DESIGNING YOUR WARDROBE: DRAFTING PANTS with Suzy Furrer

Resources & Supplies

Instructor Website Supplies

Suzy Furrer is the founder and director of Apparel Arts in • Awl
Oakland, California, where she teaches patternmaking • Drafting curves (shown: French curve and hip curve)
and fashion design. Visit the website at • Gridded straight ruler, 2" x 18"
apparelartsproductions.com • Muslin
• Pattern paper
• Pencil
Recommended Reading • Pins
Building Patterns: The Architecture of Women’s Clothing by • Red pencil or pen
Suzy Furrer (Apparel Arts, 2008) • Scissors for fabric and paper
• Transparent tape
• Tracing paper and wheel

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 DESIGNING YOUR WARDROBE: DRAFTING PANTS with Suzy Furrer

Design Exercises

Complete these six design exercises at the beginning of each design season (or at the very least, once a year) to help
define your design aesthetic and the wardrobe needs of you or your customer/client. Get a large sketchbook and com-
plete the exercises within its pages; having a book where you can house these exercises is a good way to see how your
design aesthetic changes and grows over time. To get the most out of these exercises, approach them in an open, fun
and playful way.

Shapes (Black & White) Texture

Goal: Identify shapes you are attracted to.
• Find 10 to 12 images in black and white that speak
to you. Black-and-white images allow you to see
shape without being distracted by color.
• Place the images as a collage or one or two images
to a page. Use only 10 to 12 images — no more! This
will help you learn to edit.
• Use images found in nature, architecture, typography,
markets, travel, sculpture, art, furniture, car design,
anything at all, as long as the images do not show
fashion. No clothed people! You do not want to be
influenced by other fashion design at this point. You
want to figure out who YOU are as a designer.
• As you select images and discover the shapes
you're attracted to — shapes with a lot of volume or
movement, hard edges, soft edges, organic shapes —
you may start seeing a mood come through.
Color
Goal: Find a color story.
• Find 10 to 12 images in and of color that speak to you.
As with the Shapes exercise, limit yourself to 10 to 12.
• Collect the images on one page or side-by-side
pages so you can see a color story emerge.
• These images can be things that speak to you or
images you select for the color alone. Try not to
think too much; just include what brings out an
emotion in you. A mood will start to come through
with the colors you choose.
• You can find images found in nature, architecture,
typography, markets, travel, sculpture, art, furniture,
car design — anything at all as long it the images do
not show fashion. No clothed people! You still do not
want to be influenced by other fashion design. Again,
we are trying to figure out who YOU are as a designer.
Goal: Identify your texture preferences.
• Find examples of texture.
• Limit yourself to filling a full page in your
sketchbook. As long as the page is full it does not
matter how many examples you include.
• Texture can be fabric such as faux fur, napped fabrics,
fabric flowers, beading, sequins, jewels, leather, suede,
pleating or other types of fabric manipulation, zippers,
buttons, or trims. You can also use pictures such as
the textures found in nature — perhaps later you will
find a way to recreate those natural textures in fabric.
Mood Board
Goal: Develop a design theme
• Fill a page in your sketchbook with design inspiration.
• With this exercise, start including images of
fashion and people.
• You can also include postcards, quotes,
photographs, findings such as jewels, small toys,
buttons and trims and objects found in nature.
• Your board can be very organized or controlled
chaos — approach it anyway you like. The only
requirement is that it fits on one page or two side-
by-side pages. You want to be able to look at it as a
whole and figure out a theme for your collection.
• The theme might come from one object on your
mood board or from the vibe the entire mood board
is giving off.
Muse
Goal: Discover your inspiration.
• Include a picture of your muse(s).
• Your muse should be someone whom you, your
customer or client aspire to look like. Who looks really
pulled together to you? Whose style do you admire?
• Your muse can be someone you know, a celebrity, a
character in a movie or show or even someone you
saw walking down the street. Try to notice who looks
exciting and effortless with their style.

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 DESIGNING YOUR WARDROBE: DRAFTING PANTS with Suzy Furrer

Design Exercises

Target Market Questionnaire • How much disposable income does your customer
have or want to spend on clothing each year?
Goal: Explore your wardrobe needs, or those of your cus-
• Do they shop monthly, seasonally, special
tomer or client.
occasion only?
• What is the age range of your customer/client?
• What is the range of spending on one garment?
• What are your customer/client’s physical
characteristics?
• What are their best features? End Result
• Are there any features your customer/client Goal: Integrate these elements to create a cohesive plan.
would like to de-emphasize? Think about fit and • Boil down all this information (some of it you will
sizing. use and some you will not) and come up with a
• What season(s) are you designing for? theme, an idea of silhouette and fit, a color story, a
• Where does your customer/client live? In a hot texture addition, your target market and your muse.
climate, cold, temperate? • A successful small line has four to six colors, one
• What is your customer/client’s lifestyle? texture, one print, and something that ties one
• How often do they dress up each month? garment to the next (this could be a color, a trim, a
• Do they need business attire? Casual attire? silhouette). Try to have three tops to one bottom and a
Travel clothing? Clothing that helps them feel great coat or jacket to throw over most of the pieces.
pulled together when they run errands or pick
up the kids?
• Examine your customer/client’s lifestyle needs.
• What is your customer/client’s fashion attitude?
• Are they fashion forward or conservative in their
dress? Perhaps in between?
• Does your client/customer go for fads or do
they dress in a more classic manner?

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Notches & Awl Punches

Slit Notches for Wovens A double V-notch, called a castle notch, is two V-notches
merged together, and is also used for knits. The width
Notches are used to show where to clip and match piec-
on the pattern edge is ½" and the width of the extended
es when sewing. The slit notch is most commonly used
area is ⅜":
with wovens.
• You can use a single slit notch or double slit notches.
• Double notches are usually used on center back
pattern pieces, with the two marks either ¼" or ½" apart.
• You can also use triple notches, but it is better to
vary the positioning of the single or double notches; Awl Punches
too many clips in your fabric may weaken it. Awl punches are called drill holes once the pattern gets
to the cutter and the sewing factory and there will be a
If your seam allowance is ½" or more, the leg will be a large production run of the garment. In sample making
maximum of ¼" with a ⅛" bar across the top: or making a one-off garment, it is called an awl punch
(because you use an awl to make the punch). Always
mark awl punches/drill holes in red.
If your seam allowance is ⅜" or less, the leg will be ⅛"
with a ⅛" bar across the top:

V-Notches for Knits

The V-notch is most commonly used with knits, extend-
ed outside of the edge of the pattern.

A V-notch is ¼" wide with a ¼" extension:

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Pattern Standards

Pattern standards vary with each individual apparel company, so it's best to come up with your own standards that
work for your product. Consistency in pattern standards will help to keep production running smoothly. These stan-
dards might work for you (or are a good place to start):

SEAM ALLOWANCES EDGE/TOPSTITCHING

All seams (knits) ⅜" Edge stitching /16" from the finished edge
1

Seams behind zippers (knits and wovens) ½" - ¾" Topstitching ⅛" or more from the finished edge
Side seams, princess seams and other
½" AWL PUNCHES
interior seams (wovens)
Side seams on garments that might Mark ½" from the vanishing point of
Darts
need altering through the bust, waist ¾" the dart within the dart bulk.
and hips Punch the top and bottom of the dart
Double-point-
Seams on necklines, collar pieces and as for a regular dart and mark the
¼" ed or fish-eye
facings at neck and armhole (wovens) sides of the dart at the waist, ⅛" in-
darts
side the widest part of the dart bulk.
Seams on casing edges and button
placket edges, or any seam edge ¼" Pocket open- Mark ⅛" inside each end of the
tucked under (wovens) ings opening.

Seams on armholes and sleeves when Mark directly on corners and points
½" Corners and
attaching sleeves (wovens) (some designers punch 1/16" away in
points
the seam allowance)
Seams on pocket openings ¼"
Seams around pocket bags ½" STITCHES PER INCH (SPI)

Seams on patch pockets ¼" - ⅜" Sheer or light-

14, 16 or 18 SPI
weight fabrics
Side seams on welt pockets ¾"
Medium-weight
10, 12 or 14 SPI
fabrics
HEM ALLOWANCES
Heavyweight
Knits ½" - 1" 8, 10 or 12 SPI
fabrics
Linings ½" Use the same SPI that was used in
Edge stitching
Flared garments 1" construction
Pants, skirts and dresses 1½" Use a longer SPI than was used in
construction (start with three to
Tailored jackets and coats 2" Topstitching four stitches less than the construc-
Sleeves 1" - 1½" tion SPI and adjust as necessary for
the desired look)

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 DESIGNING YOUR WARDROBE: DRAFTING PANTS with Suzy Furrer

Production-Ready Pattern Requirments

1. True the working pattern one last time. 11. Stamp each pattern piece with the following
information:
2. Trace each pattern piece onto a clean sheet of • Season
pattern paper. No patterns pieces are on fold. All • Style (name or number)
pieces are full pieces (cutters will not cut on fold for • Piece
you). Some cutters require a separate right side and • Size
left side even when the pieces are mirror images. • Cut
• Very small pieces that don't have enough space
3. Square the edges of each pattern piece ¼" to ½" if
for this information should be placed into
possible. This will help the pieces come together
an envelope, and the outside of the envelope
smoothly rather than creating peaks and valleys
labeled with the necessary information. I
at connections. Some pieces cannot be squared
suggest having a pattern stamp made; the
because you will lose the integrity of the shape of
stamp I use looks like this:
the piece.

4. Add seam and hem allowances (see Pattern Season

Standards, page 5).
Style
5. Cut each pattern piece with a border of about 1"
outside of the seam and hem allowances. Fold back Piece
all seam and hem allowances (the way they will
lay after pressing) so they are flush with the sewn Size
pattern edges.
Cut
6. Cut out the pattern pieces just inside the pencil
outline (if you cut outside the pencil outline, the
pattern will be too big). 12. Fill out the Pattern Record Card (see page 7) and
include a technical sketch of the front and back.
7. Include notches. Mark notches in red.
13. Punch the pattern and hang it on a pattern hook.
8. Awl-punch dart apexes (see Pattern Standards,
page 5).

9. Notch the beginning or end of each seam allowance

on the perimeter of each pattern piece, or show the
seam allowances in each corner with ½" to 1" angles.

10. Draw the grainline in red. Draw grain lines

thoughtfully — not freehand. Your choices are length
grain, cross grain, bias grain and partial bias grain.

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Pattern Record Card

Company
Date
Season
Style No.
Style Description
Size Range

Key: (1) Self (2) Contrasting (3) Pocketing (4) Lining (5) Interfacing (6) Underlining

PATTERN PIECES 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Pattern Record Card

TRIMS

TECHNICAL SKETCH: FRONT & BACK VIEW FABRIC SWATCH

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Suzy's Pattern Record Cards

Pattern Record Card

Company: Apparel Arts

Date:
Season:
Style No.:
Style Description: Palazzo Pants
Size Range: 6­8
Yardage 1½ yards
⅛ yard interfacing

Key: (1) Primary  |  (2) Contrasting  |  (3) Pocketing  |   (4) Lining  |   (5) Interfacing  | (6) Underlining

Pattern Pieces:        1        2          3          4           5             6

Front 2
Back 2
Front Facing 2 2
Back Facing 2 2

Technical Sketch Swatch

Trims:
8" invisible zipper (x1)
Comment: Buy zippers 1" longer than what you need (so you do not need to sew around zipper base/top).
Let invisible zippers hang 1" lower than desired base of the zipper during construction and trim later.
1" x 8" fusible interfacing strip behind zipper (x2)
hook/eye (x1 optional ­ top of the zipper)

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Suzy's Pattern Record Cards

Pattern Record Card

Company: Apparel Arts

Date:
Season:
Style No.:
Style Description: Drawstring Pant
Size Range: 6­8
Yardage 1½ yards
¼ yard contrasting

Key: (1) Primary  |  (2) Contrasting  |  (3) Pocketing  |   (4) Lining  |   (5) Interfacing  | (6) Underlining

Pattern Pieces:        1        2          3          4           5             6

Front 2
Back 2
Pocket Front 2
Pocket Back 2
Drawstring 2

Technical Sketch Swatch

Trims:
¾" x 1" interfacing strip (x1 ­ behind buttonholes)
6" x 1" interfacing strip (x4 at pocket opening edges on pant and pocket front)

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 DESIGNING YOUR WARDROBE: DRAFTING PANTS with Suzy Furrer

Suzy's Pattern Record Cards

Pattern Record Card

Company: Apparel Arts

Date:
Season:
Style No.:
Style Description: Trouser
Size Range: 6­8
Yardage 1½ yards
¼ yard interfacing
⅓ yard contrasting

Key: (1) Primary  |  (2) Contrasting  |  (3) Pocketing  |   (4) Lining  |   (5) Interfacing  | (6) Underlining

Pattern Pieces:        1        2          3          4           5             6

Front 2
Back 2
Waistband ­ outer 1 1
Waistband ­ inner 1 1
Pocket Welts 4 4
Pocket Bag 2
Pocket Facing 2 2
Pocket Loops 1
Fly Facing 1 1

Technical Sketch Swatch

Trims:
⅜" buttons (x2)
5¼" zipper (x1)
Comment: Zipper opening is 4¼". Buy zippers 1" longer than finished for ease of construction (so you do not have to
sew around the zipper hardware).
Pant Hook/Eye (x1)
6½" x 1" interfacing stay (behind welt pocket) x2

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