Working with a pattern maker
How to choose and work with a patternmaker by Anna McCraney of Blank Canvas Development
Do not hire a patternmaker right out of design school. While most fashion design students learn the basics of patternmaking, the intricacies of form and fit, notches and darts, stretch and drape are lost on someone with only a couple of years of experience. Look for a patternmaker with decades of experience and the portfolio to prove it.
Start with one style to test the partnership. You have no idea how you and your patternmaker will work TOGETHER. Even if they have made amazing things for other people, your communication styles may not jive.
Give them as much information as you can to visually explain what you want to create. This can be simple drawings, photos of details you like, or inspiration garments. Make clear notes and give clear direction. Have them make a pattern, and then a muslin. This way, you are both working together to get the design right.
Be clear about your time lines. If they say that they will deliver by a certain date, expect that. If they don’t, hold them accountable and look for someone who can meet deadlines. There is nothing fashionable about being late when you have deadlines to meet.
Do not overvalue claims by any company providing “digital patterns only.” A good patternmaker will work directly on a dress form and do fittings directly on a person. There is no true standard body, and each pattern should be unique. A good patternmaker will make their patterns by hand, and then the perfected patterns can be digitized when you mark and grade for production.
Work with a patternmaker who regularly works directly with their sample sewer. Patterns are a language and you need all of your service providers to speak the same way.
Work with someone domestically. Even though a lot of production and development is done overseas, there is so much that can get lost in translation. You need someone who understands your aesthetic, fit, and vision. Time differences will wear on you, and unclear emails will bog down the process. A weekend in New York for a fitting will cost you a lot less than the mistakes that come from the back and forth during an approval process with someone you have never met.
Source your fabric yourself! You are the designer and should already have your idea for the fabric even if you haven’t found the perfect vendor for it. It
is important for your patternmaker to know whether they are working with
a knit or a woven, and if it is a lightweight or a heavier fabric. You can attend trade shows or connect with domestic and overseas fabric mills to order swatches and choose what you want. Blank Canvas has a great list of mills and fabric agents. Ultimately, what you choose will factor into the end cost of your product, so you need firsthand knowledge of where it is coming from, what it costs per yard, and what the mill’s minimums and lead times are. Look for agents and vendors who stay true to their promises.
Start small and take your time. Blank Canvas gives a lead time for development of six to eight weeks, but we suggest you allow a lot more time. Once you have what you perceive to be the perfect product, you can do a test run of 10–20 pieces and share them with editors, influencers, and potential clients for feedback. At that point, you have the opportunity to refine your product before you sink tens of thousands of dollars into large production runs. You can also figure out your margins and lead times and get an idea of what your demand will be in this very competitive market. Be flexible and patient. You want to know that what you are providing is good quality for the right price.
Blank Canvas Development offers patternmaking, sample making, and a full menu of product development and production services that will take your design from sketch through final production. Blank Canvas Development was started by designer Anna McCraney, with 20 years of experience, her long relationships with factories allow her to negotiate fair prices and fast turnarounds for clients while encouraging sustainability and American manufacturing.