Are you a new label?


Starting a new label is both exciting and daunting (trust me, I’ve been there!) but it doesn’t have to be. Having the right collaborators working with you from the beginning can have a huge positive impact on your product and business. Partnering with Makers Workroom gives you the knowledge of someone who has over 10 years pattern making experience and 5 in creating and building an emerging label. We fully understand and comprehend the hard work that goes into bringing a collection to market and work diligently to ensure that everything runs smoothly with the pattern making process.

Below we have put together a broad overview detailing the pattern making process from start to finish. This information will prepare you for initial consultations with us and ensures that the process is as efficient as possible.

Initial Consultation and Design Requirements

We start with an initial consultation which is a chance for us to meet and discuss your design/pattern making requirements and expectations.

What to bring to the initial consultation:

  • Rough working sketch of the designs you wish to produce. Images and/or samples of garments similar to those you wish to make can also be useful if you do not have a sketch to go off.

  • Fabric details: swatch, composition, fabric width and usable width.

  • Trimmings: labels, size/care labels, buttons, ribbon etc. (need to provide a sample of each.)

  • Base size (ie. Womens size 10)

  • Measurements of base size.

  • Sizes to be graded (ie. 6,8,12,14 etc)

  • Grade rule (ie. Standard 48mm between each size or whether you want to grade one and a half sizes if you do S,M,L etc)

Pattern Making Process

The initial pattern is drafted and emailed through to the factory (or a printed version can be provided for local production.)

A sample is made either by a sample machinist or the manufacturer you will be using.

We communicate/set up a meeting for any fit or design changes.

Another sample may need to be made. Or if we’re confident that the changes are only minor we can go ahead and prepare the marker. (In some instances it may be wise to take the time to sample again to ensure that the fit and the design is 100% accurate. There are no short cuts to be taken in fashion and something that isn’t working during the sampling stage isn’t going to magically fix itself during production.

Once the markers have been prepared a copy of the mini marker is emailed through for approval. The marker is then signed off by the client and can be emailed through to the factory for production (or printed for local manufacturing.)  

Billable Hours

Billable pattern making hours include and are not limited to the following:

  • Design consultation and technical workshops.

  • Creation of technical specifications.

  • Production of initial patterns.

  • Pattern/design alterations.

  • Production of markers.

Pattern Making Cost Guide

As a rough guide a basic pull on dress could take the following hours to complete:

  • Design consultation and technical workshops – 1 hour

  • Creation of technical specifications – 1 hour

  • Production of initial patterns – 2 to 3 hours

  • Pattern/design alterations – 30 mins to 2 hours

  • Production of markers – 1 to 2 hours

Important Considerations

It is important to note when it comes to pattern making there are a few variables that can impact the time needed to complete a pattern or make changes which may include but are not limited to:

The intricacy of the design
A design which may be quite simple in shape but is very detailed with panels, inserts, pockets etc. will require more time to draft than a simple shape with no or limited design features.

Fabrication
On paper, everything works beautifully however sometimes even with the best intentions we can create a pattern and while it is everything the client has asked for - it doesn’t quite work in the fabrication which they have chosen. And this happens! This is what sampling is all about. Its about ensuring the fit and function of the garment are adhering to exactly what the designer wants and making decisions to continue working with the fabric to get it to do the design job required or to make the decision to use a more viable fabric. 

Design changes
These are quite common and can happen anywhere along the way whether the designer wants to change the length of a sleeve, eliminate gathering, completely change the skirt design of the dress, you name it, it can be changed. All of these changes take time to ensure they are implemented correctly and as accurately as possible to the designers vision.