Want to start drafting the sewing patterns that you’ll use to cut fabrics and sew garments that fit perfectly to your body shape?
To work efficiently in your home studio, you’ll need some essential pattern making tools. These tools needed to draft patterns are inexpensive and easy to acquire.
Pattern Making Tools
#1. A large flat surface for working.
#2. Pattern paper/craft paper: This is very essential for without the paper, there is no pattern drafting. Drafting on a paper will enable you to make any necessary adjustments to the paper if need before you cut on the fabric.
The pattern paper is of different types and varies in weight. The plain and the dotted paper which can either be soft or thick.
#3. Ruler: This is also essential as it is needed for drawing lines. There are different types of rulers. We have a straight ruler, triangle and tailor’s square ruler. This basic pattern making ruler sets on Amazon are of a great choice as it comes with different types of rulers.
#4. Curved rulers: There are different types of curved rulers with different functions.
French curve: This is used for shaping armhole and neckline.
Hip curve: Its function is to shape the hipline, hem and lapels
Sleigh curve: It has nearly the same function with the French curve, used to shapes necklines, armholes, and other curves like pockets, cuffs and collar.
#5. A pair of scissors for pattern paper: Any craft scissors will be great to cut the pattern paper. But you need to have separate scissors for the fabric.
#6. A Sellotape/ masking tape: This can be used to secure the pattern paper down to the table/working surface
#7. Tracing wheel: There are two types of tracing wheel, blunted and pointed.
The pointed wheel is needed to transfer patter, shapes to the paper while the blunted wheel is used with carbon paper to transfer pattern shape to muslin or the fabric.
#8. Pattern Notcher: This is needed to cut an opening at the edge of the pattern to indicate seam allowance, ease notches, center lines and to identify front and back of the patterns
#9. Measuring Tape: A must-have tool in fashion designing. A 60 inches long is required. You’ll need this to take the model measurement accurately.
#10. Pencils: Having at least two colour is recommended so you can differentiate between pattern lines.
#11. Marker pen: Used for drawing on the pattern paper
This list of pattern making tools is what I considered essential for drafting sewing patterns. Do you have any additional pattern-making tool that I did not mention? Kindly share it in the comment section below.
There are other basic sewing tools that I didn’t mention in this article like, tailor chalk, dressmakers pins etc. You might be wondering why I didn’t mention all these? The sewing tools are only needed when you are done with the pattern and ready to sew.
Are you excited already to start drafting your sewing patterns? You can read more about the techniques of pattern making here.
To get started with drafting your basic bodice pattern, check out my previous post.
If you need a step-by-step guide on how to start drafting sewing patterns and garment construction, you can check out my pattern and dressmaking courses here!