Where did the time go?
The first post on this blog dates from September 2023. Back then the app had a basic bodice, a few skirts and the beginnings of a pair of trousers. Since then, life happened and this stayed what it has always been: a side project for the evenings and weekends. But it kept moving. Some months it was one evening of work, other months it was every free hour I had.
The last weeks were the most productive ever. So it is time to catch you up.
One method for every pattern.
The biggest change is under the hood. In the beginning, every garment followed its own method: one from my evening classes, one from an old book, one from my own trial and error. That made it hard to keep everything consistent.
Now every pattern follows the same proven drafting method from a classic patternmaking textbook, step by step. Where the method leaves a choice to the patternmaker, I made the choice myself, often based on garments I made and tested. The advantage: when a pattern works for one garment, the same logic works for the next.
What you can make now.
The list of garments grew quite a bit:
- Shirt: point, spread, button-down, club or band collar, cuffs with one or two buttons, a chest pocket or welt pocket, a back pleat or back darts.
- Vest: a classic vest and a deep-V vest.
- Trousers and slacks: pleated trousers and slacks, with a waistband, welt pockets and an optional full lining.
- Jeans: a five-pocket jean with a regular, tight or relaxed fit.
- Dungarees: built on the trouser, with a bib and straps.
- Skirts: pencil skirts in three lengths, an A-line, a flared skirt and circle skirts (full, three-quarter, half and quarter). With a slanted or side-seam pocket, kick pleats and a straight or shaped waistband.
- Dress: a basic dress, the bodice combined with one of the skirts.
When you create a pattern, you now see a sketch of the garment that changes with every option you pick. So you know what you are making before you print.
Patterns for every body.
When I started, I was frustrated by the lack of good patterns for my own body. That should not happen to anyone using this app. So the app no longer asks whether a garment is for a man or a woman. There is one shirt, one pair of jeans, one vest.
The pattern follows the body you enter. With the "Breasts" checkbox, the draft adds bust shaping. Without it, you choose a body type instead. Things that are a matter of taste, like which front laps over the other on a shirt, a vest or a fly, are now simply options you choose yourself.
Measuring made easier.
A pattern is only as good as the measurements behind it. Every measurement now has a small help dialog with an illustration of where to measure. If you leave a measurement empty, the app estimates it from the other ones. And if a number looks unlikely, for example because of a typo, the app warns you before you make a pattern with it.
From pattern to fabric.
The output also got a lot of attention:
- The pattern prints on A4 pages that you tape together.
- A cutting layout shows how the pieces fit on your fabric width, folded or single layer.
- You choose the seam allowance: standard, classic, wide, or none at all.
- Every pattern comes with a page that shows how the pieces go together, and a list of the finished garment measurements.
You can also save a pattern as a project, so you can open it again later with the same options and measurements.
About the Beta.
The beta is still private, but joining is clearer now. When you sign in for the first time, you get a short form: why you would like to test the app and how you found it. I read every application myself and let you know when you can get started. There is also a new privacy page that explains what happens with your data.
The future.
The next step is testing, and a lot of it. Every pattern needs to be made in fabric, by different people with different bodies. That is where you come in. If you are in the beta, I would love to hear what works and what does not.
The dream has not changed: making this app my full-time job. One evening at a time, I'm getting closer.