Pattern Making. The Foundations: A Fashion Design Manual for Learning to Build Patterns from Scratch

Copying a pattern is easy. Understanding it is something else. This manual belongs to the second category: it doesn’t give you the garment ready to trace, it teaches you the logic behind every line so that you can construct—and modify— any pattern yourself. It is the difference between sewing a dress and knowing how to design one.

What you will learn

The basics of pattern making, explained with the clarity of someone who has spent years teaching them:

• How to draw a pattern and assemble it flat
• The detailed construction of fundamental garments: dress, skirt, blouse, jacket
• Individual elements —bodices, sleeves, skirts, linings— grouped by chapters
• How to adapt and personalize each base to your taste and measurements

Why this approach matters

There are no "ready to copy and cut" patterns here, and that is precisely its value. You learn the why behind every stroke: where a dart goes and why, how to calculate the width of a sleeve, how to adjust a bodice to a real body. Once you understand the base, you can tailor and transform any model without relying on a commercial pattern.

Who it is for

For sewing enthusiasts who want to make the jump to pattern making, and for fashion students and professionals who need a solid reference manual. It is not a book of quick projects: it is a foundational book to return to over the years, which is why it is a bestseller.

How it is structured

224 pages with all the explanations and diagrams necessary to follow each construction step-by-step. Large format (21.5 x 28 cm), organized by thematic chapters to look up exactly what you need.

An idea

Start with the skirt base, the most rewarding garment for understanding pattern making. Once you have it traced to your measurements and assembled flat, you will see all the clothes in your closet with new eyes — and you will never look at a commercial pattern the same way again.

Technical specifications

• Author: Teresa Gilewska
• ISBN: 978-84-9874-238-1
• Reference: 281001
• Publisher: El Drac
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224
• Format: 21.5 x 28 cm
• Language: Spanish