Pattern cutting books

Last Friday afternoon a review copy of Dennic Chunman Lo's Pattern Cutting landed on my doormat. In the early hours of Saturday morning I could be found sitting under a blanket, highlighter pen in my hand, brain (possibly visibly) whirring, devouring its pages while the rest of the house had already slept soundly for several hours. I finally decided it was time to go to bed at 3.30am. Some books are like that.

From Dennic Lo's Pattern Cutting

'Pattern Cutting' is essentially a text book concerning the drafting of patterns. But it artfully bridges the gap between being a dry dusty tome of a text book and one that is so commercial that it's left with little of substance to impart for fear of alienating its potential readership. It breaths visible air and life into the subject of pattern cutting with its pages of fresh, minimalist photographs, clear diagrams and occasional catwalk images from the recent seasons' collections to illustrate a point.

From Dennic Lo's Pattern Cutting

Chunman teaches at London College of Fashion (as well as having his own fashion label, Lo & Cabon) and his expertise and authority flow calmly through the pages, leaving you feeling well-guided and inspired. He hands out welcome opinion tit-bits in amongst in depth technicalities. For example, when he talks you through the options open to you when it comes to drafting tools, he also shares his own preferences (because you really want someone to explain how a Pattern Master works, but also to tell you that a grading ruler is still probably a simpler and more accurate way of adding in seam allowances, even on a curve). The pages aren't overstuffed, so even on the most technical-heavy pages, you are left with lots of clear space around the diagrams and plenty of room to think. There wasn't a single page that I turned to and felt overwhelmed by on first sight - this is something that feels really important when trying to learn something new.

From Dennic Lo's Pattern Cutting

Much of the book concerns the drafting of the basic blocks which you will use as a basis for your own designs. The basic blocks consists of a bodice, sleeve, skirt, dress and trouser. The theory is that once you have a block for each that fits perfectly, you should then be able to go on to manipulate the relevant block(s) into whatever design you might be imagining, by moving darts, taking them away, adding them in or introducing design features such as pleats, tucks and gathers. This section is so well explained that by the end of it I felt utterly enlightened about so many things that had previously puzzled me. Throughout the book you are reminded to think about and understand the way that the body moves and how this impacts on the clothing being worn. Consequently you  begin to see the purpose for so many of the pattern cutting decisions that Chunman is suggesting you make.

From Dennic Lo's Pattern Cutting

My only complaint would be that each block is constructed around the measurements of a standard manufacturing size 12. My guess is that it was demonstrated in this way to be most useful to college students who will be designing for a mannequin or generic size, rather than themselves. However, as a home dressmaker, my preference would always be for the block construction examples to be illustrated with the expectation that you will be using your own custom measurements in which case the formula would be laid out with letters that you can easily impose your own number onto (ie. A+B=C). Instead, you're left trying to impose your numbers over those relating to a size 12 through all the different block making exercises and the whole thing becomes more complicated. While it's not at all impossible to unpick the formula for drafting these blocks using your own measurements, it's not as instantly achievable.

This book might not cover the subject as comprehensively as some of the drier, weightier past tomes, but its modern feel makes it seem as though much of what Chunman has to say will be relevant to today's pattern cutting aspirations. For those just diving into the subject, unguided by a college course, sometimes it can feel overwhelming to try and ascertain what's really relevant when the gems of information are hidden in amongst pages of fashions circa 1980, so this fresh, crisp book is very welcome indeed. It seems the perfect follow-on reading material to Cal Patch's much-loved Design-It-Yourself Clothes.

From Hilary Campbell's 'Designing Patterns'

I should say that this review is couched from a place of having recently ordered two of the more traditional texts on the subject from Amazon.  The first was Designing Patterns - A Fresh Approach to Pattern Cutting (Hilary Campbell, 1980). This book is really a series of largely unannotated diagrams. It's hugely useful in being able to see the shapes involved in manipulating the basic blocks into a multitude of different sleeve, collar and bodice designs. I don't just mean a little useful, I mean really useful. If you've ever pondered over the initial pattern piece needed to create a cowl neck or some other feature then you'll find the answer here). The stripped down graphics really appeal to my very visual way of learning. However, while this book might help me design different styles of garment, and comprehend what must be done to achieve the outcome I want, it offers little explanation as to the reasons for doing things (so while Hilary Campbell's book leaves me clear on how I'd change a rather unfashionable shoulder dart into a back yoke feature, it's Dennic Lo's book that leaves me understanding why when I eliminate a dart I may choose to add a seam in its place and create a yoke). So Hilary Campbell's book is a perfect reference tool that will be keeping a place on my bookshelf, but it's not an ideal stand alone book for me.

From Shoben & Ward's  Pattern Cutting and Making Up

The second book on my little Amazon spree was Pattern Cutting and Making Up: The Professional Approach (Shoben & Ward, 1987). It's had fantastic reviews at various different places and I chose it because I like the premis of one book combining thinking about how the finished garment will be made up with cutting the actual pattern. However, it's not a book that sings to me (I may be making an error expecting that all text books should sing to me, but I think that when it's concerning a subject that you're truly interested in this should be a possibility...and if it doesn't sing it should at least hum a tune).

From Shoben & Ward's Pattern Cutting and Making Up

It may only be those similarly interested in cutting their own patterns that have made it through this far, but I know that so many of you bought Cal Patch's wonderful book - which has opened up an exciting new world of pattern design for many a home dressmaker - and to me, Chunman's book, Pattern Cutting, seems the perfect follow-on to this as it delves into the subject further, but keeps the same friendly, accessible tone throughout. It's a book that I'll be dipping into many times over. It's published in October by Laurence King and, if you're interested, you can pre-order a copy here).

I'd love to know which book you turn to for reference.
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Florence x