Pattern making software, armhole depth
One thing I’ve found is that I haven’t got an average distribution of upper body length above and below my armhole.
I’ve been checking pattern making software for which versions include this in their basic measurements. As far as I can discover from web sites and demos :
Yes, this software includes armhole depth in the basic measurements :
Garment Designer (link on left in menu along top)
No, does not include armhole depth in the basic measurements :
Pattern Master from Wild Ginger.
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All except Garment Designer are for PC only, not for Mac.
Armhole depth is just one detail among the many ways they differ, and it won’t matter for most people. Software differs in the measurements and styles included, the way styles are chosen, and how design changes are made. If you’re interested, have a thorough check of information and demos as they really are very different.
Also some people find they don’t enjoy sticking computer printer paper together to get a pattern.
If you want to try this, you could download a free pattern from : BurdaStyle
Or there are a couple of ways to include some of your own measurements :
Pattern Maker based software CD in a book : Marie Clayton Make your own clothes.
Click and Sew selections from Pattern Master on CD from Wild Ginger.
(Again, I’m just saying these are available, not how good they are !)
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Some people are enthusiastic about pattern making software. Some use it a few times and then go back to conventional patterns. Others do not get on with it at all. For me the problems are :
– although I put in a great deal of effort, I never managed to get it to fit me.
– I’m a physical person, I like to see what is happening in front of me, in paper shapes, scissors, pens, rulers, not hidden away out of sight.
– I’m not a designer. I can look at a pattern drawing and decide whether or not I like it. But all those little details that distinguish a pattern I like from one I don’t – those I can’t think of for myself. So I don’t like designs I get from my own decisions using software as much as the designs I get from a commercial pattern. Or perhaps I could make decisions about a design by looking at and changing a trial muslin in front of me, rather than by deciding in the abstract that I want a cuff to be 3 inches rather than 3-1/4 inches deep. . .
Tip 1 : if you have problems with fit, make a fitting sloper by conventional methods, and then try to get the software pattern to match your fitting sloper (that’s how I found the software I was using was impossible for me).
Tip 2 : it may be necessary to put measurements into the software which are not exactly your measurements, to get the software to produce something that fits.
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P.S. Oh dear, I’d forgotten that ‘pattern making’ means something very different to software engineers ! If you follow up the suggestions automatically made by WordPress, you’ll end up in some unexpected places. . .
Explore posts in the same categories: pattern making for clothes
Sewingplums 
December 30, 2009 at 8:49 am
I got PMB4 for Christmas, although I know you had a tough time with it. I am very excited about using the pattern editing feature (a sort of CAD program for patterns) to draft patterns/details included in the Japanese magazine Mrs Stylebook (or Ladies’ Patternbook I think would be a better translation…). These are drafted normally by alterations to a paper sloper, but so much easier to do it accurately on the computer.
I’m just in the process of doing up a sloper (yet another one! — I’ve now done MSB and Butterick) and it’s a little irritating doing it again but at least I know more about it.
However, and this is true of all the pattern software I’ve looked at — it’s not for beginners. You need to know about sewing, and about pattern drafting (at least a little bit) and it wouldn’t hurt to know something about CAD as well. It’s certainly a learning curve. Not for beginning dressmakers AT ALL.
August 28, 2013 at 2:27 am
Don’t forget Patternade, a simple browser based system for creating patterns. I am not sure if it applies to your arm-hole depth criteria, as it does not take user measurements.
Its worth a look for entry level software.
September 2, 2013 at 5:48 pm
I suggest if you want to make an impact with your demo, you need some explanation with it of how to use it and what it can helpful with. Can you only add straight lines or can you draw curves ? How do you do slash-and-spread ?
And you might like to think about your target user. For example, visitors to my blog are more likely to be interested in :
– getting good blocks for personal measurements, or
– importing personal blocks and making pattern changes.
While fashion students are more likely to be interested in using generic blocks.
How does this support the sort of pattern work done in pattern making books ?
Best Wishes for your progress.