements,  then the sleeve curve ease and the shoulder notch.  All are small things,  but even in computer software,  if you're not using pattern maker software,  you could accidentally move something or even resize something and through off all your work.  

I spent the weekend tweeking my previous slopers to make sure measurements were in order,  no errors or anything that could pose a problem and then got started with grading my bodice sloper and it's sleeve up to size 12.   Yes,  I'm still working on grading up to Butterick size 24 so I can work with some online clothing companies I want to do business with.   I'm very excited getting my own patterns drafted finally.  But about doing business as a designer or patternmaker,  you've got to know what you're getting into and get ready for the long haul if you're not going to a complete, "you're going to learn everything" kind of fashion design course.  

First of all,  checking out my competition,  other patternmakers don't just have portfolios and years of awesome experience with designers everyone's heard about.   I've noticed patternmakers online offer a full range of services from pattern cutting,  grading,  sample making,  marker preparation,  spec sheets,  the works.  Basically, you want to have friends that do these things or you want to know how to do all of these things single handedly.  It's tough.  But,  don't shy away from it if this is what you want to do,  all I tell myself for example,  is that it's all a matter of reading a few more books and working on these skills.  That's pretty much all it takes.  Never let the time something may take deter you from learning how to do something you want to do, just do it.

As both a patternmaker and hopeful designer, while doing other people's patterns and eventually drafting my own patterns so I can get boutiques to sell my designs,  once the photos from their promotional campaigns start coming in,  I'll have my portfolio coming together without any extra cost and what could be cooler then that?  How long is this going to take??  Maybe another year or two I'm thinking,  but that's fine because it'll just get me more experience under my belt and I'll develop the confidence to take my endeavors to the next step like working for a company or a couple companies as a regular staff member or service provider.  :)  hehehe,  New York,  Paris,  Milan... Vancouver and Dubai here I come.

If you are interested in my discount digital pattern cutting or digitization service however,  or you have any questions,  please email me for more information at stylistwithacause@gmail.com or visit my Facebook page to learn more.