How Patterns Work: The Fundamental Principles of Pattern Making and Sewing in Fashion Design

Let me be clear in that this will not tell you how to make or alter patterns 100%, this book for me is a reference book. I am studying fashion design and so have taken both a draping and pattern making classes and will basically tell you this book is what you learn in college classes. More in-depth however, this book doesn't teach you how to do much other than making a basic bodice sloper by draping a piece of paper on a professional dress form (which I think is very clever since I learned it by using muslin fabric which waste and cost more). It touches on the basic principals like how darts work and dart manipulation, the slash and spread method and even tells you the basic key points of measurements. If your looking to teach yourself pattern drafting, this is a great book to read before diving straight into the material in my opinion since it teaches you terminology and the process of a garment, both on a small scale and larger mass production scale. I highly recommend this book for someone who really wants to learn the fundamentals, one thing I will point out though for people who have taken it and such, just like how it differs from place to place, terminology is a bit different than what I learned in school but, you understand what it is since of its very simple explanation. I also enjoy that at the end of each chapter they give you a chapter overview. This is definitely staying in my sewing book library.

This book is awesome so far. First let me say I am a beginer /intermediate sewer. I have do e home decor and some clothing but not successfully. I wanted a book that would teach me why am doing what I am doing and this is it. I was so happy to have found this book. Instead of saying do this it explains in easy to understand terms why you are doing this an to the purpose of doing it. I have only gotten a third way through and I understand more than before I got this book. So if you are like me and need to why you are doing what you are doung this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book!

I am a self teaching myself to be a fashion designer and have reservations on enrolling on a dedicated school of fashion due to financial constraints. I have bought almost 60 books to date about fashion, tailoring, sewing etc. Anything that would help me become a fashion designer. It is overwhelming to me since this is all new and I don't know where to begin. I believe I'm a good illustrator but I'm still refining on my skills. This book to me seems to be the next step towards constructing my illustrations. I love it because it talks about the very basic terminology and principles in pattern making and helps me adopt a set of skills that I can work with for my own designs. It is a book I would be using a lot and I know it will help me understand all the more complicated pattern books that I have so far. Much simple and straight forward guide for me.

This is a nice, clear explanation that takes a different approach to understanding patterns. Good perspective.

This book is a must have for any beginner sewer or pattern maker wanting to understand how patterns work. It is written in easy to understand terms and not technical jargon. You can get a good understanding of the subject, because the chapters are short, there are reviews of each chapter, and excellent illustrations. I am most pleased I purchased this book!!! Highly recommend!!!

I have purchased pretty much all of the top books on sewing and patternmaking. This is by far the clearest book with the clearest instructions. It has really helped me break down the ideas behind the techniques in a way that makes sense to me. I've become a better sewist because of these books! There is also a TON of content. Highly recommend.

Good one, Honestly I thought it would be a little more "complete", but as the title says it's about fundamental principles. A good book to have around if you want to understand the basis of what a pattern is and how it should work. (Well, I just realised I was reformulating the book's title...). You'll find tips about trueing the pattern (making sure each part fit with the one she has to be assembled), seam allowances, dart principle, notches, informations to write on the pattern, blending, playing with the volumes (increasing, decreasing...). Negative point (in my opinion) is the fact that they show a principle in one way (for example transform 2 darts into a seam... as for a princess) and then revert it (transforming a princess line in two dart)... I mean once you've done it one way the other way around is pretty obvious so it's (again in my opinion) like having two times the same chapter. But once more as a book about fundamentals it's mostly made for novices so maybe it's a good point after all.

I am very pleased with this book! Through a long, frustrating process, I began with commercial patterns and settled on designing and drafting my own patterns. I discovered the need for blocks, toiles and custom patterns. I wish I had started with this book. It would have saved me years of frustration. It starts out very basic, but I found that refreshing. I needed to begin from the beginning to get where I need to go. I recommend starting from the beginning, and at least mentally, going through the exercise for paper fitting a block. It's worth the effort. One of the things I found extremely encouraging is that even professional designers don't get it right the first time. And it's worth the time and effort to perfectly fit the block because that is where perfectly fit patterns come from. If you (or someone you know) are just thinking of learning to sew clothes, start here. If you have been sewing for awhile but need a better understanding of why things sometimes don't work out the way you expect, this is a excellent reference. And if you just want to get back to basics, this book does it.

A good book for beginner who wants to learn about detail of pattern making concept

It is definitely a technical book and the reading is a bit dry. However, it is very interesting for those who want to learn "How Patterns Work". While you do need to have previous experience/knowledge of sewing basics, this book is a worthwhile addition to any sewing library. The construction quality of the book is very well done and should withstand many readings. A truly valuable resource book.

The book was very unsatisfactory. It just showed how to make a tube with the chest measurements, waist measurements and hip measurements. It said to refer to other books to make the full pattern. Why would I need this book if I have to refer to other books which give me a full pattern. I returned this book and got a refund. I had to pay Rs.250/- courier chargers to send this book to Delhi. I live in Mumbai

I bought this because I enjoyed Assembils "How to start sewing". It describes everything so well, at a really steady pace, and with well annotated diagrams. This book complements what I have learned myself from commercial patterns & YouTube - rather than just "monkey see monkey do", Its given me the confidence to understand how a pattern should be drafted and how it would hold together.

I've just bought the book, together with How Pattern Works. Better than expected, better than my school books, in a word better than ever. Let me say that it is written in a very simple and clear way, although rich of concepts and complete, full of examples and diagrams. Useful for both beginners and pro. I'm definitely satisfied.