Fabrics and Pattern Cutting

Getting the right cut for the right fabric is the key to good design.

One of the most challenging aspects of a fashion designer’s training is learning how to crate patterns that utilize the characteristics of fabrics. With an ever expanding range available, an understanding of the relationship between fabric, form and pattern shape is now the most important skill a designer has to acquire.

Winifred Aldrich, a leading pattern cutting authority, explores how a garment’s shape is created and discusses the factors that need to be considered when creating patterns and offers you a practical method for solving problems. No other pattern cutting book considers the effects of individual fabrics and its approach is based on the appraisal of the fabric and body shape.

Fabrics and Patterns Cutting is the revised and simplified edition of Fabric, Form and Flat Pattern Cutting. It is fully illustrated and makes use of numerous practical examples. It also takes into account important new developments in fabric – new fabrics, new methods of fabric construction and new fabric finishes.

Free block patterns are available online for readers to print out for use in their classes.

Introduction 5

Garment design and the selection of fabrics 6

PART ONE: FABRIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BODY SHAPE

Chapter 1 Fabric characteristics and garment shapes 7

Chapter 2 Fabric testing 15

Chapter 3 Selecting fabrics 25

PART TWO: FABRICS AND SIMPLE PATTERN CUTTING

Chapter 4 Simple ‘flat’ cutting 61

Chapter 5 Simple ‘form’ cutting 79

PART THREE: FABRICS AND THE BODY FORM

Chapter 6 Cutting to fit the body form (woven fabrics) 95

Chapter 7 Crossway cutting 107

Chapter 8 Stretch fabrics and the body form 121

PART FOUR: FABRICS AND COMPLEX CUTTING

Chapter 9 Complex ‘flat’ cutting 135

Chapter 10 Supporting fabrics 149

Chapter 11 Combining fabrics 159

PART FIVE: BASIC TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY

Chapter 12 Basic textile technology 171

PART SIX: MODEL FIGURES AND GARMENT BLOCKS

Chapter 13 Model stands and figures to reproduce 183

Chapter 14 Creating the one–fifth and full–scale blocks (methods – manual, CAD or Internet access) 193

Appendices 217

Chapter index 221

Winifred Aldrich is a world authority on pattern cutting and author of six fashion titles. Winifred was formerly Professor of Clothing Technology at Nottingham Trent University and a practicing designer. She continues her research into pattern design practices.