A pattern maker drafts the templates needed to sew clothes. These templates, more commonly called patterns, are guides for cutting and assembling fabrics into a finished garment.
Despite pattern making being the core of how well (or poorly!) a garment fits and one of the most vital roles in the industry, not many people talk about it. It’s considered a “less glamorous” role in fashion.
But the reality is pattern making is in high demand and there is a tremendous opportunity to work in this role.
In my 15+ years working in fashion, I’ve collaborated closely with clothing pattern makers to bring design concepts to life.
While I know the fundamentals of pattern making and what a pattern maker does, I wanted to ensure this article was accurate. So, I surveyed over a hundred fashion professionals and freelancers in different roles, including clothing pattern makers. I’ve written this article using their firsthand experiences, plus insights I’ve gained through my work and from interviewing multiple pattern makers in my Fashion Designers Get Paid Podcast.
So, if you want to become a clothing pattern maker, I’ll share everything I’ve learned (including how much money you can make). I’ll also guide you on steps to get started, whether you want to work in-house, own your studio, or work as a freelance pattern maker.
What Does a Clothing Pattern Maker Do?
Pattern makers create templates used to cut fabric and construct garments. These templates, known as patterns, are the blueprint for the various pieces of a garment, ensuring they fit together accurately and create the desired shape, style, and fit.
Clothing pattern makers may use a combination of manual drawing methods and CAD to create these sewing patterns. They may also use 3D software for drafting and to emulate the design on a body before it’s even produced. If you want to learn more about pattern making software, I’ve written a thorough breakdown of the best ones here. The most popular ones are Gerber Accumark and CLO.
Having a deep understanding of fabrics, fit, and garment construction is crucial for pattern makers as this ensures that each piece not only looks good on paper but also drapes well when worn.Beyond drafting patterns – they’re also highly involved in refining designs. Fashion designers – more specifically, technical designers – work closely with pattern makers during garment sample fittings to fix any issues related to sizing or silhouette. Then, the pattern makers adjust the pattern accordingly to create a finished garment that matches what the designer envisioned.
Essential Skills
As one of the most technical jobs in fashion, working as a clothing pattern maker requires expertise in various skills.
- Pattern Drafting Skills: Proficiency in manually creating sewing patterns on paper, understanding the basics of pattern drafting and/or familiarity with computer-aided design (CAD) software for digital pattern making and grading.
- Understanding of Body Measurements: Precision in taking body measurements to ensure garments fit well. Understanding how body shapes and sizes vary and how to adjust patterns accordingly.
- Understanding of Garment Construction: Though sewing pattern makers usually work with seamstresses when making garments, they still need a deep understanding of how different types of garments are constructed and how to sew.
- Fabric Expertise: Knowledge of different fabrics, their stretch, drape, and texture, and how they affect patterns.
- Problem-Solving Abilities: Skill in identifying and solving fit problems, making necessary adjustments to patterns for different body types.
- Communication and Collaboration: Collaborating effectively with fashion designers, technical designers, and manufacturers to achieve the desired design and fit.
How to Become a Clothing Pattern Maker
While formal education is great, there are workarounds to becoming a clothing pattern maker without going to school.
There are actually a lot of GREAT pattern makers out there who are self-taught and some even started doing it just as a hobby.
There are plenty of resources to start learning, including books such as Pattern Making for Fashion Design by Helen Armstrong and online courses that teach pattern making from scratch such as Domesika and Udemy.
Internships or Apprenticeship
One of the top tips we received on how to become good at pattern making is to have a good mentor. A lot of skilled pattern makers I know worked as apprentices under a professional pattern maker. You get to work closely with experienced professionals and learn firsthand.
It’s also one of Myranda Caputo’s top tips for becoming a pattern making pro. Myranda is a Freelance Pattern Maker with over 25 years of experience in the industry.
“Find a great mentor, start with the basics, ask lots of questions.”
Since the job is hands-on, getting real life experience is close to none to becoming a good pattern maker.
Pro Tip: Look for pattern makers around your area and see if they are open to provide training and apprenticeship. Although pattern makers are one of the rare gems of the fashion industry, you’ll often find a lot of highly skilled pattern makers who own their studios in local garment districts. And if you’re lucky – they might just be willing to mentor you!
Working In-House
Being in-house means you work directly with a fashion brand or company. You collaborate with designers to turn their sketches into wearable garments.
If you’re working in-house, expect to be the go-to problem solver for any garment fit and size issues – ensuring the clothes fit perfectly and meet the brand’s standards.
Owning Your Own Studio
Having your own business as a pattern maker allows you to decide the projects you take on. You may collaborate with different designers and brands, all while managing your team of other pattern makers and seamstresses.
Lacey Bell, President & Owner of Fireflyline, a product development service company, shares her day to day work as a pattern maker in her own studio.
“2-4 hours of my days are usually spent on focused pattern making or 3D digital creation. Another few hours might go toward working in technical packages, updating specifications for clients. The remainder will be filled with client communication via e-mail or video conferences. I should dedicate more time each day to marketing but I usually only manage 1-2 hours a week for social posts and blog writing.”
Working as a Freelancer
Freelance work as a pattern maker is totally doable. In fact, it’s one of the most in demand freelance fashion jobs out there.
Working as a freelance pattern maker allows you to work independently, taking on projects from various designers and fashion brands all while comfortably working in your own place and schedule. It offers flexibility – you can work from anywhere and choose projects that align with your interests.
Sofia Luzon, one of my FAST grads who’s now working as a freelance pattern maker shares her day to day and how she got started working freelance.
“I start my day around 8:00 am by answering emails from clients or factories, then I work on the projects I have scheduled for the day (create patterns, attend to fittings, modify patterns according to the fitting, etc. Sometimes I also make tech packs and 3D prototypes, and meet with my consulting clients). Usually I finish working by 16:00-16:30 pm, after doing a last check on my email inbox.”
“I started freelancing through Upwork, after enrolling in Heidi’s FAST program. I decided to start freelancing because I was feeling burned out from working on my own fashion brand for several years. After doing some Upwork projects and gaining more confidence in my skills, I started pitching brands outside of that platform. Nowadays, I still have recurring clients coming from Upwork but the majority of my income comes from other brands.”
And when asked what’s the best part about working as a freelance pattern maker, Sofia shares:
“I love having the ability to choose which projects I get to do each day, and also choosing the clients I want to work with. It also gives me the possibility of having a better work-life balance.”
If you want to know more about Sofia, I have a podcast interview with her. In our talk, she shares her journey from building her own brand to switching to a freelance career. (Plus, get tips on how Sofia found clients and gained confidence to have a sustainable income as a fashion freelancer!)
For more stories on how to work as a freelance pattern maker, here are other interviews from my Fashion Designers Get Paid Podcast:
Alexandra Agreda, a FAST grad and freelance pattern maker who started in the industry without a fashion degree but is now working as a pattern maker (and making more in one day as a freelancer than she made in two weeks at her old full-time job!).
And there’s also David Russon who works for both established and startup indie brands as a freelance pattern maker and sample maker – all while staying at the comfort of his home in a rural town.
How Much Money Does a Freelance Pattern Maker Earn?
What is the salary of a clothing pattern maker? (And freelancer?).
According to Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, pattern makers working in house can make around $63,735 to $72,259 a year – between $30.54 to $34.62 hourly. (If you’re curious about salary ranges in fashion, peek at my article about which fashion industry jobs pay well).
As a freelancer though, you can make even more.
Alexandra, a freelance digital pattern maker, made so much money last year, she took TWO WHOLE MONTHS OFF to travel.
Freelance pattern maker and product development specialist Alison Hoenes now makes 75% more than her previous full time salary.
Ellie, a 3D designer and pattern maker who’s charging $125 an hour (yeppp!).
If you already have pattern making skills and want to start freelancing, the best place to start is with my guide to becoming a freelance fashion designer (it’s free!).
