Clothing Patterns

In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is the template from which the parts of a garment are traced to fabric before being cut out and assembled. Patterns are usually made of paper, and are sometimes made of sturdy materials like paperboard or cardboard if they need to be more robust to resist repeated use. The process of making or cutting patterns is sometimes condensed to the one-word Patternmaking, but it can also be written pattern making or pattern cutting.

A sloper pattern (home sewing) or block pattern (industrial production) is a custom-fitted, basic pattern from which patterns for many different styles can be developed. Processen om at ændre størrelsen på et færdigt mønster er kaldt gradering.

Several companies specialize in selling pre-graded patterns directly to consumers who will sew the patterns at home. Commercial clothing manufacturers make their own patterns in-house as part of their design and production process, usually employing at least one specialized pattern maker. In customized clothing, slopers and patterns must be developed for each client, while for commercial production, patterns will be made to fit several standard body sizes.