Fashion Design Tools
Click on each arrow for description and uses
The ring binder lever arch system is helpful when wanting to hold large amounts of samples and paper into a folder, they come in many standard sizes. Use a two- or four-hole system for holding A4 sheets, the hole punched papers are held in the binder by circular or D-shaped retainers, onto which the contents are threaded.
Click to purchase A4 Arch Lever File
A tool for boring holes in patterns. Make an indentation in the pattern to mark the end of darts, pocket positions etc.
Click to purchase Bradawl
Use this button gauge to make decisions on button sizes. Accurately mark in CM and Linge; suitable for professional use or home use. “L” stands for ligne, the traditional unit of measure for measuring buttons.
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Acrylic world standard button size template is used to mark button position in place on patterns.
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Use this button measure to make decisions on button size.
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High leverage shears with precision ground blades for effortless cutting of pattern board, plastic or card with a centre adjustment screw, allowing the blades to be tightened or taken apart for sharpening. Length: 30cm
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Place samples and notes into a polypropylene sheet protector. The sheet protector already has pre-punched holes, so the document can be kept untouched and unwrinkled. There are also zipper pocket sheet protectors that keep your samples and papers from falling out.
Click to purchase A4 Plastic Pockets
Use a compass to create accurate waistline on circular skirts and circular frills for collars etc.
Click to purchase Compass
Also referred to as a grading ruler, the best accurate transparent ruler for pattern making is made of strong clear plastic and have a grid across the whole ruler making it easy to accurately mark seam allowance on straight edges and parallel lines, also ideal tools for grading patterns.
Click to purchase Clear Plastic Grading Ruler
Also referred to as a grading ruler, the best accurate transparent ruler for pattern making is made of strong clear plastic and have a grid across the whole ruler making it easy to accurately mark seam allowance on straight edges and parallel lines, also ideal tools for grading patterns.
Click to purchase Clear Plastic Long Ruler
These protective cutting mats are made with a 3 ply resilient vinyl that heals so completely it can be used as a writing or drawing surface, even over the previous cuts. Protect pattern cutting table and workstations with non-slip, self-healing cutting mats. Grid-line interval of 25mm for instant guidance is available in different sizes A1, A2, A3, and A4.
Click to purchase Cutting Mat
An eraser also called a rubber in some counties. An eraser with a rubbery consistency with gum-like materials made for pencil markings, being softer and non-abrasive it’s less likely to damage your paper pattern. A low priced eraser tends to smear surrounding areas when used. Use a magic soft rub eraser.
Click to purchase Eraser
A multi-purpose 12 function grading and pattern cutting design tool. Measures from 0 to 50cm with a 25cm centering scale. Use to make curves for the neck, armholes, hips, right angle markings, bias and curved seam allowance.
Click to purchase Fashion Curve
A large variety of scissors and shears exist for specialized purposes. Keep a variety scissors for cutting various materials such as paper, fabric, card, boning, and thread. Use a heavy pair of scissors when cutting out medium weight fabric. The heavy scissor is helpful when cutting out fabric along straight lines or small pattern pieces.
Click to purchase Fabric Shears
3mm thick, Perspex strong graders set square ruler for pattern making with grading markings on one edge and calibrated and bevelled edges on the other two. Use to create accurate markings, grading lines, bias angles, pattern drafting and adding seam allowances, available in metric and imperial.
Click to purchase Graders Set Square
Use brightly fluorescent or subtle pastel highlighter pens to mark the position of boning onto each pattern piece.
Click to purchase Highlighter Pack
Also known as “L” square aluminium ruler with a precise 90-degree angle, use to create perpendicular lines and to measure off parallel lines. Great for when you’re working on large pattern pieces.
Click to purchase L Ruler
A large variety of scissors and shears exist for specialized purposes. Keep a variety scissors for cutting various materials such as paper, fabric, card, boning, and thread. Scissors made with rubber handles enable the user to exert either a power grip or a precision grip. Use lightweight scissor for cutting lightweight fabric i.e. silk, this type of scissor has a blade that can sit flat on the table when cutting out.
Click to purchase Light-Weight Scissors
Magic scotch tape, also known as the magic transparent tape is used to stick paper or card in pattern making. The tape appears frosty on the roll, yet is invisible on paper. Magic tape can be written upon with pen, pencil, or marker and resists drying out and yellowing.
Click to purchase Magic Scotch Tape
Use a magnetic pin holder to hold sewing pins. The pins stay position on the round plastic pin holder with a powerful magnetic grip.
Click to purchase Magnetic Pin Holder
Also known as pattern card is a strong 250gsm thick card used to make patterns and blocks; it’s the same width as marker paper used for production patterns or patterns that are used repeatedly. It comes in various colours, green, yellow, orange, blue, pink and buff. Paper patterns are transferred onto the sturdy card which is more durable. Block patterns that are used frequently are made with the most durable card.
Click to purchase Manilla Card
Drum shaped 1.5 cm long pin, to hold paper pattern pieces in place on the table.
Click to purchase Mapping Pins
A mechanical pencil or a propelling pencil is a pencil with a replaceable and mechanically extendable solid pigment core called a “lead”. Mechanical pencils are used to provide lines of constant width without sharpening in pattern making. Different sizes of lead diameters are 0.3mm, 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm, whose line widths allow for precise drawing and available to accommodate pencil builds. Use a 2H or 4H mechanical pencil for drafting patterns accurately.
Click to purchase 2h or 4h Mechanical Pencil
A mechanical pencil or a propelling pencil is a pencil with a replaceable and mechanically extendable solid pigment core called a “lead”. Mechanical pencils are used to provide lines of constant width without sharpening in pattern making. Different sizes of lead diameters are 0.3mm, 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm, whose line widths allow for precise drawing and available to accommodate pencil builds. Use a 0.3mm mechanical pencil to transfer paper patterns onto manila or oaktag card for precision.
Click to purchase 3h 0.3mm Mechanical Auto Pencil
Different sizes 0.3mm, 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm of lead refills are available to accommodate pencil builds.
Click to purchase 2H Mechanical Pencil Refills
Click to purchase 3H 0.3mm Mechanical Pencil Refills
Pencils using the HB system are designated by a number such as 2B, 4B or 2H to indicate the degree of hardness. Use an HB or 2B pencil to draw style lines, darts etc on calico. Finding what works best for your own project needs is generally a matter of personal preference and experimentation.
Click to purchase 2B or HB Pencil
Metal rulers are used for several purposes: to measure lay plans, draw grain lines, bias and straight lines, to measure fabric and used to flatten fluid fabrics on the pattern table before cutting out.
Click to purchase Metal Metre Ruler
Information on the pattern pieces is marked with different coloured pens. Use black for the main fabric, blue for lining, red for fusing, and green for canvas.
Click to purchase Black Pen Pack
Click to purchase Pack of 5 Pens
Click to purchase Pack of Pens
Click to purchase All in one 4 colour pen
The needlepoint wheels have sharp teeth and are used in pattern making to mark through fabric, paper patterns and a manila card with perforations. Store the tracing wheel in the original package to protect the sharp needle points.
Click to purchase Serrated Tracing Wheel
Use with a bradawl to create scores on manilla card or oak tag before folding the card.
Click to purchase Small Metal Ruler
Also known as dot and cross paper, the high-quality paper (50/60gsm) helps with pattern design accuracy as used in professional design studios for making patterns for clothing. The marks are 2.5cm apart and at technically correct lines and angles. It’s slightly translucent so that you can see pattern lines to copy them.
Click to purchase Spot and Cross Pattern Paper
Use a stapler to attach paper pattern pieces to the card before cutting out.
Click to purchase Stapler
Create neat, accurate holes in the pattern that show the placing of a pocket or other part, or the apex of the dart, drill holes must be carefully transferred to the cut garment parts. If omitted or wrongly placed, it is impossible to make up the garment correctly. Replacement drill bits are made from steel and available in two widths 3mm and 4mm.
Click to purchase Pattern Drill
Large and small pattern hooks are used to hang sets of card patterns for easy storage, available in large and small sizes.
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All in one pattern maker combines the functions of graders square. Use to draw the curves required for necklines, sleeve, armhole, hip line, waistline, trouser crotches and add seam allowances, available in metric and imperial.
Click to purchase Pattern Maker
Ensure accurate marking of your pattern key points. A pattern notcher is a tool which is used to make U shape indentations on pattern pieces as a guide for the easy assembly of the garment. The notcher available in various sizes cuts a 3mm or 5mm opening at the pattern edge to indicate seam allowance, centre lines, ease notches, darts, and pleats and to identify front and back of patterns. The notches also indicate where seams should be matched when sewn together. Double and triple notches are marked 1cm apart on pattern pieces.
Click to purchase Pattern Notcher
Pattern punch use to make a 1.5cm hole through each pattern piece, so they may be hung up on a pattern hook for easy storage.
Click to purchase Pattern Punch
Scissors ranging in size from 20 to 30 cm, with two, sharply pointed straight blades, to cut paper patterns. Always have a separate lightweight scissor for pattern making. If you use the paper scissor on the fabric you will blunt your scissors very quickly.
Click to purchase Paper Scissors
Use a pencil sharpener to shave away the worn surface of your HB and 2B pencils. Keep them sharp when marking off style lines etc.
Click to purchase Pencil Sharpener
The pattern weights hold the pattern pieces down on the fabric, allowing you to cut the fabric for a garment without having the pattern shift. Available in different sizes.
Click to purchase 70mm Pattern Weight
The plain white pattern paper is of high quality 50gsm, for pattern making. It is also used to sandwich fabrics in-between when cutting sheer fluid fabrics such as chiffon and georgette, the sandwich fabric in paper facilitate cutting.
Click to purchase Plain Pattern Paper
A rotary cutting tool used to cut fabric instead of scissors, used with a cutting mat to prevent destroying a surface. It is perfect for cutting long strips of fabrics and many layers all at once. A really useful tool for cutting fabric quickly and easily, it can cut through several layers of fabric at once and is best used in combination with a ruler.
Click to purchase Rotary Cutter
The solid adhesives glue sticks are ideal for sticking paper when drafting and pattern making, the twist or push-up tubes can apply glue by holding the open tube, keeping your hands clean.
Click to purchase Pritt Stick
Good quality pins are essential. They are used to hold fabric layers together for sewing and fitting, available for all types of projects. I use glass headed long pins for lace and general pattern making on medium weight fabrics, extra fine for silk fabrics, and dressmakers pins for jersey fabrics, they differ in lengths and thicknesses. Take care not to use pins that are rusty or blunt, as this will snag and damage fabrics.
Click to purchase Dressmakers Sewing Pins
Click to purchase Extra Long Glass Headed Sewing Pins
A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler, it consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fiberglass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. Use a measuring tape made of fibreglass, which does not tear or stretch as easily.
Click to purchase Tape Measure
A yardstick is a straight edge tool used to measure lengths of up to a yard, metres or three feet high. Yardsticks are flat wooden boards with markings at regular intervals.
Click to purchase Yard Stick
Use flexible adhesive tape for accurate style planning and draping in conjunction with your garment stand. Adhesive Styling tape is available in various widths 3-5mm. The draping tapes are designed for students, designers, pattern makers and tailors.
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Calico is available in different weights, its plain woven cotton with slightly stiff dressing which washes out. Obtainable bleached or unbleached. Lightweight calico is used to create tops, blouses, skirts. Use calico to experiment and develop toiles and samples.
Click to purchase Light-Weight Calico
Use cloth clamps to secure the fabric to the table to make sure it stays in place. A must if you are cutting large dresses it holds fabric or lays perfectly still on the pattern table while you’re cutting out.
Click to purchase Cloth Clamp
Use coloured pencils to draw in style lines, darts, layers on calico or paper. Keep them sharp.
Click to purchase Coloured Pencils Pack
Use to keep shoulder and necklines seams from stretching out, reinforce them with twill tape or stay tape this is made of a non-stretchy material, usually cotton, can be used as styling tape. Width: 0.5mm.
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A garment stand is a three-dimensional model used for fitting clothing that is being designed or sewed. Designers use the stands to drape, fit and make adjustments or alterations to garments. The garment stands come in different shapes and sizes; you could also have a custom made garment stand. They have adjustable height and pinnable surface.
Click to purchase
Kennett & Lindsell Dress Stand or Dress Form
Interfacing adds structure to an area of a garment i.e. a collar, lapels, pocket flaps, facings. It’s available in light, medium or heavy weights to match the weight of the fabric you are using and comes in black or charcoal grey for dark fabrics and white for light shades of fabric. The interfacing is available as sewn-in or iron-on.
Click to purchase Mediumweight White Fusible Interfacing
Click to purchase Lightweight Black Fusible Interfacing
A good quality steam iron is essential. Choose a reasonably heavy iron that has steam and a shot of steam facility.
Click to purchase Iron
Make sure the ironing board is height adjustable and of high-quality construction with rubberised feet.
Click to purchase Ironing Board
Calico is available in different weights, its plain woven cotton with slightly stiff dressing which washes out. Obtainable bleached or unbleached. Medium weight calico is often used to create dresses, jackets and coats. Use calico to experiment and develop toiles and samples.
Click to purchase Medium Weight Calico
Attach a wrist pin holder to your wrist to allow easy access to pins while modeling and draping on the stand or sewing.
Click to purchase Wrist Pin Holder
1/2 Scale Fashion Draping Tool List
Garment stands are used for creating patterns and garments. The ½ scale mini models are scaled-down female figures based on the full-size 10/12 garment stands.
Click to purchase ½ Scale Dress Stand
Use an F-clamp to hold your scaled dress stand securely in place on the edge of the table, allowing you to use both hands to drape freely.
Click to purchase F Clamp
Use a small and narrow tape measure when working in quarter scale made of fibreglass, which does not tear or stretch as easily.
Click to purchase Tape Measure
Use a 1/4, 1/5th, and 2/5th scale ruler to create patterns.
Purchase from a trade supplier
Full-size 20cms ruler with 6 popular button sizes: 0.5cms/0.7cms/1.0cms seam allowances and 45º markings, Pocket fashion curve full-size 20.0cm scale pattern design tool, Fashion scale 1/4, 1/5th, and 2/5th scale, 1/5th scale block patterns: Bodice, skirt, sleeve and trouser block.
Click to purchase Fashion Toolkit
Use to draw designs for placement of embroidery, tambour beading, and fabric print on patterns.
Click to purchase A3 Translucent Tracing Paper
Use cotton tape and sewing pins to secure your fabric in the tambour frame.
Click to purchase Natural Cotton Tape
Use an F-clamp on two opposite corners of the tambour frame to keep your fabric at a 90-degree angle.
Click to purchase F Clamp
Good quality pins are essential. Pins are used to hold fabric layers together for sewing and fitting, they are available for all types of projects. I use the glass headed long pins for lace and general pattern making on medium weight fabrics, extra fine for silks, and dressmakers pins for jersey fabrics, they differ in lengths and thicknesses. Take care not to use pins that are rusty or blunt, as this will snag and damage fabrics.
Click to purchase Dressmakers Sewing Pins
Click to purchase Extra Long Glass Headed Sewing Pins
Use a small pair of very sharp pointed scissors to trim away surplus fabric, trim threads, cut snips and notches.
Click to purchase Small Scissors
All purpose sewing thread is a general use sewing thread for both machine and hand sewing. Polyester is a good quality thread suitable to sew all types of fabrics and garments, choose a good quality strong thread for the purpose. When sewing seams on the machine, apply the same thread in the bobbin as in the needle, don’t mix and match fibres. Threads vary in fibre content, some are made of polyester while others are pure cotton or rayon.
Click to purchase Sewing Thread Black
Click to purchase Sewing Thread White
Tambour frame is used with a tambour hook to create designs on fabrics using application of beads and sequins, embroidery as well as decorative chain stitch embroidery and surface decoration. A tambour frame keeps the entire piece of fabric taut, it is made of four pieces of wood consisting of 4 bars, (2) 14″ and (2) 28″, (2) 2″ heavy duty “C” clamps and twill tape which is stapled to the bars, secures your working canvas to the frame. The canvas is then stretched and the bars held in place with the “C” clamps on two opposite corners. The frame can be supported on wood trestles, between two tables.
Click to purchase Tambour Frame
A wooden handle with a metal needle holder on the end to hold the latch hooks with the turn of a small thumb set screw to remove and replace the needle. A tambour tool is used for application of beads, sequins, embroidery as well as decorative chain stitch embroidery and surface decoration called tambour beading work.
With lots of practice, you pick up speed.
Click to purchase Tambour Hook
A spring loaded tool for snipping ends of threads. The clippers are nested in the palm with the ring finger so you can clip threads quickly and easy.
Click to purchase Thread Clipper
Use to draw designs for placement of embroidery, tambour beading, and fabric print on patterns.
Click to purchase Translucent Tracing Paper
A bodkin is a needle with a large eye for inserting elastic, tape or ribbon through a slot.
Click to purchase Bodkin
A small chisel to cut accurately through buttonholes, this is used with a small self-healing cutting mat or a bit of wood placed on a flat surface.
Click to purchase Buttonhole Cutter
Use the correct type of needle for your project. A general purpose hand sewing needle, with a small eye available in sizes 1 to 12. Sizes 6-9 are mostly used for hand sewing. The size, length, point and eye size allow for different tasks, fabric and with different types of thread. You can also use a needle threader with a little wire loop on a handle that glides through the smallest needle eye.
Click to purchase Hand Sewing Needle
Coated soleplate prevents scorching, sticking and illuminating sheen on fabric with a smooth surface that nothing sticks to it. Attach a protective cover for ironing all delicate materials, such as velvet, silk, nylon, wool.
Click to purchase Iron Shoe
The ironing board protector is a thick rectangular piece that can be cut down to size to fit under your iron board cover. It improves your ironing experience by eliminating wrinkles leaving you with a more professional finished pressed garment.
Click to purchase Ironing board protector
A loop turner has a long wand attached to a handle with a latch hook-shaped end. It is used for turning tubes of fabric usually spaghetti straps and rouleau loops.
Click to purchase Loop Turner
A very useful and handy gadget, it has a very strong magnet and does not move easily. Use as a guide for stitching straight lines, seam allowances at various widths, or circle line track. It can also be used as a magnet to pick up pins and needles.
Click to purchase Magnetic Sewing Gauge
A little handy tool that has 14 different measurements on it for measuring and checking depth, length and distance between buttons and buttonholes, hems and pleats or edges accurately, available in imperial and metric.
Click to purchase 14 in 1 Measure Gauge
Use for neatening seams, the pinking scissors feature sawtooth blades that cut a zigzag edge instead of a straight edge, the sawtooth pattern does not prevent the fraying but limits the length of the frayed thread and thus minimizes damage, and it keeps your projects looking their best.
Click to purchase Pinking Scissors
Use the pointed end of the point turner to gently push out corners of collars, lapels, pockets, flaps and belts.
Click to purchase Point Turner
Press on the wrong side using a damp or dry press cloth to protect delicate fabrics. Use silk organza to prevent burning delicate fabrics or muslin so you can see through. Can be used as a single layer or folded to adapt to the weight of the fabric you are pressing.
Click to purchase Press Cloth
Slip the pressing mitten on to your hand to enable more control over where you are pressing.
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A seam ripper is used to remove unwanted stitches. The small pointed hook to allow easy insertion in tight stitches, with a small cutting blade at the base to cut the thread whilst the other forked end with a ballpoint to protect fabric. Various sizes of seam rippers are available to cut through light to heavy weight fabric seams.
Click to purchase Seam Ripper
Industrial straight stitch sewing machines are used in fashion education, the industry and in the home. It’s one of the biggest investments you’ll make so try out various types of machines before you buy. Additional accessories and attachments to assist with the specific task are also available for inserting an invisible zip, pin rolled hems, gauging fabric, binding etc.
Purchase from a trade supplier
Domestic sewing machines are mainly used in the home. It’s one of the biggest investments you’ll make so try out various types of machines before you buy. Additional accessories and attachments to assist with the specific task are also available for inserting an invisible zip, pin rolled hems, gauging fabric, binding etc.
Click to purchase Domestic Sewing Machine
Use a sleeve board for pressing seams and other places that will not fit on the ironing board.
Click to purchase Sleeve Board
A handy sewing tool for taking small measurements, the slide can be set to measure button diameters, hem depths and seam allowances, available in centimetres and inches.
Click to purchase Sewing Gauge
Use a small pair of very sharp pointed scissors to trim away surplus fabric, trim threads, cut snips and notches.
Click to purchase Small Scissors
It’s essential to restore and maintain the cutting edge of scissors. Over time and with consistent use, all scissors will eventually dull and lose the sharp edges they once possessed when you first purchased it. The scissors sharpener makes it easy to restore your scissors in just a few passes. The plastic slots ensure proper positioning for the optimal blade.
Click to purchase Scissor Sharpener
Use a reliable blunt-edged, or smooth tracing wheel attached to a wood or plastic handle, that leaves a solid line when used with dressmaker’s carbon transfer paper to transfer pattern marks to onto paper fabrics, the smooth wheels leave a solid line.
Click to purchase Smooth Tracing Wheel
All purpose sewing thread is a general use sewing thread for both machine and hand sewing. Polyester is a good quality thread suitable to sew all types of fabrics and garments, choose a good quality strong thread for the purpose. When sewing seams on the machine, apply the same thread in the bobbin as in the needle, don’t mix and match fibres. Threads vary in fibre content, some are made of polyester while others are pure cotton or rayon.
Click to purchase Sewing Thread Black
Click to purchase Sewing Thread White
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Make a handy tool bag from this pdf pattern to store tools and equipment, great for when you’re on the go.
Purchase or make a tool bag
A space-saving tabletop ironing board is perfect for when you’re pressing small pieces of fabric and also when working in small scale. It sets up in seconds so you can iron and when you are finished, you can store it away quickly.
Click to purchase Table Top Ironing Board
Tailor’s chalk is a special chalk made of talc that makes temporary marks on fabrics. It is used for marking pattern shapes on fabric and can be brushed or washed away, mark design details such as buttonholes, button placements, darts, pleats, seam lines, folds and alteration lines. Available in various colours white for use on dark fabric and various colours for use on light fabrics, the chalk can also be purchased as a chalk pencil.
Click to purchase 4 Different Colour Triangle Tailor’s Chalk
A ham shaped pressing cushion that is used to press darts and the shape into curves of collars and shoulders, and in making tailored garments.
Click to purchase Tailors Ham
A spring loaded tool for snipping ends of threads. The clippers are nested in the palm with the ring finger so you can clip threads quickly and easy.
Click to purchase Thread Clipper
Use a thimble to push the needle through the fabric in hand sewing, a small metal cap with a closed end is worn to protect the finger or thumb. It should fit comfortably, without falling off when hand sewing, there are many varieties to choose from. Usually, thimbles with a closed top are used by dressmakers but special thimbles with an opening at the end are used by tailors as this allows them to manipulate the cloth more easily.
Click to purchase Thimble
YOU ALSO NEED
« A flat working surface. Use fold up trestles and a sheet of MDF for the top table
« Four different colour pens black, blue, red and green for pattern instructions
« A pattern master or fashion curve with a 45°, 90° angle, seam allowances etc
« Use separate scissors for cutting fabric and paper
« Light, medium and heavy weight calico for toiles
« Half scale and full-size dress stand for fitting toiles
1. Store tool: scissors, tracing wheel, bradawl etc in a storage box or a tool bag.
2. Equipment: long rulers, set square etc store on a flat surface, or on the wall.
Disclaimer
I am disclosing that I’ve included certain products and links that I will earn commission for any purchases you make. I can assure you I am only recommending what I believe in and take your trust in my recommendations very seriously. These are products that I use in my professional career. I only promote those products that I have used and feel deliver value to you.
What equipment do I need?
You'll need tools and some specialist equipment for fashion pattern cutting. These are an investment and they can last you many years to come.
