Description

In sewing and fashion design, a pattern isthetemplate from which the parts of a garment are traced ontofabricbefore being cut out and assembled. Patterns are usually madeofpaper, and are sometimes made of sturdier materials likepaperboardor cardboard if they need to be more robust to withstandrepeateduse. The process of making or cutting patterns issometimescondensed to the one-word Patternmaking but it can also bewrittenpattern making or pattern cutting.

A sloper pattern (home sewing) or block pattern(industrialproduction) is a custom-fitted, basic pattern from whichpatternsfor many different styles can be developed. The process ofchangingthe size of a finished pattern is called grading.

Several companies specialize in selling pre-graded patternsdirectlyto consumers who will sew the patterns at home. Commercialclothingmanufacturers make their own patterns in-house as part oftheirdesign and production process, usually employing at leastonespecialized patternmaker. In bespoke clothing, slopers andpatternsmust be developed for each client, while for commercialproduction,patterns will be made to fit several standard bodysizes.