Ever wondered how to start pattern making but felt completely overwhelmed? If you’re a beginner sewist dreaming of creating your own sewing patterns, you’re in the right place. Pattern making might look intimidating, but with the right steps, anyone can learn to draft sewing patterns from scratch - no fashion degree or fancy equipment required.
In this beginner-friendly pattern making guide, I’ll walk you through the basics of pattern making for beginners, what tools you need to get started and how to create simple patterns you’ll love to make and sew. So whether you want to design your own clothes, adjust patterns for a better fit, or turn your ideas into sellable sewing patterns, pattern drafting is the foundation for you to learn.
Who am I? 👋
Hi, I’m Tammy! I started my sewing pattern business Tammy Handmade 5 years ago and have taught thousands of sewists across the globe to make clothes they feel truly proud to sew and wear. I’ve generated multi 6 figures in sewing pattern sales across my businesses and am now teaching you how you can get started. I’ve even launched my first sewing book, Sew Simple that not only teaches anyone how they can learn to sew but it also comes with 20 stylish sewing patterns!
Learning how to make sewing patterns not only allowed me to quit my full time job and build a successful online sewing business, but it also allowed me to feel truly fulfilled in my every day. It’s given me access to a skill I deeply love and I’m able to work wherever I want (as long as I have my laptop and sewing machine with me!)
So what is pattern making?
Pattern making is the process of drafting the shapes and measurements that make up a piece of clothing. Think of it as creating the blueprint of your garment - you decide the size, shape, and style before you even cut into fabric. Every piece of clothing you see in your local shops will have been created with a sewing pattern.
There are different ways to create patterns, but most beginners start with:
- Flat pattern drafting (from measurements)
- Cloning clothes (you already own)
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Draping (can be a bit more advanced)
Tools you'll need to start pattern making
If you already know how to sew you’ll probably own a lot of these, but there are a few specific tools that are key for pattern making. If you want to start learning how to make patterns from scratch, you’ll want the following:
- Pattern paper (or large sheets of regular paper, can be on a roll)
- Ruler (a straight ruler and a curved one like a French curve are ideal)
- Pencil & eraser
- Tape measure
- Scissors
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Fabric to practise (use calico or cheap cotton)
Those tools are key for making patterns physically by hand, and if you want to start draping you’ll also need a mannequin that is very similar to your body measurements. If you want to learn how to start digital pattern making (which is my preferred method) you’ll also want the following:
- Adobe Illustrator (software for creating the pattern files)
- Printer (to print out your pattern) - you can also use a projector!
- Adobe InDesign or Canva (to make sellable pattern files)
If you’ve never heard of digitally pattern drafting, it’s when you use tools like Adobe Illustrator, CLO 3D or CAD software to make sewing patterns on your laptop or computer. You won’t be able to use a mobile or tablet as you’ll need much more control. I personally create all my sewing patterns using Adobe Illustrator and then use Adobe InDesign to create sellable instruction files. I’ve found doing things digitally really fast tracks how long it takes to create patterns and allows you to create digital files you can use to start a sewing pattern business. It’s not as hard as you think to learn, and my course Pattern To Profit teaches you how to use this software even if you’re a complete beginner.
Why should you learn pattern making?
You might be thinking why should I learn pattern making if there’s already thousands of sewing patterns out there in the world? Well it’s a good question! If you’re someone that already sews but find commercial patterns just don’t fit you right, or you can’t find patterns that you actually like, or clothes you’ve made doesn’t really live up to what you pictured, then learning pattern making will give you so much more creative freedom. Simple things like being able to tweak the neckline or assess and adjust the fit will make the world of a difference.
If you dream of being creative, or designing your own styles - but you feel stuck inside the box of someone else’s pattern, this isn’t about your sewing ability. It’s about skills no one ever taught you. Pattern making is an incredibly useful skill that can allow you to:
- Get a Better fit: No more adjusting commercial patterns that don’t quite work.
- Have more creative control: Design garments that reflect your style.
- Assess and adjust: Already like a pattern you own? Switch up different elements to suit you.
- Save money: No more buying endless sewing patterns!
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Have freedom to sell: Turn your patterns into digital products (like I did!) and make passive income.
Common mistakes beginner pattern designers make
Pattern making can seem like this intimidating, elite-level skill that only trained fashion designers do and that’s simply NOT true! Most people dabble a bit… then get overwhelmed and give up. Not because they’re not capable - but because they didn’t have a clear, simplified way to learn. Beginner sewing pattern designers might:
- Open up a pattern making book and feel overwhelmed with where to start
- Try to piece together information on YouTube but still not understand it
- Try drafting a bodice block but don’t know how to actually fix problems they might have
- Get stuck in actually get their pattern ready to sell online
The Best Way to Learn Pattern Making (Without Getting Overwhelmed)
The internet has so much information, and it can get confusing fast. I too was in the exact situation you might be in, I tried to use pattern making books but had no idea how to ACTUALLY use them. It seems simple but once you get started nothing seems to fit quite right or look how it’s supposed to. I tried countless YouTube videos but didn’t know how to actually move past the initial bodice block.
That’s why I created Pattern to Profit - a step-by-step online course that teaches you how to make, adjust, digitise, and even sell your own sewing patterns. Whether you want to learn how to make patterns that better fit your own body or start selling them online to create your own sewing pattern business this course is going to be perfect for you.
Inside Pattern to Profit, you’ll learn:
- The fundamentals of pattern making
- How to draft your own bodice, sleeve and skirt blocks digitally
- How to assess the fit of your blocks and adjust them
- How to adapt and create beginner-friendly patterns
- How to grade size inclusive sewing patterns
- How to digitise paper patterns and sell them online
- How to write and illustrate instructions that are easy to follow
- How to market sewing patterns and build a successful sewing business
Pattern To Profit is the ultimate beginner friendly pattern making course I wish I had when I first started out. It would have saved me months if not YEARS of confusion and overwhelm. Learning a new skill completely on your own can feel so scary, isolating and intimidating which is why I am here to support you every step of the way of your pattern making journey.
What you’ll get inside the course instantly:
- 40 in-depth video tutorials that you can follow at your own pace
- 16 resources and guides to fast track your process
- Pre-made bodice and sleeve blocks to get started right away
- Fit adjustments PDF and video guide to help achieve the perfect fit
- Adjusting and adapting patterns video guide
- In-depth grading videos and cheat sheets with exact increments to use
- Adobe Illustrator shortcuts guide
- Lifetime access to this course and free updates
- Access to a private Facebook community of designers
Here’s what one of my course students, Maria has to say:
Ready to Start Pattern Making Today?
If you’re serious about learning how to draft your own sewing patterns, Pattern to Profit gives you everything you need - no fluff, no confusion, just a simple and clear way for you to follow. Whether you’re sewing for yourself or dreaming of launching your own sewing pattern brand, this course is your ultimate blueprint.
