Building Patterns: Ultimate Guide to Designing Clothing Patterns

Get a master class in pattern making!

• Essential reference guide for aspiring fashion designers, fashion design students, and sewing and fabric enthusiasts
• Learn the fundamentals of pattern making with this instruction manual developed for students of the art
• Introduction to tools, how to use them, how to build a patternmaking tool kit, and understanding pattern making terminology
• Instructional chapters on skirts, moulage and bodice slopers, dart manipulation, style lines and silhouettes, necklines, collars, sleeves, pants, pockets, and garment construction
• Step-by-step instructions, easy-to-follow diagrams, clear illustrations, and helpful practice exercises
• Handy spiral binding lays flat while you learn, keeping you hands-free
• Suzanne Furrer has more than 35 years of professional experience in the fashion industry and is the founder and director of Apparel Arts and Apparel Arts Productions, an online fashion design school

If you've watched Project Runway or Making the Cut and wondered how the competitors instinctively know how to create such a diverse array of garments — it's because they learned the art of pattern making!

Building Patterns is an illustrative master class in the art of garment pattern making for aspiring fashion designers, fashion design students, and sewing and fabric enthusiasts. Lifelong designer and patternmaker Suzy Furrer has distilled her 35+ years of fashion pattern experience into this definitive resource for expert pattern making instruction.

This book includes 11 chapters, each meticulously explaining a fundamental element of the pattern-making process. Each element is fully explored with easy-to-follow diagrams and illustrations, making it ideal for visual learners.

Furrer begins with an introduction to pattern making — explaining what is required for building a proper patternmaking tool kit and terminology used throughout the book before guiding the budding pattern maker through the instructional chapters. You'll learn essential subjects, from creating basic slopers to building perfect-fitting garments on the first try.

Whether you're a seasoned sewist looking to level up your skills or a beginner in the world of fashion design who wants to develop your eye for fashion, author Suzy Ferrer's Building Patterns is the definitive resource for professional pattern making instruction!

Suzy Furrer is the Founder and Director of Apparel Arts, a renowned fashion design school established in 1996, and Apparel Arts Productions, its online extension launched in 2020. With over 35 years of industry experience, Suzy has developed a comprehensive curriculum that has trained hundreds of students now thriving in apparel and costume design. She has taught for GAP Inc., Pixar, and Lucas Films and regularly lectures at conferences, art schools, and sewing guilds. Suzy is also the author of Building Patterns: The Architecture of Women's Clothing and has been a Craftsy instructor in pattern drafting since 2011.